Shuttle's high-end barebone looks to be the ideal choice for users in need of a small and elegant system, but without the time or expertise to build one on their own from scratch. It provides all the necessary components, including a strong 80 PLUS Silver PSU, a solid mainboard, which allows for basic overclocking, a reliable and silent-enough cooling system, and all the necessary cables. You only need to choose a CPU, some RAM, and a storage device, and, if gaming is a mainstay, a discrete graphics card. The support for VGAs of up to 267mm in length and the strong PSU allow for a very strong gaming system if you pick the proper graphics card. The potent Nvidia GTX 1080 and an i5-6600K are no problem since the PSU has a capacity of 500 W. My only objection is that Shuttle should have used a more efficient PSU with a 80 PLUS Gold certification or higher. The PC6311005 PSU this barebone uses has been on the market for quite some time now, and Shuttle should, as such, include a more efficient power supply with its current high-end barebones. Another downside of this PSU is that it doesn't have an on/off switch, which I find to be a necessity. However, it does use a ball-bearings fan with a relaxed fan profile for increased longevity and low noise output.

With the SZ170R8 barebone, Shuttle also left ODD support out in an effort to offer more bays for HDDs and SSDs. I fully agree with their decision to do so since hardly anyone nowadays opts for an optical drive, and you can always use an external one should you need one. What I don't understand is the lack of included SSD adapters because SSDs have garnered a lot of popularity over these last few years. If you plan on installing an SSD into the SZ170R8 and want to avoid ghetto mods, you will have to either buy a generic 3.5" to 2.5" adapter or Shuttle's PHD3 adapter, which allows for the installation of two SSDs into a single 3.5" bay. The SZ170R8's official specifications say it to support up to four HDDs or eight 2.5" drives, but you cannot install more than four 3.5" and 2.5" disks because the mainboard only has four SATA ports. Given there is room for up to eight 2.5" disks, Shuttle should find a way to provide an equal number of SATA ports for users to fully utilize this chassis' capabilities.

I personally use many Shuttle barebones, and the SZ170R8 will be the new addition to my office since there is always a need for an additional strong system, mostly for testing purposes, and this barebone's capabilities and especially its compact dimensions make it ideal for my cramped work space. Should you also need a strong PC system with a compact footprint, the SZ170R8 is worth considering since its asking price is fair for its features. Such barebones take a ton of precursory work off your shoulders since you won't have to determine which mainboard, PSU, cooling, chassis, etc., you'll use. You only need to purchase the basics (CPU, RAM, and storage) and are ready to go. The SZ160R8 is also a good starting point for a strong VR or gaming system you might plan on putting into your living room.