Shuttle SH81R4 Intel Socket LGA1150 Intel H81 Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System

Pros: Bought 2 of these. Added Intel Core i3-4150T low power CPU, Corsair Vengeance LP 1600 RAM (I recommend low profile to fit better in the tight space), an SSD in a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter, a 2TB spinning HDD, and a full size optical drive - very nice PCs in a small form factor. I liked being able to use full size components - they are cheaper and I already had some of them. I love that they brought back the ICE cooling (one of my older Shuttle didn't have it). It takes the CPU heatsink directly to the back fan and is far better than a fan on the CPU pushing hot air around in the case.

Cons: The older ICE coolers used screws to attach to the motherboard - this one uses those crummy plastic Intel push-pins but they did work for me.

Overall Review: I see comments about this being a case only - No. This is a barebones PC - just as described. It comes pre-assembled with 1) Case 2) Motherboard 3) Power supply and bonus 4) CPU cooler - just add CPU, RAM, and Drives - this IS a barebone system

Pros: Compact, versatile, roomy inside, most importantly, Shuttle makes a great, great product.

Cons: Absolutely none!

Overall Review: The Shuttle that this one is replacing was built in 2004, is a Socket A, and is still pushing XP up on the screen, all while running perfectly. It has been cleaned a few times, had the PS replaced, CPU uped to its max, mem, and video boosted, and I'd say that 11.5 years is a pretty good run for a box. The new one just blazes. It boots Win7 ult., from cold, in 6 seconds. That's ready to go, wow! This is not their high end gaming box (older socket), but it's a screaming everyday workhorse.

Pros: I have been building systems for a living for most of my computer career. Over the past three years I have been using Shuttle bare bones computers exclusively because they always work, and I have had almost no failures since I started using them. This particular form factor is a nice balance between compact and easy access for building and maintaining. Standard desktop components and most any ram seems to work. Maybe not cutting edge design, but I'm not into bleeding for the sake of a 3% performance improvement, I just want it to work reliably.

Cons: Have had some problems with hibernation not always working correctly.

Pros: Portable, quiet and low power.

Cons: It is very difficult to remove and reassembly the case cover because the tracks on the cover do not easily align with the case. The CPU fan assembly does not clamp down easily to the motherboard.

Overall Review: I would recommend Shuttle to a friend, but definitely not this model.