When you say "Shuttle boxes" I assume you mean something like [link|http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=56-101-415&depa=0|this]. $300.
I'm a big fan of minimizing heat, so I typically have lots of case fans in systems I build. I would worry that cooling with such a small enclosure would be a problem, especially with fast hard drives and a fancy video card. I'm also a fan of having lots of free bays and slots as one doesn't know how it might be used 2-3 years from now.
But I'll reconsider before making an order.
Why is the 9800 Pro video worth $70+ more than the 9600 Pro if I don't want to play games? I care most about clear text at high resolution and reasonable refresh rates (e.g. 72+ Hz at 1900 x 1440 or so on a 21" Sony).
Thanks.
Cheers,
Scott.