Categories

Inspiron 620 PC comes in two different type of chassis. Users who are not bothered about space saving segment can opt for the mini tower model and geeks who want to squeeze lots of stuff in their PC table can go for the slim tower- Inspiron 620s (slim) Desktop PC. As for as the colour of the PC, black adorers have their wish granted and it does not  end with this; Dell offers  this desktop in four vibrant shades- solid white, peacock blue, Formosa red and deep purple. Go on and choose a colour that oozes your sense of style.

Design

Eye catchy, sleek design and an elite build make a superb combination in this desktop. The tower comprises of a black body with a silver framework. This black armored console goes along a width of 4.2″ so that you need not cram it into your table. Other measurements of this personal computer are its 14.9 inches height and 17.01 inches depth. Users are provided with an option to place the device in a horizontal position as well as in the vertical position according to the nature of the space available. The user has no need to worry about the heat build up at any of the positions Dell’s engineers have dealt with the problem by designing vents on both horizontal and vertical axis. The slim tower weighs about 7.3 kg in weight. This space saving tower has got flip panels that enclose an optical drive, a multi card reader slot, 2 USB slots, a microphone and a headphone jack.

Processor

Every desktop posses a brain and higher the brain’s clockspeed and the core formula, the higher the performance, you receive. Dell has designed this desktop for a faster world so that users manage to get organized within few strokes of the clock. This desktop comes integrated with a latest Intel product Intel Core i3-2100 Processor. Though this is a preliminary level in the core-i series of Intel, smart computing is assured with its 3.10 GHz clockspeed and 3GB  memory. Only Inspiron 620s features this i3 second generation processor, while all other desktops in this series posse’s i5 processor, which features the Turbo Boost Technology that dramatically boosts the processing, speed. Higher end multitasking and editing of high definition videos would have been easier and perfect, if Dell Inspiron 620s Desktop PC had come with a i5 processor.

Operating System in Inspiron 620s

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium OS is recommended for  this Dell Inspiron PC, primarily targeting the entertainment segment. While, Windows 7 OS is well known for its simplification of the computing experience, the Home Premium edition enriches home usage such as movies, photos and video sharing.

Memory

Dell Inspiron 620s Intel Core i3-2120M Desktop encounters graphics and other entertainment segments through its 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM that can be upgraded up to 6GB.

Optical Drive

This segment, particularly is not satisfactory in this slim tower compared with the other models of the 620 group. Slim tower sports an ordinary DVD player much to the disappointment, whilst the mini towers sport a Blu-ray drive to spice up fun.

Hard Drive

The 1TB capacity of hard drive of the Dell Inspiron 620s Desktop Computer provides you a peace of mind as it takes complete control over the storage of your data and files without setting much limitation. This 7200rpm SATA drive delivers a promising performance, with much ease.

Video Card and Sound card

AMD Radeon™ HD 6450 graphics card of 750 MHz engine clock, inserted inside this tower has got a 1GB memory.  The AMD App Acceleration feature of this video card fasten ups video encoding so that you don’t have to sit glaring at the monitor for a long time. Though this card supports 3D viewing and exercises some true power management, sophisticated graphics does not go well with this Inspiron 620. The 5.1 high definition sound card integrated inside the chassis complies with a perfect home entertainment criteria.

Ports

This Inspiron 620s personal computer comes with a myriad of ports. On the front side of this desktop, there are 2 USB 2.0 slots( it would have been much better if USB 2.0 was replaced by 3.0),  a headphone & microphone jack and 8:1 media card reader. The rear side of the tower sports audio jacks for 5.1 high definition audio support, 6 USB 2.0 slots, a VGA and an HDMI port. This slim tower is built with 8-in-1 media card reader that can support MS Pro, SD,XD, Micro SD Card, MS, MMC and MMC plus.

Software Bundle

Dell Inspiron 620 PC comes with the essential software package for a hassle free computing. The bundle includes Dell Data Safe Local Backup, Dell Support Centre ,Dell Sync up, Nero Control Centre, McAfee Security Centre, Roxio Creator Starter Edition, Skype,  Zinio Reader 4, Microsoft Office Starter (2010), CyberLink Power DVD, Wild Tangent games applications. Dell offers McAfee Security Centre in this PC for 15 month subscription, and its support centre offers PC check up. The Sync up software of this desktop supports sharing of files through Local Area Network.

Upgradability

Upgradability will not work well with this desktop, though you can go for up gradation in the hard drives and also the graphics card segment for improving the graphical performance level  after considering the compactness of the tower.

Dell Inspiron 620s Desktop PC – Technical Specification Table

Design:

Apple is known for its wondrous designs, which it somehow manages to do to all its electronic goods. These designs from Apple always stand out as the best. The Mac Pro 12 core comes with a very impressive tower, which has got a shape that only Apple can manage to design. Weighing about 41.2 pounds (18.7 kg), the tower measures about 20.1 x 8.1 x 18.7 inches (H x W x D). Apart from being an imposing figure on your desk, this Mac Pro tower also suits almost any kind of environment since it does not come in basic colours, but silver. Silver suits almost all backgrounds and it also adds a very rich look to your desk. Hence, the Mac Pro is always something you are proud of having.  The rest if the design is as usual, a trademark of Apple desktop PCs. You have two FireWire 800 ports and two USB ports on the front panel and the rest of the ports and connectivity options feature on the rear side of the tower. Anyways, this Mac Pro has got everything in it that will make you stand and wonder in awe.

Features:

Apple is known as the king of features and no wonder there are quite a lot of features on the Mac Pro. This one aspect called Features is the only difference between Apple and the other top producers of computer around the world. Apple not only provides scores of features, but makes them innovative and also at the same time, user friendly too. More and more features are listed each and every time a new computer from Apple is release and that is the reason why its products still have such a great following, given the high price tag of its products in comparison with similar products elsewhere. Speaking of innovative features, let us see what’s in store for us when it comes to features of the Mac Pro and also see whether or not they live up to our expectations.

Processor:

Speed is the order of the day and people are looking for speed everywhere. Response time is slowly becoming a prime factor in deciding the performance of a computer. Quit worrying about speed when it comes to the Mac Pro, as it is going to sport a 12 core processor, which is referred to as one of the best as well as the fastest processor in the world today. And to add to that, the all new Hyper threading technology can enhance the virtual cores to as many as 16, and hence there is no way stopping your Mac Pro from going at great knots. Some of the interesting features regarding this processor are: It comes with as many as two 2.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5620 ‘Westmere’ processors, which are specially made to boost up the performance levels of your computer, a fully shared L3 cache of 12 Mega bytes per each processor, special boosting by Turbo Boost which increases the dynamic performance up to 2.66GHz, and last but not the least, the Hyper-Threading technology, which was mentioned earlier. Then there is the advanced Intel micro architecture which features an integrated memory controller which maintains and controls your system’s memory, a 128 bit SSE4 SIMD engine, 64 bit data paths and registers which are optimized for energy efficiency, which can save you power while still being efficient. All these features combined give you a solid processing performance and your system will very seldom experience problems so you can stay happier than ever.

Operating System:

The Mac Pro comes with a new and revamped Mac OS X which comes with some of the advanced features that are specially designed to meet the requirements of the new architecture of the Mac Pro. The Mac OS X is built on a rock solid platform of UNIX and it also delivers a full 64 bit performance that lets you utilize your computer to the core, and to the best of its abilities. It also features a few tools which are industry developed and aimed at providing great serviceability to the users. Let us elaborate a bit on the two most important features of the operating system. The UNIX based platform means that you have a pretty solid infrastructure, which makes your operating system very stable, unlike some other operating systems which keep crashing quite often. And your software programs work like magic and never bother you with virus or crashes. And then regarding the 64 bit thing, it is a powerful engine that drives your system with speed and accuracy. The full potential of your system can be revealed when you use a 64 bit operating system. And since the Mac 64 bit compliant supports the 32 bit programs too, you do not need to purchase new drivers in case you need to confront the 32 bit programs. All these are hence aimed at benefiting the users so that you will not have to face issues.

Storage and RAID:

The Apple Mac Pro 12 Core Desktop PC features as many as four 3.5-inch drive bays which contribute towards a humongous amount of internal storage, which can go up to 8TB. You can add four 2 TB drives for this, which is a simple process and you need no technician for this. Apple has made its computer so user friendly that there is no more confusing circuit. There are only slots which you need to fill with the drives of your choice. Either you can choose four 2 TB drives, or you can go with four 512 GB drives. Now that gives you enormous space for your files, and you can be extravagant when it comes to storing of files. Now, the Mac Pro’s drives also come with a special mechanism, called the solid state mechanism. These drives are known as solid state drives or SSDs. They have twice the spindle speeds of normal Hard disk drives, and they are also more secure, and hence your data is not that easily lost. These SSDs are known for their fast encoding, faster reading and writing speeds, and more efficient. You are also provided with a super fast 18x Super drive, which can read and write disks at alarming paces. You also have the option to install a second optional Super Drive. This helps you when you need to back up your data, on two different drives simultaneously, at a great speed. You can burn images to files quickly, copy paste files on to your desktop, and do a lot of other crazy stuff within the blink of an eye.

