Shuttle X200m SFF

Shuttle has made some key improvements to the X series of small form factor systems with the X200m. Most notable of these is the inclusion of a TV tuner and built-in wireless networking. Of course, they sacrifice the dedicated graphics that was one of the key features of the X100.

2/27/07 – Shuttle's X100 small form factor desktop PC was a huge hit for its small space, quiet operation and dedicated graphics. It did lack a number of features that could be found on other mini PC designs, so Shuttle came back with the new X200m system that looks almost identical to the original X series.

While the outside appearance is pretty much identical to the X100, the X200m made some pretty significant changes to the internal components. One of the features that many people looked at the X100 for was being a media center PC. The problem was Shuttle had no integrated HTPC features such as a TV tuner. They have fixed that by including an integrated analog TV tuner in the new X200m. This makes it great for those looking to use it with a home theater system. In addition, they have also included an 802.11b/g wireless network adapter making it easier to network.

All of these features are great, but in order to make room for them, Shuttle had to remove one of the best things about the X100. The older series used an ATI Radeon Mobility X1400 MXM graphics modules to give it some 3D performance graphics. That has been removed leaving the X200m with the Intel GMA integrated graphics. This pretty much removes the majority of the 3D capabilities of the system.

Like the X100, the X200 is a bit larger than most other mini PCs. The majority of this bulk comes from Shuttle using a full sized desktop hard drive over smaller notebook drives. This gives it much more storage space which is a huge benefit for those looking to use it as a home theater PC. But, if you don't need the TV tuner functionality, you may be better off getting the older X100 instead.

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