Up to now mini-PCs have been designed in classic cube format for three drives, normally two hard disks/SSDs and an optical drive. A new type of case is being launched today that breaks through these restrictions. The Shuttle SZ170R8 in R8 case design accommodates four 3.5" drives and does away with the need for an optical drive bay.

This structural modification also enables larger graphics cards to be installed. More free space has been created inside the aluminium case. This has also resulted in benefits in terms of easier installation, better cooling and increased compatibility with very large graphics cards.

With four possible hard disks in the SZ170R8, reliable cooling of the machine is of course vital. The heatpipe-based cooling system has therefore been expanded to include a second fan fitted to the front of the case. This device sucks in fresh air through a large opening in the front panel and directs it over all four hard disks, thus preventing a build-up of heat.

Another feature of the R8 design, which immediately catches the eye, is the increased number of larger vents on either side of the machine. This change is a response to the more demanding requirements of modern graphics cards. Dual-slot cards with large heatsinks and powerful fans now receive more fresh air and work more reliably and quietly.

Despite all the modifications, the external dimensions of the new model have remained the same, measuring 33.2 x 21.6 x 19.8 cm (DWH).

The installation of graphics/expansion cards in the two PCI-Express slots is made easier thanks to a detachable locking device on the rear opening. The SZ170R8 features 1x PCI-Express-x16-3.0, 1x PCI-Express-x4-3.0, 1x M.2-2280 (PCIe, SATA, NVMe) and 1x Mini-PCI-Express-x1-2.0 (half size).

The mainboard developed and pre-installed by Shuttle is equipped with an Intel Z170 chipset and supports 6th generation Intel Core
processors (TDP max. 95 W). It accommodates 4x DDR4 memory slots up to a total of 64 GB and has an M.2 slot e.g. for PCIe-SSDs. Further
features include 2x DisplayPort, HDMI, 4x SATA 6 Gbit/s with RAID, eSATA, 8x USB 3.0, 7.1 audio and Intel Gigabit Ethernet.

The power supply comes from a 500 W, 80-PLUS-certified power unit, which constantly provides the SZ170R8 with sufficient energy to meet
the requirements of a fully-equipped machine.

Optional accessories include a 2.5" HDD/SSD installation frame (PHD3), COM port (H-RS232) as well as WLN-C and WLN-M WLAN modules.

Shuttle's recommended retail price for the XPC Barebone SZ170R8 is EUR 322.00 (ex VAT).

Specifications

• Chassis
  Black aluminium chassis
  Front panel: brushed aluminium
  Front doors for USB ports
  Kensington Security Slot at the back panel (also called K-Slot
  or Kensington lock) as a part of an anti-theft system
  Dimensions: 33.2 x 21,6 x 19.8 cm (LWH), 14.2 litre
  Weight: 3.5 kg net / 5.0 kg gross
• Storage bays
  Storage bays: 4x 3.5" (internal)
  Using the optional accessory PHD3 two 2.5" drives
  can be installed into one 3.5" bay.
• Mainboard / Chipset
  Shuttle "FZ170", Shuttle Form Factor
  proprietary design for XPC cube Barebone SH170R6
  Dimensions: 270 x 195 mm
  Chipset: Intel Z170 Chipset (Intel GL82Z170 PCH, code name "Sunrise Point")
  Platform Controller Hub (PCH) as Single-Chip-Solution
  
• BIOS
  AMI BIOS, SPI Interface, 32 MBit Flash-ROM with SPI interface
  Supports PnP, ACPI 3.0, Hardware Monitoring
  Supports Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)
  Supports boot up from external USB flash memory
• Power supply
  Built in 500 Watt mini switching power supply (PC63J)
  AC input voltage: supports 100~240V, 50~60 Hz
  80 PLUS Silver compliant: the PSU provides at least  85/89/85% of efficiency at 20/50/100% of load.
  Active PFC circuit (Power Factor Correction)
  ATX main power connectors: 2x10 and 2x2 pins
  Graphics power connector: 6 pins and 8 pins
  Other connectors: 4x SATA, 2x Molex, 1x Floppy
• Operation System
  This system comes without operating system. It is compatible with Windows 10 / 8.1 / 7 and Linux.- 64 bit.
  