Graphics:

For those of you who had very bitter experiences while playing high end games with real time graphics on normal computers, the Mac Pro is a big boon from Apple. Sporting a 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5770/5870 Graphics card which boosts up your graphics and your games and videos run at rocket speed. On an average, this card is 5 times as faster when compared to other graphics cards from notable makers, and this really is great news for all those Gaming freaks and movie lovers. From now on, your movies and games will run more than just smoothly and there will not be cases where you see frame lags or VSync problems. While Double-wide, 16-lane PCI Express 2.0 graphics slot is already filled with one graphic card, there is also an option for you to install two ATI Radeon HD 5770 cards. There is also support for as many as six displays, and for image resolutions up to 2560 by 1600 pixels. All these numbers mean that you have finally got a permanent solution to your graphics woes and hence you can sit back and relax while your Mac Pro unveils its full potency.

Memory:

Memory is also one of the most important features of a computer and it will also be a deciding factor when it comes to choosing between different computers. Coming to the Mac Pro, you have got two types of memory to choose from, and you can choose between a dual processor system or a single processor system. The dual processor system has a 2.4 GHz system which has a 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SD RAM. There are eight memory slots, four per each processor, supporting up to 64GB of RAM, using 1GB or 2GB or 4 GB or 8 GB RAM slots. When it comes to single processor systems, there is a choice between 2.8 GHz and 3.2 GHz processing systems with 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SD RAM. There are four memory slots similar to that of a dual processor system, which can add up to a memory space of 32 GB. Hence, depending upon how much of memory you will need from your computer, you can choose between the different combinations. Of course, even if you a select a single processing system when purchasing, you can add to those memory slots in the future.

Communications:

Apple has always been ahead of all its competitors regarding communication features on its computers. To start with, there are two independent RJ-45 Base-T Ethernet interfaces (10/100/1000), which help you connect to the internet or you can also transfer files between two different computers simultaneously. Though you can get connected to the internet using the Ethernet cable, there is always a wireless option with Mac computers. The Mac Pro comes with a Built in Airport Extreme 802.11 n Wi-Fi wireless networking. This feature is compatible with IEEE 802.11 a / b / g. Hence you can surf the web without the involvement of wires at all. This new format of Wi-Fi, the 802.11 n is a revamped mechanism that allows you to connect to weak signals easily and also the connection is secure. Your connections are also safe for longer intervals of time and you do not experience frequent network problems. Last but not least, the Mac Pro features a newer version of Bluetooth, called Bluetooth 2.1, which enables secure Bluetooth connections between your Mac and the other computers. This means that the searching of devices is faster than normal and the files are sent at a more rapid pace. A new technology, known as the Enhanced Date Rate technology, is also used here, and this is responsible for the high speed data transfer. Hence the Mac Pro is always on its toes when it comes to communications.

Ports and Connectivity:

As we have already seen under Design, the Mac Pro certainly has a great deal of ports and connectivity options. While on the front panel of the tower, there are two USB 2.0 ports and 2 FireWire 800 ports, there are two FireWire ports and there USB 2.0 ports again on the rear panel. And an interesting feature here is that the keyboard comes with two USB slots, which is a bit of a surprise. The other connectivity options seen on the Mac Pro are: Analog stereo line-level input and output mini jacks, Front-panel headphone mini jack and internal speaker,  a Multichannel audio through a Mini Display Port and Optical digital audio input and output TOSLINK ports. These ports help you in connecting your computer to other electronic devices, sync with them and share data at a very fast pace. Clearly, there are more ports on the Apple Mac Pro 12 than there are on any other desktop computer today. Apple scores over its counterparts in this aspect.

In The Box:

Have you started wondering what all you get in the complete package given by Apple? Well, here is what all you receive in the package: Mac Pro, a power cord, a keyboard that includes a numeric keypad, the magic mouse which is a trademark design of Apple, USB keyboard extension cable that lets you connect the keyboard to the Mac Pro, Printed and electronic documentation authorized by Apple, and last but not least, install and restore disks which will be useful when you need to restore your back up files or when you need to re install the Mac OS X again.

Software:

Lots of software is provided along with the Mac Pro so that you do not need to buy software packages separately from the stores. The list of software items provided are: iTunes, Time Machine, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, QuickTime, iCal, Safari, Address Book, Front Row, and Xcode Developer Tools. Along with these primary software packs, Apple also provides you with the all new iLife Package, which consists of iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, and GarageBand. All these are related to fun and entertainment. You can also download some extra software or features if at all you think these are not enough.

Environment Status Report:

The computers from Apple conform to the Environmental protection laws and so does the Mac Pro. Mac pro has of late received an Environment status certificate which states that the desktop computer is BVR free, PVC free, and is also reported to have a highly recyclable aluminium enclosure, which obviously does a world of good to the surroundings, instead of polluting them in return. The Mac Pro also meets stiff conditions like Energy Start 5.0, and is rated EPEAT Gold. Hence, there is no worry regarding harmful emissions or pollutions which may affect children and the surroundings.

Now that’s a great list of features indeed. You might have encountered similarly priced computers in the market, but you will never find a computer that has features so robust and imposing. The features list itself is the main reason behind the success of the Mac Pro 12, and at this point, none can ask for more from a desktop computer. But, the million dollar question is, can the Mac Pro sustain the pressure of expectations and perform better than any of its predecessors? Can its performance complement the staggering features that attained a lot of fame? Well, let us see.

Performance:

After having considered the fact that the Mac Pro has a solid processing mechanism and also has robust memory, it can be considered that you are going to see a wondrous computer on your desk. It is going to be fast, accurate, full of power, and almost no problems. Its performance levels are calculated in the test centres and the results were so good. We would rank this is as one of the best desktop computers in the world today and is also one of the greatest product of all time from Apple. The processor is super fast, the operating system is great in its own manner, and you have got massive memory options, the graphics are stunning as well as unforeseen, and there are lots of software packages provided. And the aftermath of all these provisions by Apple is that there is almost a super computer in front of you, and you need to only know how to use it to its full potency. We are completely satisfied with the overall performance of the system and would recommend the Mac Pro ahead of any other contemporary desktop computers under the sun.

Power Consumption:

Apple has always followed the EPA power requirements and so did the Apple Mac Pro 12. It is designed to optimize its performance by using minimum energy. The EPA has given it a Energy Star rating, meaning that the computer is energy efficient and does not either waste the energy or pollute the environment. Its power consumption, hence, is lower than what most other desktop computers can guarantee. At the end of the day, your bills will not be as high as they were in the past.

Warranty:

Apple has warranted the Mac Pro for a period of one year, starting from the date of purchase.

Verdict:

The Mac Pro is hence an incredibly powerful system that has all the latest technology and features in it. It comes with a very huge price tag, but still everything in it is worth the huge amount. You have already made a great choice if you have gone for the Mac Pro. But if you do not want to be so extravagant on your desktop computer, you can check this website for other products from both Apple as well as other potential manufacturers. Our opinion is, since there is no provision of a monitor along with the whole system, you would obviously want to buy a new piece separately. And given the already high pricing of the Mac Pro, it would be a tad too extravagant to spend so much on a desktop computer if your goal is only to buy a domestic computer. The high end technical details of the computer also indirectly inform you that this is an industrial computer and can be used in offices and work places. But should you need a domestic and a reasonably priced desktop computer, there are scores of options for you.

Apple Mac Pro 12-core Desktop PC – Technical Specification Table

Design:

Slim model:

In the past, it was usually not necessary to take a close look on the design part of any desktop since every desktop looked alike with the same old design and the same old cuts and shaping. Now, advancement of technology meant that we are going to have a pleasant headache reviewing the structure of each product. Since the design part of computer is one of the most important factors to affect the marketability of the product, the designers at Acer have tried hard to produce something new but still stylish.
Given the fact that slim desktops are now a common knowledge to people, Acer has come up with an even slimmer desktop. With the base measuring about (H x D) 64 x 194 mm, this beauty is incredibly slim, with a width that is as less as 25 mm. We can see why you are smiling now. This is the reason we have loved this product too. It strikes you at first sight itself. Now given the size of the computer, you can now place this wherever you want and you can also carry along with you wherever you go. It is incredibly portable, the Acer Revo RL100. It is slightly larger than a normal external hard drive, and hence it can easily be carried.

Monitor:

Although there are some good accessories featured on the Revo RL100 Multimedia PC, there is, unfortunately, no monitor provided along with the system. Now, considering the fact that the computer is reasonably priced, when compared to its similar counterparts from the other eminent companies, one can exempt the absence of a monitor and also it can be bought separately. But still, it would have been even better if a monitor was provided along with the system. The average person would not have cared if the price was a bit higher, but once there is no monitor, everybody starts looking twice at the price tag. Nonetheless, the rest of the system is just very good.

Accessories:

The Revo RL 100 comes with a very special touchpad, which can also serve as a keyboard. This touch pad has got quite a charm and you will like the feel of it. It supports multi touch and of late, this touch pad had been quite a good replacement for the mouse. The keyboard is also touch responsive, unlike the old model of keyboard with real keys. Maybe e should stop calling this a keyboard, since it does not sport any keys at all. It must be a touch board. We shall leave the naming to the people at Acer. But this is seriously a very good idea from Acer. To make a touch responsive keyboard, or whatever you want to name it, is such a good idea that it received quite a few good remark from technical experts around the globe. This touchpad also has a very good response to touch and the users may not face too many problems confronting the device. This touch pad cum keyboard is wireless and hence makes the Revo RL100 an even more portable device. Not to mention that this also avoids the cluttering of wires and cables on your desk. Now that is some real good accessory, is it not?

