Labs

The SN68PTG6 Deluxe is the only Shuttle barebones kit here to support AMD processors. Neither the one-piece case cover nor the cage for housing the hard disk and optical drive are difficult to remove, but the well-illustrated colour wallchart is easy to follow if you need help building it.

Like Asus's T3-M2NC1PV, the SN68PTG6 doesn't use a standard clip-on AMD heatsink. Fortunately, the proprietary combined fan-heatsink assembly is very quiet and straightforward to unscrew and remove.

The SN68PTG6 is designed for

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Windows Media Center and even comes with a remote control. The receiver for the remote is built-in, which makes for a tidier look. There's an optical S/PDIF port for connecting a surround-sound amplifier, and there's support for DTS Connect and Dolby Digital Live.

There's an HDMI port for hooking up a high-definition TV, but you'll need to add a dedicated graphics card if you want smooth HD playback as the integrated graphics chip isn't up to the task. The cramped interior of the SN68PTG6 doesn't leave enough room for a double-slot PCI-E x16 graphics card or one with a large fan, and you'll need a molex-to-PCI Express adaptor to power your card.

The SN68PTG6's extra features include built-in wireless networking, Bluetooth and a fingerprint reader. The onboard graphics failed our 3D tests, but you can play games if you fit a dedicated card - we achieved a respectable 36.1fps in our Call of Duty 2 test when fitted with our Radeon X190 Pro. It also performed well in our Windows benchmarks.

If you want to build a Media Center PC, the SN68TG6 is excellent value and comes with everything you need.