Shuttle XPC

Low price. Compact build. Plenty of I/O ports. Expandable memory and storage. M.2 solid-state drive (SSD). 802.11ac Wi-Fi. Ships with VESA mount. Three-year warranty.

Only 2GB of memory and a 32GB SSD. Doesn't come with a keyboard or mouse.

Performance and Conclusion You shouldn't expect workstation-class performance from a $279 PC, but the XPC Nano comes equipped with an Intel Celeron 3205U processor with Intel HD Graphics that's more powerful than the Intel Atom CPUs found in the...

Compact size; attractive small-form-factor chassis; 2GB of memory; roomy hard drive.

Lacks default TV tuner and Wi-Fi; giant power brick is a hassle; not a lot of bang for the buck compared to other current PCs.

If the Shuttle XPC X100 had come out when it was announced six months ago, we'd like it a lot better. Competing systems such as the WinBook Jiv Mini pack more features into a smaller package, but the trade-off is less RAM and hard-drive space.

Packed with high-end gear, including an Athlon FX-57 CPU and SLI GeForce 7800 GT cards; comes with gaming headset and built-in Wi-Fi; performs well.

Very expensive; noisy; limited internal expansion space; bare-minimum support.

SLI graphics in a small-form-factor PC? That's the minor miracle of Shuttle's XPC P 2600g. Just be prepared for sticker shock.

One of the first small-form-factor computers to use BTX architecture; stylish case.

Subpar performance; expensive for its configuration; noisy.

Despite its attractive appearance, Shuttle's underperforming, noisy BTX small-form-factor PC doesn't deliver the goods.

Components are not standard form factor.

Supports 2.5in drives.

No extra M.2 cooling means fast SSDs throttle.

If you really want a 2.5in drive in a barebones system, then the Shuttle XPC Nano NC02U5 can do a job. However, at a similar price, the latest Gigabyte BRIX i5 is a better option thanks to its superior build quality, smaller size and extra M.2 cooling.

If only I had a Shuttle nano XPC NC02U5 back 20 years ago, it would have solved so many of my computational needs at the time. Sure there’s less expansion options for you to play around with due to the NC02U5 being so small, but for what you get in a...