Remote Control:

For all those lazy legs in the world, and also equally for all those techno maniacs, wouldn’t it sound superb when we say the Revo RL 100 features a remote control mechanism? Well, it might sound ridiculous to some, and they must be wondering why a remote control is necessary to operate a desktop computer. But you will understand the fun and the pride in having a remote control for everything, in due course of time because people have started to find all kinds of ways that make them stationary, and still makes them get all their works done. Now, with the remote control featured on the Revo RL 100, you can operate the system from quite a lot of distance, and this does help when you and your kindred decide to watch a movie on Blu Ray or when you want to play multiplayer high definition games. But, either way, it is a very handy mechanism and having a remote in your hand always makes you feel like a dictator.

Ports and Connectivity:

Well, you might think that since this is a pretty slim device, it may not be completely connection friendly. No, that is not the case at all here. TYou still find all the ports and connectivity options that you see on a regular desktop computer. Acer has still managed to fit in all kinds of features when it comes to connectivity, because people at Acer know that no one would want to lose their connectivity in the name of a very sleek design. The Revo RL100 has got quite a few ports and connectivity options. Here we come with a list of all the provided ports and connectivity options: a 3 in 1 card reader, a Smart Card reader, Type I/II PCMCIA, an SD card slot, an optional modem connector, which connects your system to a modem, an RJ 45 network connector port, which allows you to connect your Ethernet cable and surf the internet, Three high speed USB 2.0 ports, a microphone jack, headphone speaker in and out. Now that is quite a list of ports and connectivity options for you. Some of the other conventional desktop computers may also not have as many options, and this is the reason why Acer has scored over its similar counterparts.

Features:

We have seen some good aspects of the Revo RL100 until now and expectations may already have risen. Will the new design be complemented well with some great features? Will Acer keep the reputation it has when it comes to providing world beating features? Let us have a look at all the important features provided by Acer in the Revo RL100. There must be something in the bag for us.

Processor:

Now anyone with reasonable technical knowledge will first look at how good a processor his computer sports. Regarding any computer on the earth, the foremost thing anyone would like to use to compare two similar computers, is also the processor. Now regarding the Revo RL100 3D Multimedia PC, it sports an AMD Athlon II Neo Dual Core 1.30GHz processor. Though you might have expected it to be an Intel processor, it is a well known fact that Acer has always had a soft corner for AMD processors. But you got to accept the fact that AMD processors are not as robust as their Intel counterparts and they often are known to get heated up when your machine is working for too long. Frankly speaking, this is still a very good processor considering all the other processors from AMD. It can help your system run at a pretty good pace without many issues. 1.30 GHz is also a reasonable clock speed, although it is a fact worth noting that the average clock speed today, considering all computers, is somewhat more than 2 GHz. But unless you are a diehard fanatic of the Intel processors, there is no reason as to why you should not like this processor.

Operating System:

The operating system is another vital aspect of a computer. It adds to the beauty of your computer and more importantly, it is also responsible for the quick access to all your programs, files and stuff. The Acer Revo EL100 comes with the latest sensation from Microsoft, the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system. It is also a 64 bit operating system, which makes it better than few of its other counterparts. Though the 64 bit thing has worked absolutely well is also being received well by the customers all around the world, many producers of computers are still sticking to 32 bit. And the reasons behind sticking to that are unknown. Hence it is a commendable that Acer has taken it to the next level. But, unlike the computers of some other manufacturers, the user has no choice of operating system. There is only one version provided and you got to accept it, unlike some other systems that give you a chance to choose an operating system of your choice. But seriously, we wouldn’t mind accepting an operating system that is as good and reliable as Windows 7.

Memory:

The Acer Revo RL 100 comes with the latest memory features available in the market. It has got a DDR3 type RAM and this one is regarded by technical experts, as a wonderful successor of the far famed DDR2. The former is quicker and has better response times with lesser volatility. This helps in making your system a faster and smarter device. And it has got 2 GB of memory for you, which is pretty good, although not the greatest, for a desktop PC which is aimed at general public uses. Then there comes the Hard Disk Drive, which has lived up to the expectations. This time around, Acer has sported a 500GB SATA hard disk drive which runs at 7200 rpm at maximum. This can be considered as one of the fastest in the market. 500 GB is more than sufficient for basic purposes like storing files, music, movies, videos and stuff. We are finally glad to see a 500 GB hard drive from an Acer desktop computer. It can help you store mammoth files, music, movies, videos, games, and a lot of other stuff. Hence, you have already got your money’s worth if you are talking about the memory of the Revo RL 100.

Graphics:

These days, Graphics have almost become a part of our lives and if you have a look at the increase in the production and sales of graphic cards across the world, you would get that you are not the only one craving for top notch graphics and an excellent graphic card on your computer. The development of the gaming industry with new game engines being introduced every now and then, and the increase in the sales of Blu ray movies, show that people have started realizing the importance of graphics on their desktops. Coming to the topic of graphics on the Revo RL 100, an nVidia ION 2 graphics card is featured, which is of course a pretty solid one, and helps you play high end games comfortably and also lets you watch Blu ray high definition movies without any sorts of problems. But, a slight lag is reported to occur while playing 3 dimensional games. While this may not be a problem at all to most of the multitude, it is still a fact that is worth noting while assessing the overall performance of the machine. These days the graphics cards are featuring a dynamic graphics property, which means that the computer uses only the required amount of graphics, and hence the durability of the card is enhanced.

Optical Drives:

The Revo RL100 Multimedia Desktop PC does have a pretty good optical drive. In fact, it supports Blu ray discs along with 3D Blu ray. Sounds awesome, right? The optical Blu ray combo drive supports almost all kinds of data discs like CDs, DVDs and Blu Ray Discs. There is no better reason as to why you should not stop watching 3D and Blu ray movies on your Revo RL 100. A pretty good graphics card to supplement a wondrous optical drive, gives you an optimum visual experience especially when you are watching movies and videos in high definition. What are you waiting for? You can now sit back on a couch on a Saturday evening and watch awesome movies in awesome quality.

Wi-Fi:

Today, Wi-Fi has become an integral part of corporate life. You see Wi-Fi everywhere around you. Then, why not on your cute little Acer Revo RL 100? It features 802.11 b/g and wireless browsing of the internet is now as easy as ABC. Once upon a time, Wi-Fi used to be featured only on laptop computers. But now, they have spread their influence and are seen almost in every electronic gadget, ranging from mobile phones, and computers to even HD television sets. Considering the fact that it is such an important weapon in any gadget’s repertoire, once can say that Acer has done a world of good to it users by providing Wi-Fi facility on the Revo RL 100.
Hence, we conclude our favourite list of features and are going to move further into the performance details of the Acer Revo RL 100. One must have already been satisfied with the number and quality of features that are seen on a computer that is intended for domestic use. Let us see if the device’s performance amazes us or not.

Performance:

Since the features seen on the system are quite impressive and in fact, impressive enough to make this an overall positive review, all we can say right now is that the performance of this very slim desktop computer is simply very good. It is very suitable for domestic purposes. There were no negative results or complaints in the tests that were conducted. All results were close to what was expected and we do not have any sort of complaints too. Acer is completely being latest when it comes to the technology used and is also right up there in the rankings. Hence one would expect minimal errors and maximum serviceability. We are also happy of the desktop computer and its fast, efficient performance, and it is not one of those computers that fall sick often. So you do not need to call the technician too often. Simply put, the Revo RL 100 is fast, smart, problem free, and user friendly.

Power Consumption:

The Revo RL 100 helps you save your bills since it consumes very low power, when compared to conventional desktop PCs. Slim design means there is no place for unnecessary circuits and this means that the power consumption is reduced. Since Acer is going for all latest technology in here, we can expect a very good power consumption rate here. The tests tell us that on an average the system consumes about 21 Watts of power. And when you play high end games that involve heavy graphics, or when you play Blu ray movies or do a lot of video streaming on the internet, the consumptions rises considerably and is reported to increase to as much as 31.2 watts. But, this must not worry you at all because this power rating can be considered low, and it saves both the environment and your monthly electricity bills.

Warranty:

The Acer Revo RL 100 comes with a one year return to base type warranty, starting from the date of purchase.

Verdict:

Well, if our intentions are not already clear, we would like to tell you one last time that if you are looking for a very slim desktop computer which can fit in almost any kind of atmosphere, and which has great features and performs pretty well, then the Acer Aspire Revo RL100 is the one for you to look out for. The pricing of the system may put some of you in dilemma, and we can understand it because there is no monitor provided along with the whole system and you need to purchase it separately. This may not seem ideal to you and if you are looking for a perfect desktop computer that comes with all features and that includes a monitor, you can go for other similar products too. You will find their reviews and pricing on our site.

Acer Revo RL100 Multimedia PC  – Technical Specification Table

Sapphire might not be a famous name for PCs, but it is well-known for its AMD-based graphics cards as well as motherboards. To eradicate the name of just suppliers for AMDwares, Sapphire has delved into manufacturing PSUs and mini-projectors. But, now they have quickly moved from manufacturing accessories to producing complete PCs and they have introduced, rather erroneously called the smallest PC in the world.

