Intro
Contents
It will not have escaped the regular reader that Alpha Audio every now and then dives into the hardware. We do like PC audio and video. The reason is simple: it is often cost effective and it is very flexible. You determine the processor, memory, storage capacity and software. And if you want to tweak further, you can. Think of power supplies, attenuation, et cetera. Today we are looking at a nice base for a media pc: the Shuttle DH02U.
It’s been a while since we’ve put the video online. It’s been quite busy in the meantime, so unfortunately we haven’t had time to take a closer look at this interesting pc. But today it is. We have already mentioned in this preview what the hardware base is. So it consists of a kind of NUC, but it does not. It is in fact a laptop platform with a 1.8 GHz, dual core Celeron 3865U ultra low voltage cpu with an nVidia GTX1050 graphics card in addition. Great to play media with. It looks good, is quiet and yet fast enough. Don’t expect a mega powerhouse, because the Intel Celeron just isn’t.
Bare Bone
The shuttle’s a bare-bone. This means that you still have to place storage and memory yourself. We put in a m.2 ssd – a 2.5-inch sata ssd or hdd is also possible – and a 8GB ddr4 RAM. That’s enough to run KODI without memory problems. We definitely recommend an SSD because it’s just so much faster.
By the way, installing the extra hardware is incredibly easy. The so-dimm slots are under the drive-tray for the 2.5-inch disk. If you don’t need it, you can just leave it out. Next to the so-dimm slots is the m.2 slot – pci-express – for the nvme m.2 ssd. Behind that is a pci-express slot for optional wifi. We didn’t use it.
If you need drivers during installation, you can find them here.
The locker
The Shuttle’s case is neat, but not very stylized. For about 821 euros we had expected a little more. Is it a disaster? No, because the case probably disappears into the cabinet… Isn’t that right?
On the front we see four USB connections: 2 x USB 3 and 2 x USB 2. On the back next to the Ethernet port and com-connection (handy with home-automation), another two USB connections and four hdmi connections. Look! That’s nice! Because this way you can control multiple screens if you want. Think of a TV and a beamer. Or maybe a TV, and another monitor. Or… make up your own nice scenarios.
The power supply to the shuttle is external. So we also see a connection for a 19 volt adapter. By the way, the Shuttle pulls more than 5 ampere under maximum load. So beware of linear power supplies; most will not be able to deliver 90 watts.
