The Shuttle SH87R6 features a compact and nice chassis, a 300 W PSU with Bronze efficiency, has a modern mainboard with enough features, is silent enough if you install a low TDP CPU, can take a long VGA (but not a high-end one with the bundled PSU), and, most important of all, comes at a very good price. If you don't want to use a dedicated VGA, you will only need CPU, RAM, and disk drive to set up a fully featured, modern system without breaking the bank. I think that this barebone is ideal for a nice HTPC build, or as an office/work PC, especially in places where space is limited. Its nice, brushed casing also looks very cool and will fit into just about any environment nicely. I personally think the ideal environments for the SH87R6 is a modern office, or a nice living room next to a high-end home theater system. Many users nowadays turn their backs on big chassis and look for smaller ones since they occupy significantly less space. Fact is that in today's offices, even home offices, space is a major issue, especially as the number of PC systems increases. Users inevitably have to go for smaller PCs which, however, offer the same functionality as larger ones when it comes time to use normal applications excluding hard-core gaming with triple-SLI or Crossfire configurations. As I see it, technology tends to shrink and PCs are obviously heading down that road too. Although some of you, including me, still use full high-end towers, there probably were moments where you would instead prefer a compact system for those basic day-to-day tasks. The SH87R6, however, isn't only ideal for basic tasks, but can cope with more complicated/advanced tasks as well, especially if you equip it with a strong CPU and modern VGA. I picked the currently most efficient Haswell processor, the i5-4570T, which is a great match for this barebone thanks to its low heat output, as it allows for the lowest possible noise at even full load. I also used a passive GPU to keep the system quiet. Here I should note that you should not expect the cooling fan to be quiet if you instal a stronger CPU, especially at higher loads, since it will have to spin at much higher RPM to dissipate heat off the heatsink. A strong VGA will also add to the thermal load, so weigh your priorities carefully when you decide on the components for your SH87R6, especially if you don't like noisy systems. You had also better use Shuttle's Power Supply Calculator to check whether the components you are considering for the SH87R6 can be supported by its PSU.

That said, there are a couple things I didn't like about this barebone system: Firstly, its PSU lacks an on/off switch, which would come in very handy often as unplugging the AC power cord doesn't strike me as the best solution. I would also appreciate it if Shuttle were to install an SD card reader into the front panel and provide a 3.5" adapter for SSD installation since most users nowadays prefer an SSD for their system drive. Optical drives are also growing less popular, which would make providing drivers and the corresponding software on a USB stick instead of the bundled software disc a nice move. I then had to use another PC to put all drives on a USB stick since the SH87R6's network port wasn't automatically recognized by the Windows OS, even Windows 8.

To sum up, I generally liked the SH87R6 very much. This barebone carries on Shuttle's tradition of featuring very high build quality and is equipped with reliable components that will last for a long time. Its look is also sleek and its compact dimensions highly boost its usability. Moreover, with the components I used, performance was high in every area but 3D gaming, so it could easily be your work PC or modern HTPC. Finally, I think its price is good for what it offers, and it will be an ideal choice for users that don't want to mess around or lack the time for custom-made builds. For those that want something that can deliver even more power, take a look at the SZ87R6 that comes with a 500 W PSU and has overclocking options, too, thanks to the Z87 chipset it uses.