Design:

The smallest PC in the world?

On the box, the Sapphire Edge HD Mini PC has been billed as the smallest PC in the world, but that is not true as that crown goes to the Anders Fit PC2. However, with the dimensions of (H x W x D) 115 x 101 x 27 mm, and weighing just 350 grams, it proves to be very compelling and also makes the Edge HD a lot smaller that most external optical drives in the market, and said that, even most media players. Matt black plastic casing is a clever choice by Sapphire, which makes the PC dust and fingerprint resistant. The finishing is rubberised, and in one corner, there is the Sapphire logo.

Build:

The very first thing that you can review about the PC is its built quality, which seems to be excellent. While handling the PC, we could not hear or feel any creaks or squeaks and there is a bundled stand that allows it to be placed upright just like the Wii, or it can also be placed on the sides like a Mac Mini. The stand is connected through a thumb screw which has also been slotted if you intend to get it tight. The top edge of the PC has an exhaust vent and the bottom simply mirrors it and also has a screw hole for the stand. The final edge also sports a Sapphire logo with a product information sticker. The fascia sports a pull out facing revealing two USB2.0 ports, and next to this, there is the drive activity indicator and power button which also indicates power. You will find other connectivity options on the rear.

Connectivity:

For Media PCs, the most important specification to look for is, Gigabit Ethernet, VGA, 802.11n WiFi, HDMI, four USB slots, audio-in and line out ports. Of course, ultra compact design is always accompanied by compromises in connectivity, a multi-card reader is the first to get the chop. For instance, a lot of compact PCs come with optical out for audio, USB3.0 and connectors ilk eSATA that may suite consumers better. That said, you do get all of the essentials such as Wireless N card, GB LAN as well as a hard drive with decent capacity.

Features:

High-end specs:

As far as the specification features are concerned, you will just get everything you will ever need. For starters, a dual core Atom D510 1.66GHz CPU has been employed, there is 2GB of DDR2-800MHz RAM. The best part is, it has Nvidia, yes you heard it right, it brings together next generation Nvidia’s ION2 Graphics chip with 512MB of dedicated memory. The D510 CPU is a Pinview-D based 45mm processor that is 64-bit compatible, running at 1.66GHz with a 10x multiplier and bus speed of 166MHz. In addition to this, this dual core model’s each of the two cores are Hyper Threading enabled, hence users will have access to four threads at the same time. Sapphire has employed the Samsung 2.5” SATA drive with a spindle speed of 5400rpm, 8MB cache and a capacity of 250GB.

The insides:

On opening the casing of the Sapphire Edge HD Mini PC, you get to see the Pegatron motherboard, and its entire clutter free designing. The low profile cooler sitting on top of the CPU and GPU are also visible, exhausting air out of the top of the system. This cooler actually features a Sunon MagLev fan that makes use of the magnetic levitation force. A highlight feature of the fan is that, the fan has zero friction with no contact between shaft and bearing, which results in extremely silent operation of the machine. In order to further enhance the cooling functionality, Sapphire has added a slim copper square on top of the ION GPU. Bottom of the PCB features the AzureWave AW-NU103 wireless N card as well as the two of the remaining graphics memory chips. There is no enough room inside in order to house the power supply, so, like most of the other portable systems, this mini PC also includes an external adaptor, which is a 65W model.

Set-up:

The set-up is very simple too. The start-up of the Edge-HD Mini PC is not just connecting the power cord to a wall socket and just connecting a HDMI cable to a screen. One part that is tricky is the fact that Sapphire has shipped the Edge HD without Windows, and instead there is a FreeDOS, which has a little more functionality than flashing C drive prompt. The good thing out of this is that, it aids Sapphire keep the expenses down and also pulls Linux fans, who as simply sick and tired of paying for Microsoft Operating Systems that they did not ask for. But the bane is for those who want the OS just like us, resulting in a few hiccups at the time of boot.

BIOS:

As far as BIOS is concerned, Sapphire has chosen the American Megatrends with very minimal configuration options available to the user. The Main settings can be set to Advanced mode in order to configure the fan settings. Under the main tab, there is BIOS info, System Time and Date settings and Memory size. There are a few sub menus too, first one is CPU configuration which is very less of configuration and more of specifications and status. In SATA configuration, you will be able to alternate between SATA controller modes and opt the primary hard drive, USB configuration has just controller enable and disable. Next is the Hardware Health Configuration, where you get to check the CPU temperature, adjust the fan control settings, fan speed and also monitor the system voltages. Finally, there is also the On-board Device Settings, with which you can Enable or Disable the on-board audio, LAN boot ROM and LAN.

Back to installation:

Sapphire offers an instruction manual that gives you step by step instructions. But in a gist, all you have to do is, connect either a USB or an external optical drive, create a Windows 7 USB boot drive with some help from the Windows 7 USB boot tool and finally, switch the device boot order so that the attached drive has taken a check before the hard drive. Just make sure that you reverse this when the Windows install process reboots so that the HDD is allowed to complete the setup. Though this can be a little complicated, it is worth doing so. It is worth noting that Sapphire offers Windows drivers on a bundled USB drive.

The ultimate deal:

Once you are done with the installation of the OS of your choice, you will get a complete desktop experience. While most media players in the market try and mimic PC functionality by having sluggish browsers with dedicated widgets, the Edge HD Mini PC is no different from your everyday desktop or laptop. All you have to do is, just pick the browser you like and just forget about the widgets, as you will get the complete websites. Yet another advantage is with the codecs. Though the Media players arrive with compatibility to multiple formats, with the desktop OS installed in the Edge HD, you will be able to install anything you wish and it will never be out of date too. You need not be relying on the media player manufacturers to update the codes via firmware upgrades. The only argument that the media player advocates will have for themselves is that, you will not be getting specialist user friendly interface; but as everybody is aware, this is not true.

One of the best User Interface in the current market is that of the Boxee Box and Boxee, which makes its User Interface fully free of cost for download on OSs such as Mac, Linux and Windows. The Windows Media Centre is good too and there are a lot of other options such as MythTV and Linux MCS that function as digital video recorders and not just as playback formats. And, unlike a media player, with a media centre, you get to choose the UI you like the most. However, none of this is of any value, unless the Edge HD Mini PC performs and has good value.

Performance:

Everyday tasks:

The first important factor that we mention above seems to be a grand success. With the Nvidia’s ION2 chip, the downloaded 720p and 1080p HD videos playback is a breeze. You will not find any skipped frames and there is very minimal strain on the system resources. Though HTML5 works just fine, make sure that you install the latest version of the Adobe Flash Player beta so that you can get the most from streaming Flash web content. The reason for this is, in spite of being dual core, the Atom is still quite a weaking to technology. It is just fine for everyday tasks of desktop work and web surfing, but viewing High Definition sans any assistance from the ION2 is not possible. Sapphire can enhance the performance of the Edge HD by installing an SSD, hence the speed of the hard drive as well as the general system responsiveness has a noticeable enhancement.

Gaming:

With the availability of ION2, you get some basic gaming too. For instance, games like World of Warcraft and The Sims are at lower resolutions, which are playable, but you just cannot think of Crysis to be any good other than a series of hurdles. The good news here is that, the Sapphire Edge HD Mini PC is almost silent while gaming.

Power, Heat and Noise:

The thermal and power performance of the Edge HD was quite appreciable, considering that it is an ATOM/ION2 system. However, we felt that the Edge HD is at its best when it comes to the noise level. Very often we find the compact systems being incredibly noisy with their loud fans to keep the components inside the compact chassis cool. But Sapphire has employed this amazing fan, which manages to remain silent in almost every scenario, even under full load.

Packaging:

The Sapphire Edge HD Mini PC comes in a black and white themed packaging that has heaps of information about the PC on each of its sides. The details include some very detailed images of the system on the front and rear, which is great for consumers looking to buy it in-store. Inside the package, the PC is protected on all sides by foam and cardboard and for some additional peace of mind, it has been wrapped in an anti-static bag. In the package you will find plug, HDMI to DVI connector, HDMI cable and case stickers. Also included is the above mentioned short, but quite well written manual as well as a USB drive containing drivers for Vista, Windows 7 and XP. For power, you get AC adaptor, which is a 65w model manufactured by Meic having a blue LED instead of the standard green to indicate power.

Value:

As far as cost and value, things get quite complicate. The Edge HD actually costs just under 250 pounds, that is including VAT and this price tag makes the PC only about 50 pounds higher than the Boxee Box and around 90 pounds higher than the WD TV Live and still manages to offer a whole lot of functionality too. And, you get a free HDMI cable too. While this price can be just mind blowing for the Linux fans who usually get the distribution free, the Windows fans will not be too pleased about this as they will have to find another 60 bucks for their Windows 7 Home Premium OS, which takes the cost beyond 300 pounds.

At this price point, you will be better off investing on a much more practical ION equipped netbook that comes around 250 to 300 pounds. Just like this Mini PC, you will also be able to connect the netbooks to a telly or any other monitor through a HDMI port and unlike this PC, they can be just unplugged and used on the move. Additionally, with the Edge HD’s tiny chassis, it also means that it cannot be officially upgraded, while the hard drive on a netbook can be simply swapped out if you are looking at more capacity. Dell’s Zino HD is also a good option.

