As we get older, our priorities shift significantly, in all aspects. I for one remember a time when I couldn’t wait to get home and install those awesome looking, neon-lighted coolers in my full-tower case, complete with a transparent side panel through which mortals could catch a glimpse of the beast within. Now, I find myself looking for something different. Smaller. Quieter.
Enter the Shuttle XPC SZ87R6, a barebone system that Shuttle was kind enough to send over so we could poke at it and see what it’s made of. A barebone that can (and wants) to be the foundation of your next PC, if you’re in the market for what it has to offer.
But first, let’s take a page out of the official product description to see what we’re dealing with:
“The Shuttle XPC Barebone SZ87R6 packs the 4th Generation of Intel Core desktop processors for LGA1150 socket into an elegant, fresh case design. The aluminium chassis with a black-brushed surface has a volume of 14 litre which is just one third of the volume of a standard Midi tower. Despite its small dimensions it is brimming with features. Set up a top-performer with the latest Intel Core i7 Quad Core processor, a dual-slot PCI Express graphics card, mSATA-SSD, two 4 TB hard disks in RAID mode and 32 GB DDR3-1600 memory plus Blu-ray drive. SZ87R6 supports the unlock-function of K-series processors and thanks to the 500W power supply you can also use high-end graphics card for an excellently pure gaming experience.”
And then the actual tech specs:
PROCESSOR
Support Intel 4th Generation Core i3/i5/i7 LGA 1150 CPU
CHIPSET
Intel Z87
MEMORY
DDR3 1333/1600 MHz support RAM Socket * 4, Dual channels support
up to 32 GB total (8GB*4)
VGA
Integrated in CPU
AUDIO
Realtek ALC892
7.1 channel High Definition Audio
ETHERNET
Realtek 8111G x 2
10Mb/s,100Mb/s,1Gb/s operation
Support Wake-ON-LAN function
STORAGE INTERFACE
SATA 6G
ONBOARD CONNECTORS
(2) 4 Pin fan connector V
(4) SATA 6.0 connectors
(1) ATX main power (2*10)
(1) ATX main power (2*2)
(1) 2×5 pin USB header
(1) RS232 header
(1) Low Pin Count header
(1) SP/DIF header
(1) AUX-in header
FRONT PANEL
(1) USB 2.0 Port
(1) USB 2.0 Port with mobile charger
mobile device charger feature
(2) USB 3.0 Port
(1) External microphone jack 1/8”
(1) External headphone jack 1/8”
(1) Power button
(1) HDD Led
(1) Power Led
BACK PANEL
(4) USB 2.0 Ports
(2) USB 3.0 Ports
(1) eSATA port
(1) Line in jack 1/8”
(1) Line out jack 1/8”
(1) Side surrond out jack 1/8”
(1) Rear surrond out jack 1/8”
(1) Center bass out jack 1/8”
(2) RJ45
(1) CMOS clear button
(1) DVI-I Port
(1) HDMI Port
DRIVE BAYS
(1) 5.25″ ODD bay
(2) 3.5″ HDD bay
Support 2.5″ x 2 / 4 HDD, if use accessory PHD3 x 1 /2
DIMENSIONS
332(L) x 216(W) x 198(H) mm
POWER
80 Plus 500W power supply
Input:100 – 240V AC
Support 80 PLUS Bronze
ACCESSORIES
XPC Multi-Language quick guide
SATA cable X1
XPC DVD Driver Heat-sink compound
Power cord
EXPANSION SLOT
(1) PCI-E X16 slot
(1) PCI-E X1 slot
(1) Mini-PCIE (long) socket
(1) Mini-PCIE (Short) socket
Size wise, they got it right. The SZ87R6 has a “jack in the box” feel to it, especially since its packaging isn’t as flashy as what you might see from the likes of other producers. The unit comes in a simple, white box that features a handle on top for easy carrying (remember what I said a bit earlier about going to a BYOC?), some technical specs on the side and that’s about it.
Once you take it out, you find yourself in the presence of a black box that’s surprisingly light, thanks to its aluminum chassis (yet another upside for those who want to be mobile). Sure, it won’t replace the laptop or tablet in your backpack anytime soon, but if you want to move it in the living room for a few nights, you won’t break your back doing so.
Read more: http://computergames.ro/review/shuttle-xpc-sz87r6-barebone-review/#ixzz58rWDlV00
