Shuttle DS61 Build

Hi,

Just thought I'd post some preliminary pics of a new build based on the Shuttle DS61.

I was attracted to the Shuttle DS61 because of its small form factor. It's advertised as a digital signage product much like their HX61 and come fully equipped with a Mini ITX mainboard with an H61 chipset/1155 CPU socket, dual LAN ports, HDMI port, DVI-I port, 6 USB ports (2x USB 3.0), SD card reader and an external power supply.

In terms of price, the unit goes for just under $200. I ended up pairing it with a Celeron G1610 so the set up cost me just under $250. A Celeron based Intel NUC is around $50 cheaper but I was willing to go with the DS61 because of it's versatility. Sure, it's a lot bigger than a NUC but it's not huge either.

The DS61 is roughly the size of an external 5.25" drive. Here it is below beside my iphone 4S.



Here it is with the heatsink attached.



Finally, here it is sitting on my desk.



I'm just in the process of loading Windows 7 onto it. The fans are noticeable if you get within 30cm of the unit but it's not too bad so far.