Warranty:

Sapphire offers its Edge HD Mini PC two years warranty for parts and labour which is again, good value.

Verdict:

The Sapphire Edge HD Mini PC is a device that manages to impress as soon as it is unboxed, with its remarkable build quality and great design. Having an ultra-compact design, the Edge HD can be placed in almost any environment. The slightly rubberised finishing is also likable as it is far less prone to dust gathering than the high gloss finish used by other manufacturers. Overall, Sapphire has managed to create quite a stylish and Full HD enabled media PC in a cute tiny package that is oozing with style. While its feature set and full flat desktop functionalities makes it a very attractive prospect, taking a closer look, you will realise that this price that is not exactly as cheap as it first looked, making an ION equipped netbook a lot more of a flexible alternative.

Sapphire Edge-HD Mini Desktop PC – Technical Specification Details

In the following review, we will have a look at the latest of the Alienware and Dell’s co-developed desktop range, the Aurora ALX. It is stuffed with temperature sensing fins, inspiring branding, top of the range hardware and most significantly a cool sliding door, the Aurora ALX is definitely not for the weak heart, or the weak wallet. Is the new face of Alienware worth the price? Read on to find out.

Design:

Industrial:

Over the past couple of years, Alienware have been slowly redesigning their chassis. They have still retained some of the old style aspects of the machine such as the alien head. But, their laptops such as the M17x and the M15x now look more like some performance cars then a HE Geiger inspired device. With the Aurura systems, Alienware has called the design “industrial” and we have a feeling it is more like an art deco train. The exterior features the dramatic lines and matte black finish that we have come to expect, and every crack and crevice is filled with a light which, of course, can be changed to a colour of your choice, or even made to pulse and flash. In the fascia of the chassis, the alien head logo serves a couple of purposes; the first one is to release the optical drive cover which slides down slowly. The second use is to indicate that the power in on through the outline and eyes glowing.

Connectivity:

At the rear, you will be able to see the PSU, which is located at the bottom of the system, along with four additional card slots, two of which is used by a graphics card, a 12 cm exhaust fan and I/O ports. The ports on the Aurora ALX Gaming PC starts with an optical and coaxial out (Realtek 7.1), and it runs through 2 USB2.0, Firewire, eSATA, 2  USB 2.0 again, Giga Bit LAN, 2 USB 2.0 and lastly an analogue audio out. Along these ports, you will also find a small and almost invisible switch that switches on the rear lighting of the Aurora (we will discuss about this in detail later in the review). In the side view of the case, you will be able to clearly see the light up section of the chassis. This strip of lighting extends the entire length of the side and across the bottom of the front and round to an identical panel on the opposite side. On the internal view at the bottom right of the picture, it is possible to view the connector the powers the lights.

Optical drive:

There is nothing fancy about the optical drive front, it is just a standard 16 x DVD writer but the default configuration of the two hard drive in RAID 0 are present. The array has been split into few different partitions with the OS on one; recover on the other and a partition for the sake of quick access to support tools such as memory testing. You will find more impressive configuration options that allow you to change CPU to a 950 or 975, install an X-FI Titanium and even move to a dual 300GB VelociRaptor RAID 0 setup.

The fins:

The top edge of the Alienware Aurora ALX Desktop PC is split into seven sections. One section that is closest to the rear is used as a release mechanism for the side panels. The next five vents are the ones that open automatically when the power is turned ON and can be controlled by the Alienware software. The final section that is at the front of the chassis opens up manually in order to reveal two USB 2.0 connectors, front panel audio and Firewire. You will also be able to see the silver power button just above the ports.

Lighting:

As you can imagine, lighting is a huge part of Alienware’s system and the FX screen allows you to configure the 8 lighting zones. You get to do up to 25,600,000,000 lighting combination. What we have not mentioned yet is that, there are another set of lights in the system that are a little different to the norm. Alienware have named it as Internal Theater Lighting. You will find a selection of white LEDs positioned around the inside o the chassis and around the back panel connectors. These white LEDs have a power source that is independent of the main PSU. These lights will turn on under certain circumstances such as, opening the side of the case. This is an extra touch that is quite nice; probably the most impressive aspect of the lighting is that, when you unbox the system, you will be able to see it glowing through the cloth bag.

Peripherals:

Typically we skip over the keyboard and mouse that come included with most desktop systems since they are generic and cheap, and most users will end up replacing them at some point. Not so with the Aurora ALX. Alienware sources out their peripheral manufacturing, at least at the high end, to Logitech. The resultant products are Alienware style and Logitech quality, meaning most gamers should be pretty happy with the experience. They are chunky and backlit and corded, so you will not have to worry about batteries.

The package:

In the past, the Alienware desktops arrived in huge packages, some big enough to fit an adult in and this Aurora ALX is not an exception. The main reason for this kind of packaging is to protect the system as carefully as possible and they just go all out to make sure this is done. In between the main system and box is a cloth bag, plastic suspension or what is called as crumple brackets, a cardboard box, further plastic suspension blocks, a large cardboard box above the outer plastic layer and also a cardboard tray below then finally a large, thick outer cardboard box.  It is very unlikely that couriers will be attempting to play football with this package, but in case it gets into any roughest transit, it has enough protection to get through. Inside the package is the Aurora ALX, with a bundle of extras. Some of the standard items include thorough manual, software CDs, DVI to VGA connector, stickers, a cap and a mouse mat.

Features:

Internal specs:

Now, let us move on to the internals of the Alienware Aurora ALX. Inside, the major components are sequestered into their own areas to improve airflow and heat dissipation, while the processor is chilled by a Cool-It water-cooling unit. By taking away the side of the casing, you will find gears within the computer, however, the view is blocked by a large plastic segment, which covers the 5.25 drive bays and across the graphics card prior to moving to the bottom of the case next to the 875w Dell labelled PSU. The horizontal section of the device folds out to provide way in to the PCIe slots if necessary. This is not the first time that we had seen this kind of cover; manufacturers like Cooler Master have made use of them in the earlier period arguing that they improve the tunnel airflow in the place of graphics card.

Basic specs:

The motherboard used in the Alienware Aurora ALX is Alienware labelled and has the identical set of features that we had seen on a majority of the other high end Intel boards. This one has support for the i7 900 series CPU range, together with the 975 Extreme and 6 triple channel memory slots that allow 1600MHz operation and a maximum population of 24GB. You also have RAID as an choice with the default configuration of the ALD model being 2 x 500GB Drives in RAID 0. Along with the primary 16x PCIe slot, the mATX motherboard also has a second 16x connector for SLI/Crossfire operation. In case you do not make use this, it is also possible for you to install an I x card in the slot below this.

Memory:

Alienware has kitted the system with a four core, eight threaded D0 i7- 920 CPU that runs at 2.66GHz. This is paired with 3 x 2GB of Corsair Dominator DDR3-1600 and the GPU provided is an ATI Radeon 5870 1GB that runs at 850MHz and 1200MHz memory. All of these products have got excellent reputation, so we are more than happy to find them here.

Wiring:

Alienware has also done the wiring in the Aurora with a great deal of caution, cable ties and clamps are used in the entire chassis and four drive bays in the ALX version have tool free installation with pre-wired docks. You will also find an 8cm fan placed between the drives for added airflow in this place. It is a very neat system and it means there are no hanging cables to be seen anywhere. The only way the drive bays could be made better is if they were hot-swappable.

Software:

As with all of the system in the Alienware range, the Aurora ALX Desktop Computer too is supplied with the Windows 7 Operating System. The default option provided for this model is the Home Premium 64 bit version and all of these updates are certified by Alienware and it will be installed before shipping. Dell seems to like MacAfee’s security suite, and so it comes in as no surprise that it has been provided as an option. The default option on the web configuration is “not-installed”, so most users will have the option to use their own, less bloated and resource hungry alternative. We really look forward to the day Dell offers Avast or Microsoft Security essentials, both of which are free, highly reliable and also offer a small resource footprint.

Software wise, you will also fins the usual selection of useful applications such as Flash player, Adoble Reader and power DVD. Though the latter should really be a Version 9, Alienware continues to use V8. As always, you will find a selection of Alienware utilities installed. The thermal controls allow you to view information from three temperature sensors, the CPU fan and control the speed of other fans. There is also another option that will allow you to control how far open the top vents are. There is Fusion software that allows you to select and configure power profiles for the system. Alienware also offers a keyboard and mouse software that allows you to configure the devices to match your specific requirements.  Alienware use an American Megatrends BIOS on the Aurora ALX and while it is not quite as configurable as most high end desktop boards there are still plenty of options available such as CPU and memory voltage. There is even a profile to enable factory configured over clocking.

Performance:

High end:

We would even go to the extent of saying it is needless to review the performance of a gaming PC such as this one. All of its internals are at the top notch; some of them include the twin high end graphics cards, the high end processor, 6GB of RAM and two hard drives in RAID 0; we will not say that all these high-ends are too much. Because, there are a lot you would want that kind of hardware, however, there are still little departure from the usual. The storage includes a couple of conventional 7200rpm hard drives and considering that they have arranged in is a RAID 0 configuration is, the complete performance is quite sizeable. The good news is that, it even managed to beat a few solid state drives. We also have to accept that the latency still seems to be comparable to conventional media, but all round speed is acceptable. Again, one of the biggest disadvantages of RAID 0 is that, in case one of the drives get spoiled, you will end up losing all of your data. Hence, you are at two times the risk of losing your data, so be very careful to backup your data. As you know, the main purpose if the drive is gaming.

