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Shuttle HOT-591P Baby AT Motherboard Review
Last updated: 3/27/00

LAYOUT.

  • Measuring only 8 5/8" on a side, this is a small  motherboard.  Because it is small and the position of the CPU is to the front, and left of center, where it will clear most drive bays, the 591P should fit into almost any Baby AT case.

  • The CPU placement is not so good, however, if you are going to install a full-length PCI board.   But, on the second hand, I don't believe anyone with a full-length PCI board is going to use this board in the first place.  So, I'll call it good.

  • There is an Electrolytic capacitor right behind the AGP slot which may interfere with some high-end video boards.

  • The floppy and hard disk cable connectors are well located, for a Baby board, and easy to get at.

  • The memory sockets are well positioned for such a small motherboard, but, like many Baby AT boards, they are obscured by the drive cables when installed.  The SIMMS conveniently snap-in from left to right so installation isn't a problem because of the proximity to the power supply in some smaller cases.

  • The board has both ATX and Baby AT power connectors, and associated jumper, which are located behind the keyboard connector for easy installation.

  • The CPU socket has no components around the socket which would interfere with clipping-on the CPU fan.  There is one three-pin fan connector near the CPU socket.

  • The front panel connectors are in two rows along the left, front of the board where they are easy to see and get at.  They are clearly labeled.

  • The FSB and AGP clock jumpers are in a poor location: the left front corner and well under the drive bays in many smaller cases.

  • There are five mounting holes and ample doughnuts surrounding each of them.

  • All four corners of the motherboard are nicely rounded.  This should reduce the chance that the corners will be broken or bent.

SLOTS.  The 591P has three ISA, three PCI, and one AGP expansion board slots.  While this is not the more popular 2/5/1 configuration found on many recent boards, it is a good one for a compact board used as a replacement.  I still favor three ISA slots, particularly for servicing and upgrading older computers.  Only three PCI slots is the price you pay for such a small board; but, three of them, with an AGP slot, are adequate for most computer configurations.

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