Shuttle X6100

Shuttle X6100. The Shuttle X6100 is a compact desktop built into the Shuttle XH61 barebones PC kit. Instead of having to source all your own parts and components from all over the Internet, you can buy an already assembled version from Shuttle, along with a three-year warranty. As configured here, the X6100 is a quad core-powered, SSD-equipped speed demon, though you can build a basic Linux-powered model for under $700. There are a couple of shortcomings, but on the whole this system will be attractive to the small business owner, mini PC enthusiast, or media PC enthusiast in your family.

The Shuttle X6100 is a very compact quad-core desktop PC with a speedy SSD. If those words are Greek to you, then this swift system may not be the right choice. It's a Small Form Factor (SFF) system for people who care about speeds and feeds and who are willing to pay for it. Compact size. Quiet. Fast boot up and launch. Three-year warranty. Quad-core power. SSD. No bloatware. No USB 3.0. No built-in Wi-Fi. Integrated graphics only. No Blu-ray.

Design and Features
The X6100 is a lot more compact than the Shuttle XPC Mini PCs we've looked at in the past. It's the about size of a decent hardcover novel (about 8 by 3 by 9.5 inches, HWD), so it's easy to stash just about anywhere. It will fit easily on most desk surfaces, tucked behind a large monitor or HDTV, or in a home theater cabinet. Its front panel is almost featureless: The large power button is the only thing visible until you pop open the two front panel doors. The system's tray-loading (laptop-class) DVD burner, and front USB 2.0 ports are under the doors, as are the front audio jacks.

On the back panel are another set of four USB 2.0 ports, more audio jacks, Ethernet, PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports, VGA, and a HDMI port. It would have been nice if one or two of the USB ports were USB 3.0, since the X6100 will likely need speedy supplemental storage soon (128GB can fill up fast). Another nit is the lack of built-in Wi-Fi. The only way to add wireless is via USB, which spoils the system's looks.

In use, the system is very quiet. The SSD makes no noise, and the CPU's cooling fan is the only moving part in day-to-day computing when you're not using the optical drive. Since the system uses an external power brick, there's no power supply fan. The external power brick helps keep the chassis small.

The X6100 has a 2.5-inch 128GB SSD as the boot drive. Other options from Shuttle include a 256GB SSD, 250GB hard drive, and 500GB hard drive, but you can of course pop in whatever notebook-class drive you wish. Getting to the hard drive is as easy as popping the top and removing the hard drive bracket. The system motherboard has four SATA ports on it, but you'll be hard pressed to add more than the existing drive and optical. There's no extra room in the chassis, not that we expected any. The system came configured at the 16GB maximum for the motherboard with two standard desktop-sized DIMMs, rather than notebook-style SO-DIMMs that you'd expect in such a small system. The DVD burner is a pretty standard looking laptop-class one. Shuttle doesn't offer a Blu-ray drive, even though this compact system kind of calls for it. You can swap the existing DVD burner for a Blu-ray drive fairly easily. You'll need a Phillips head screwdriver for all component swaps, though.

The system came with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit and the Shuttle hardware drivers. The system was therefore free of extra bloatware, which is a plus. Another nice feature is the system's three-year standard warranty. Most systems come with only one year.

Posted in: Desktop