Cooling:

The Alienware actively cools the Northbridge and has a fan sitting above it creating airflow around the heat sinks. Located at the top of the chassis is a small daughter board, there are several small PCB’s in the system. These smaller boards control the enhanced lighting and features which are available on the ALX model. The main cooling in the device is offered by a modified version of Asetek’s latest liquid cooler, which is the same product which Corsair makes use of their impressive H50. It sports a 1700rmp fan with a 12cm aluminium radiator. The CPU cooling fan also acts as the system exhaust on the PLX PC.

Power:

It does not come in as a surprise that this PC makes use of a considerable amount of power to keep up all of its hardware. Again, it is a high end PC and this is kind of a standard practice nowadays. The manufacturer has included 875W power supply and Alienware has put it in to good use. While booting, this gaming PC will draw in 260watts of power and, as soon as the OS is completely loaded and when it is idle, the electricity consumption comes down to just 155W. At the period of average gaming, the computer will not go over 340 Watts. With today’s graphics heavy gaming, the power goes up to a staggering 68w. For instance, if you were maxing out on this system, it will cost you about 9c an hour. Though it does not seem like a lot, it will add up over time.

Warranty:

Computers, however convenient and useful, can cause a lot of headache if something is not working correctly. Dell’s site offers just about every type of help for troubleshooting problems with your Alienware Aurora gaming PC. You can also download drivers for your video card and order other hardware directly from their site. If you run into any problems within the first year of having the computer, simply send in your computer and they will get things working again. A three-year warranty is an option and might be a good choice since computers are not always predictable.

Verdict:

The Alienware Aurora ALX gaming machine is a very inspiring computing device. It puts on a new look for the manufacturer by doing something different from its signature style that it had been prevailing of a lot of years, which is more industry oriented style. The branding seems to be quite spot on and getting to the internals of the devices have not been easier. And, the best part is, you will not any screwdriver to upgrade the insides. The lighting is very well thought out, with no crapware. Moving on to the disadvantages, firstly this high-end machine will cost you a fortune. That is a staggering sum of money. It is also noisy. That is not a bad trade-off for saving something like a thousand bugs right off the top, and you can save another thousand by not going with the extreme processor, which, when you stick with dual ATI 5870s, will have less of an impact on your gaming performance than you might think.

Overall, the Alienware has crafted a good experience in this PC. The Aurora ALX is designed to play games and they manage to do that fantastically well. It is not quiet, but it is pretty and fun, and sometimes that is all you might need.

Alienware Aurora ALX Gaming Computer – Technical Specification Table

Design:

Compelling:

Design wise, Tranquil PC has put on a compelling design for the iXL, which is clad in black satin aluminium, with rounded corners which reminds us of the retro radios of the 1950s. The black, brushed aluminium case is just 240 x 250 x 106mm and is styled to fit with other sitting room A/V boxes. In a gist, the iXL is one of the best looking PCs we had ever seen from Tranquil. The ixL Power PC does not come with either keyboard or mouse. Most companies in the current market ship with a lot of shelf components in a cute looking box, but with the iXL, Tranquil has taken a lot more care in engineering a good looking as well as a highly functional design that makes use of a series of fins on the sight side for passive cooling. The entire chassis itself is very robust, very well constructed and when compared to some of the hardware that we had seen from the company. This one has got excellent assembly sans any rough edges; one of the best.

Keep it cool:

Along with the fins on the right hand side of the chassis, you will find some additional cooling vents that are punched into top, rear and base of the chassis. And the main point we have to make here is that, it does an effective job of ensuring that the processor does not overheat, however, you will find the chassis does get hot simply because it acts as a giant heat sink. This is an extremely small price to pay for silence in a Media centre PC. We advise you to leave a little space around the chassis when fitted into you cabinet. Just turn over the Tranquil PC ixL i3 Media Centre PC to its base and hints of attention to detail that has gone into the assembly of the device will be clearly evident. You will find Intel’s generic rear connector sticker that is positioned beneath the PC for reference. It might be very easy for you to just discard these guides, but note that they can be really useful, hence we recommend that you take time to place them on the PC. The four short legs that prop up the iXL provides way for cooling through the base. However, if you wish to slide the iXL into a small space, you can do so as they can be removed with a central securing screw.

Slots and Connectivity:

The fascia of the chassis is as sober as you might expect it to be in your TV cabinet. It has an unobtrusive slot loading CD/DVD or Blu-ray, a flush power button with a dim blue LED, two USB ports, a card reader and an integral infra-red sensor for your media centre remote control. The integral infra red sensor has a red LED which illuminates when commands are sent to the PC. That is not it, turn it around and you will find an array of connectivity options.

It is fair to say that the Tranquil PC ixL Desktop Computer is kind of over specified as far as the external options are concerned. You get six USB ports, three eSATA and even a Gigabit Ethernet for networking. Video is taken care of by the HDMI or DVI, and audio is fired out through the HDMI, optical audio or the five analogue audio ports. The only PCI expansion slot has a twin-tuner Freeview TV card fitted and this is pre-configured to work with Windows 7 Media Center on the Home version which is installed as standard. Graphics are provided by the main board Intel HD chipset and full 1080p HD output is supported via DVI and HDMI. Here too, there is the neatly positioned Intel Inside sticker that shows the detail in the design. Perhaps the most surprising omission is wireless networking.

Set-up:

Connecting the iXL i3 to your PC is very simple. It is just a matter of connecting the HDMI port, optical audio cable, network, power plus any USB tuners if you had not chosen of the integrated iXL tuner. Having an internal IR receiver, it is not necessary for any additional peripherals to be used with your media centre remote, and then simply boot. The Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) OS option will be ok for most users, but it is a no go option if you own a Windows Home Server. This is simply because of the lack of its remote access features. If you decide to access and control the PC through a remote desktop connection, then you have to make sure that you opt for the Windows 7 Professional, which also includes the Windows Media Centre.

Features:

The retro analogies end with the design, as the iXL is loaded with a whole lot of cutting edge hardware.

Customisation options:

Stripped down or all-inclusive:
Before we go deep into the features of this Tranquil ixL Media Centre PC, you have to be aware of the fact that the Tranquil PC iXL is available in a range of configurations. The iXL Power PC is available in Silver, Gold and Platinum versions, and the Silver version, reviewed here, is based on a Core i3-530, with 2GB of memory and a 500GB, 2.5-inch hard drive. There is a basic stripped back bare bones edition which sells for about £289; here, you choose the processor, RAM, Storage, OS and even the optical drive. Then, you also have the fully built models costing £389, which are fully arranged and assembled for you by the company. You can even personalise it with some lacer etching if you look forward for that. Tranquil even offers a Core i5 variant of the PC for those consumers looking for animal performance. However, we feel that the Core i3 processor is perfectly adequate when it comes to Media Centre usage.

Other upgrade options:
The other customisation options on offer include an integrated TV tuner, with support for an internal low-profile tuner DVB-T FreeView or dual DVB-T + DVB-S/S2 for the sake of satellite owners. There is also a range of standard DVD or Blu-ray drives available. Now, that is quite a strong specification for a modern Media Centre PC. While the consumers do have a range of lower power options available in the market, including a notable range of nettops offering an Intel Atom + NVIDIA ION combination that do quite a decent job, you can be rest assure that the Intel Core i3 has the capability to handle any media oriented task you throw at it, without any hiccups.

Storage overkill:
Tranquil has done a bit of overkill when it comes to storage expansion, for which it can be forgiven for. For instance, the Intel’s DH57JG motherboard, which is heart of the iXL, is already generously specified with an eSATA port as well as six USB2.0 ports; to this monster, Tranquil has added two extra, front mounted USB ports and a further two eSATA ports on the rear. While we agree there is a decent amount of logic and convenience involved with a front facing USB port, three eSATA ports looks quite a lot for a HTPC. As far as networking is concerned, it is handled by the motherboard’s integrated Gigabit Ethernet Socket. This option does a decent job of taking care of high definition video. One thing that is notably absent is an integrated 802.11n wireless option, which will be a big concern for those who do not have their living room networked.

Powerful Specs:

The iXL has blended some off the shelf and custom components in order to create quite a powerful as well as a silent Media Centric PC. Tranquil has opted for Intel’s DH57 JG Mini-ITX motherboard, which is a highly capable product that was recently featured in the Vail Windows Home Server Self-build feature. The board accepts both Core i3 or Core i5 processor with low heat and noise output, an integrated HDMI port for 1080p video, with support for Intel’s ten channel HD video with Dolby Home Theatre. While Tranquil offers about 4GB of RAM on the iXL, the board can support up t0 8GB DDR3 RAM across its two sockets. You get the audio through an integrated SPDIF optional audio out or HDMI, as well as the standard 5 port analogue audio option. If you are hungry for more details on the DH57JG, you can find it on Tranquil PC’s technical guide and also at Intel.com. We can stop here on the note that it is an excellent selection for the iXL.