• Processor support
  Socket LGA 1151 (H4) supports the sixth generation of Intel Core i7 / i5 / i3, Pentium and Celeron processors
  Maximum supported processor power consumption (TDP) = 95W
  Codename "Skylake", 14nm process technology, up to 8 MB of L3 cache
  Not compatible with Intel Xeon E3 V5 processors with Socket LGA1151 and processors with the older Socket LGA 1150.
  Supports the unlock-function of Intel K-Series processors.
  The processor integrates PCI-Express, memory controller and the graphics engine on the same die (performance features depending on processor type)
  
• Processor cooling
  Shuttle I.C.E. (Integrated Cooling Engine)
  Advanced I.C.E. Heatpipe technology with 3 pipes
  Temperature controlled 92 mm fan
  SilentX cooling and noise reduction technology with Active Airflow
• Memory support
  4 x 288-pin slots
  Supports DDR4-2133 memory (PC4-17066) at 1.2V
  Supports 2+2 Dual Channel mode
  Supports max. 16 GB per DIMM, maximum total size of 64 GB
• Integrated Graphics
  The features of the integrated Intel HD graphics function depend on the processor type used.
  Supports DirectX 12, OGL 5.x, OCL 2.x
  The PC features three digital video outputs:
  • HDMI v1.4 (supports 1080p/60 and 2160p/30)
  • 2x DisplayPort v1.2 (support 1080p/60 and 2160p/60)

Supports displays with 4K Ultra HD resolution at 3840 x 2160 [3]
Supports three independent FullHD displays with the integrated graphics function
Supports more displays in combination with a discrete graphics card
Supports Blu-ray (BD) playback with HDCP content protection
Supports multi-channel digital audio over the same cable
Maximum shared memory of 512 MB

• PCIe Expansion Slots
  1x PCI-Express x16 v3.0 slot (PEG, for graphics cards only)
  1x PCI-Express x4 v3.0 slot
  This XPC supports dual-slot (double-width) graphics cards - in this case the second PCI-Express slot will be occupied.
  Graphics power connector: 6-pin
• M.2 SSD slot
  The M.2 2280 BM slot provides the following interfaces:
  • PCI-Express Gen. 3.0 X4 with up to 32 Gbps Data Transfer Speed
  • SATA v3.0 (max. 6 Gbps)

It supports M.2 cards with a width of 22 mm and a length of 42, 60 or 80 mm (type 2242, 2260, 2280).
Supports M.2 SSDs with SATA or PCI-Express interface

• Mini PCIe Slot
  Mini-PCIe Half-Size slot with PCIe 2.0 and USB 2.0 interface supports one optional Wireless Network (WLAN) card
• 7.1-Channel HD audio
  7.1 channel High Definition Audio with Realtek ALC892 codec
  Analog: line-out (7.1-ch), line-in, microphone, AUX input (onboard)
  Digital Audio via HDMI and DisplayPort outputs
• Gigabit LAN
  Intel i219LM PHY connected to the MAC of the processor
  Supports 10 / 100 / 1.000 MBit/s operation
  Supports WAKE ON LAN (WOL)
  Supports network boot by Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE)
• SATA connectors
  The mainboard provides six Serial-ATA 3.0 interfaces, max. 6 Gbps supported
  4x Serial ATA connector onboard
  1x External Serial ATA (eSATA) connector at the back panel
  1x M.2 slot onboard for flash memory cards
  Supports Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST, Raid 0/1/5/10, JBOD)
• Front Panel Connectors and Buttons
  Microphone input
  Headphone output (line-out)
  2x USB 3.0
  Power button
  Power indicator (blue LED)
  Hard disk drive indicator (yellow LED)
• Back Panel Connectors
  HDMI v1.4
  2x DisplayPort v1.2
  6x USB 3.0
  GigaBit LAN (RJ45)
  External Serial ATA (eSATA 6 Gb/s)
  7.1-ch Audio line-out (2x rear/front, bass/center, surround/back)
  Audio Line-in
  Clear CMOS button
  Optional: serial port RS-232 (Accessory: H-RS232)
  3x perforation for optional WLAN antennas
• Other Onboard Connectors
  2x USB 2.0 (2x 5-pin)
  1x RS232 (2x 5-pin) for optional accessory H-RS232
  2x fan connectors (4 pin), one connector is occupied
  Low Pin Count header (LPC, 2x 10 pin, 2 mm pitch size)
  Occupied front connectors: USB 3.0, USB2.0, audio, power buttons, LEDs