Upgrade-friendly:

Though the CPU block looks like it is permanent, there is nothing to worry about as it can actually be removed to free the processor in order to upgrade it. For instance, a Core i5-650 or i5-655K processor can be installed in the socket with great deal of ease. Overall, the internals of the iXL is pretty tidy indeed. When you remove the cover of the chassis, courtesy of lot of screws on the base and side panel, you can reach the motherboard by just removing the top plate to which the slot loading drive and hard drive have been attached to. It simply screws out easily, but note that you have to unplug the SATA cables completely to remove the drives. From here on, it is very easy to upgrade all of the elements of the PC.

You have a memory slot free for additional RAM and an easily accessible hard drive for some additional storage too. The additional custom components are in evidence with the front ports supplied by a branded Tranquil PC daughter board. Again, if you are looking for some guidance around the motherboard design, Tranquil have positioned Intel’s handy schematic beneath the chassis lid, which is very helpful and contributes to a great customer experience. While it is true that Tranquil PC’s hardware is not the cheapest ones around, its combination of custom engineering, attention to detail and great design justifies the premium price tag, when compared to many of the mass produced options available from the far-east. You are the one paying the money, but we have to educate you that it is certainly a well designed, engineered and constructed PC.

Awkward silence:

Switch on the power and you will immediately notice the lack of noise from the Tranquil iXL. It will be really strange to you if you had never experienced a completely silence PC. You will get a small girr from the optical drive and that is it, tranquility. This is the kind of silence that has been achieved with all the toiling from the cooling components installed on the iXL. So, when Tranquil claims that its PC is silent, it is not a gimmick, it is plain truth. The best part is that, even the WD Green Power Drive is inaudible, how did they manage to do that?

Passive cooling:

Tranquil has fitted it with its own passive cooling system to silently cool the Intel Core i3-530 processor. Operating at 2.93GHz, there is quite a bit of work to be done to cool off the system to keep the heat of the processor in check, and even the heat emanating from the on-board 500GB Western Digital WD500AADS Green Power Drive. The company’s custom cooling kit for the processor does most of the job, while a heat pipe conducting the heat out to the aluminium side fins.

Software:

As soon as you have booted the Tranquil PC, you will realise that it has been pre-installed with the K-Lite Codec Basic Pack, which has support for MKV and a range of some of the other more esoteric formats. Since Windows Media Centre does not offer support for MKV, we would have preferred to see the Standard pack installed, which includes the crowd favourite Media Player Classic HomeCinema and FLAC support. The MicroSoft Silverlight has also been pre-installed, along with all the other drivers that are required to support the Intel motherboard.

Tweak it:

While you might spend a good deal of time configuring the PC correctly for your specific home cinema set-up, there are potentially far too many options to do it via Window’s own controls, Intel’s graphics and audio dialogs, the DirectShow filters, the included FFD Show and heaps more. However, if you really spend some time on it, we guarantee that the results are going to be great. The Intel Motherboard has no issues identifying the AV receiver as the Output device, but the images still needs some tweaking as in Windows Media Centre. On balance however, the setup did not take too much time at all and we could get on with installing Media Browser, Media Center Manager and the Windows Home Server Connector to ensure the best Windows Media Center experience.

Performance:

Processing:

Performance wise, the Core i3 is definitely a superior processor with a significant step-up performance when compared to the Intel Atom. We are not trying to say that the Atom is not capable of doing a decent job, but the Core i3 or Core i5 are in a different class altogether. The result is superb streaming of high definition video directly from the home server through the Gigabit Ethernet connection.

Here again, we are not trying to say that the iXLis faultless. The integrated IR sensor only offers basic support for Windows Media Centre. You will be able to get a more advanced USB IR sensor from Tranquil PC for just a £10 upgrade, which provides alphanumeric controls and other “advanced” features. Tranquil has then offered to supply the advanced USB IR Sensor for free when a Media Center remote is purchased with the iXL. A new integrated IR Sensor is in development which will offer full control of Windows Media Center. Another issue with the PC is that, its DVD drive, which appears to work absolutely fine when inserting discs, but then, fails to read them and indeed, appears that it is not able to eject the discs too and fails with a DVD error message. As the drive is slot loading, with no external control, that means you have to open the chassis to remove the disc.

Gaming:

Though it has plenty of power to be an excellent media centre and for most other tasks, the ixL is not a gaming machine. The Core i3′s integrated graphics chip does not offer improved performance over Intel’s previous efforts where intensive 3D is concerned, and even casual gamers should probably steer clear of Intel’s integrated graphics, as with an old and undemanding title like Call of Duty 4 you’ll be lucky to get beyond 10fps.

Audio:

The 7.1 sound output is good enough for most home cinema systems, and video output of TV and DVD is smooth, with no noticeable artefacts.

Package contents:

When you open the Tranquil iXL, you will find your new PC that is packed for complete protection in a Tranquil PC branded rucksack; now that is a first for us. Apart from the Tranquil PC iXL Power PC, an external power supply unit, power cable, Intel DH57 JG Driver CD and a Sparse SATA Cable. You might be asking us where are the manuals? Well, they are fed in the PC itself in HTML format, and there are both online and offline options available. Hence, rest assured that you can have the latest version of the manual when you need it.

Power consumption:

At idle, Tranquil PC’s ixL consumed around 20W, while under load power usage generally stayed well below 50W. This is excellent considering the amount of power on offer and will be even lower if it’s configured with an SSD only.

Warranty:

Tranquil PC offers its iXL Media Centre PC one year warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

Apart from a couple of minor niggles, the Tranquil PC iXL is easily one of the best hardware we had seen from the company in the last three years. The design of the chassis is remarkable, well built and assembled with care and it is also important for you to note that the Tranquil’s custom components have also been engineered to a high specification. As a result, you have a compelling blend of fantastic off the shelf components from Intel, with custom wrapping that passively cools the iXL’s internals without let go of the aesthetics required for any PC that is going to reside under the telly. It is the subtle touches like internal motherboard schematic on the underside of the chassis and the connector schematic on the iXL’s base that takes up the iXL package from its rivals.

The base specification of the Tranquil PC iXL is a very powerful one, with the combination of Core i3, 2GB RAM and a 500GB hard drive is a fantastic combination for a Media Center PC, with the motherboard from Intel handling all the HD audio and video with ease. The Core i5 will provide additional longevity, but with the iXL offering easy upgrade paths to the processor, storage and RAM going forward, the i3 is a great place to start. We are glad to recommend the iXL as a fantastic Media Center PC. There are certainly cheaper options available for those on a budget, but if you’re searching for a great looking, silent and powerful HTPC then look no further. The iXL is Tranquil PC and Windows Media Center at their finest.

Tranquil ixL i3 Power PC – Technical Specifications, Configuration Details

As far as the design of the Fusion Challenger is concerned, it will vary depending on the type of components that you choose. For instance, going for the HAF 932 casing will provide you with a chassis that provides a lot of fans and a lot more flexible bigger casing. However, there is a little fault with the base system that Chillblast has to offer. The Cooler Master CM-690 II Lite is of better quality value casing and feels more solid and looks attractive too. The components inside are of quite good value, with branded components from Samsung, Kingston and Asus. The only minor issue is with the wiring behind the motherboard tray as we feel that it could have been much better. But we can appreciate the loose wiring which is not quite normal; this makes future upgrading quite easy.

Features:

Graphics card:

As we are already aware, a good graphics card in a PC will take away a great deal of load off the CPU, when it comes to gaming. Hence, in order to keep the costs down, Chillblast has equipped the Fusion Challenger with a dualie, especially one that has Intel’s HyperThreading shizzle. Well, its idea just seems to be working.

CPU:

Having said that, the hard job of keeping the things solvent in terms of gaming, has been taken care of the impressive overclock that is allowed by the 32nm lithography and Intel Core CPU headroom. The chunky overclock has been made possible by pairing of the i3 530 with the P55 Asus board. Even in 768MB trim, with the GTX 460, it is highly unlikely that you would ever want to switch it off in favour of the integrated graphics.

The heart of the PC, that is, this CPU is a decent performer at its stock state, but is nowhere near it, when compared to the pricier Core i5 or i7 cousins. The good news is that, the Fusion Chillblast has been turbo charged it to a mouth watering 4GHz, which is an agile increase of about 40%. This kind of overclocking wizardry has been made feasible by the inspiring Asus P7P55D-E, which is a motherboard that has a lot more gimmicks than the flagship LX version.

Storage:

Apart from the CPU, the Chillblast Fusion Challenger as a whole is a machine with excellent set of specifications. The Asus Mobo is one of every gadget geek’s favourite P55 boards. Sporting 1TB of storage is more than enough, and backing the entire system to perfection is the 4GB of overclocked DDR. This 4GB of DDR memory is kind of standard these days. However, in comparison with an i5 760 system, it still puts a fly in the ointment. This storage is enough for your current set of games, but you always have the option to expand it to 12GB or, if you wish to, thank the 2 free memory slots.

If you can chuck out some more cash, a decent performance will be offered by the full-fat 1GB GTX 460. This is the kind of combination that is existent on the coveted CyberPower GameCube with is available for under £860, gives a concrete edge in gaming power. If you are hoping to do anything other than gaming on this PC, irrespective of how good the GTX 460 may be, you will end up being hobbled by the dual-core CPU.

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro:

The perennial Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro does an excellent work at keeping an eye on the temperature of this Chillblast. This one is a very famous heat sinker and is amazing at keeping this gaming beast noise-free as well as heat-free. In addition to this, the enhancements made to the mounting, it has made upgrading a CPU, a matter of minutes. The silent nature of this gaming PC has been further enhanced by the inclusion of a 600W Xigmatek power supply, which is a 80+ Bronze certified PSU, which is clearly a quality unit that features an oversized 140mm fan. As we had mentioned previously, it is a upgrader’s heaven and it has plenty of extra cables for future upgrades and remained virtually inaudible throughout our benchmark tests.

Performance:

When it comes to performance, the Fusion Challenger puts on a gaming performance that contradicts its price tag. Games run quite smoothly at maximum detail on the 1920 x 1080 pixels display and its frame rate of more than 60fps ensures an imposing sense of speed.

Value:

It is true that £700 does not sound like that much of a budget price and it is also possible for you to just shop around and find something similar with a better CPU (the awesome Core i5 760), at about the similar sort of price.

Warranty:

Chillblast offer shipping with full tracking and a 2-year collect and return warranty in addition to the free overclocking of the i3 CPU which some manufacturers charge for.

Verdict:

The Chillblast Fusion Challenger Gaming PC provides you with a great deal of performance, for its price tag. We have to complements its very choosy components. The best components include the motherboard and PSU which is the best choice as they provide the most wanted backbone for years of upgrades that are yet to come. Overall, it is quite a well designed gaming PC with performance that does not show any signs of its budget price tag. It is a great purchase for the consumers who update the system components regularly. It will turn out to be the best choice if you are a dedicated gamer on a very strict budget.

Chillblast Fusion Challenger Desktop PC – Technical Specification Table

Design:

Casing:

Similar to CyberPower’s previous generation high end Ultra Perseus, the Phoenix Gaming PC also comes in Antec’s Twelve Hundred gaming case. At 60cm high, this makes it an imposing beast, and it has also generously provisioned with blue LED lighting. Sporting blue backlit fans, a backlit water-cooling reservoir, it takes up two of the case’s phenomenal twelve 5.25” drive bays. It also possesses transparent reactive blue water pipes that are visible through the large side window. Overall, this is certainly a machine that grabs the attention. Moving on, the Twelve Hundred is very well built and is also an impressively featured case. However, it does lack the tool free option that is available on many of its rivals. It is made out of thick steel, which is painted matte black inside and out, and without a sharp edge in sight. Physical speed switches are provided for all case fans, which include five 120mm ones and a huge top-mounted 200mm fan. All intake fans also sport removable dust filters.

Display:

The display of the CyberPower Infinity i7 Phoenix Desktop PC comes with a 24in BenQ monitor which supports a full-HD resolution and comes with LED backlighting, but no external speakers are provided.

Connectivity:

The connectivity is pretty good and in addition to the usual twin USB ports and headphone and microphone jacks found at the front of the case, there is also an eSATA port, which is a great addition, especially considering that the Antec Twelve Hundred’s build allows you to securely place an external hard drive on its top. CyberPower has added a 3.5″ card reader below the optical drive. This offers a third USB 2.0 port and can read every memory card available, guess what? Even SIM cards! Speaking of the optical drive, as you would expect at this price point the company has included a Blu-ray rewriter, specifically LG’s BH08LS20 sporting an attractive fascia with silver trim, it goes well with the casing. This drive offers 8 x BD, 8 x BD-R and 2 x BD-RE speeds.

At the i7 Phoenix Gaming PC’s rear, the motherboard connectivity is relatively sparse. You will find a further six USB ports, one FireWire and one eSATA port, a single Gigabit Ethernet connection and good old PS2 mouse and keyboard inputs. A nice selection of analogue and digital audio connections are also on hand from the board’s integrated audio, though these are made superfluous by those found on the installed Creative X-Fi Gamer sound card.

The noisy Insides:

Opening the casing of this CyberPower Infinity i7 Phoenix Gaming Desktop PC is just a simple case of removing two thumb screws. Inside the casing, the Phoenix is quite a tidy affair, with all the cables neatly tied away. The interior of the device is totally dominated  by the CyberPower liquid cooling system that combines the reservoir and pump at the front with a radiator cooled by nothing less than four120mm fans in a push pull configuration at the rear, all of which are hooked up to an XSPC Delta V3 water-block. This results in the CPU remaining very cool, that is, below 50 degrees under load, despite its heavy over-clock, but it also means this is a noisy beast. Even with all the case fans turned to their slowest setting, the Phoenix is audible from quite a distance, and very distracting close to.

We are not sure why, but turning down the fans to their minimum speeds for a slightly quieter experience resulted in the overclock regularly failing, requiring a cold boot. Since the CPU remains within operating temperatures, we can only assume some other component is actually getting overheated. Speaking of noise, it is also worth noting that the 850W CoolerMaster modular PSU used in this system seems to develop an irritating whine after a while. However, given CoolerMaster’s good reputation and usual quality, we hope it is just a once off fault.

Features:

As far as specifications are concerned, despite the premium £2,800 price tag, CyberPower has managed to squeeze into the Infinity i7 Phoenix a 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-920 processor and an Asus X58-chipset motherboard. The Other highlights include an AMD ATI Radeon 5970, which is the fastest graphics card money can buy and 80GB Intel X25 SSD main drive.

Processor:

The Infinity i7 Phoenix processor might not sound too impressive, as it is the cheapest and lowest clocked offering in the i7 9xx line-up, but CyberPower has added water cooling to push this CPU up to a stable 4GHz, which is significantly faster than the slightly over-clocked Core i7 975 Extreme Edition found in the Celsius ULTRA. It has more RAM than you can shake a Villazon at, a lightning-fast SSD boot drive and the fastest single-PCB GPU around. As you can imagine, there have been some compromises made, so, the question is, where? However, f or the most part these have been made intelligently, minimising the performance hit. The Intel Core i7-930 with triple channel memory architecture demands memory is installed in groups of three. Hence, 6GB of system memory is installed in this Infinity PC rather than the 8GB found in the Arbico and Chillblast.

Motherboard:

As we had mentioned earlier, the CyberPower Infinity i7 Phoenix Desktop Computer is based on the Asus’ socket LGA1366 X58 P6T motherboard, which is a very popular choice among the assemblers and it is also used in PC Specialist Vortex i950; which is hardly surprising. Though it is not as fancy as the one we might have expected out of the price tag of this PC, nonetheless, it is quite reliable and provides all the basic features you need.

Memory:

Memory comes in form of Samsung SpinPoint F3 ‘traditional’ hard drive for your multimedia collection. This provision of the CyberPower Infinity i7 Phoenix desktop PC is more than adequate for most people. However, you will be able to experience faster setups from SSD or Raid 0 arrays. The Phoenix also doubles that machine’s already prodigious memory capacity, coming with an incredible 24GB of 1,333MHz DDR3 RAM. This is pretty much the most memory you will find in any non-server or high-performance PC, and it is a large factor in the machine’s price. The storage array is where the biggest drop in performance will be felt, though plumping for only a single X25 M SSD as the boot drive will still give you an enormous boost over any HDD-based solution you are used to. The not so humble 80GB Intel X25 SSD is the fastest overall SSD we have yet tested.

The RAID pairing is incredible, but the twinning of the single drive and the massive 24GB RAM means that the desktop speed of the Phoenix is still lightning quick. You could arguably halve the RAM and save yourself some cash without impacting performance too much, especially if you went for faster memory as well.

Graphics:

The major disappointment is with the choice of the graphics card. When you are spending between £550 and £620 on the graphics the cash difference between getting two HD 5870s in CrossFire and a single dual- GPU HD 5970 is negligible. The performance difference though can be huge. This is where the Phoenix drops performance points and in a place where it really did not need to. You will still end up having to cope with the vagaries of CrossFire with the HD 5970 so, you might as well drop another £50 odd on the faster cards. Customise the rig on the site with 12GB of 1,800MHz RAM and swap out the 5970 for twin 5870s and you will be able to save over £200 on the list price.

Software:

When it comes to software, CyberPower has left you with a very clean PC in every regard: there is no excess software and the wallpaper is plain, with only shortcuts for the CyberPower UK Steam Game Clan and forums on the desktop. Naturally a 64 bit version of Windows 7 Pro is installed to take advantage of all that memory, but aside from some Creative apps that’s pretty much it.

Performance:

Though there have been a few compromises with the specification, the performance seems to be very good nonetheless. Its factory over-clocked graphics card means that the gaming performance from its GTX 470 is just as good as the DinoPC’s GTX 480. What we have here is a responsible specification on a machine that is ready to take whatever you throw at it, whether you are just gaming or breaking your head with your own version of Avatar. The PC’s Asus P6X58D-E motherboard supports both USB 3.0 and 6Gbps SATA. You can also expect better performance from its X58 chipset than the P55 model used by the Core i7 800 series CPUs. What is more? Apart from the six memory slots and the triple channel memory supporting up to 24GB, there are also three PCI Express x16 slots, two of which operate at x16 speed simultaneously.

Audio is as important as the graphics when it comes to gaming and the CyberPower Infinity i7 Phoenix also lives up to its price tag. It sports the Creative X-Fi Gamer sound card that brings EAX 5.0 HD for the best sound effects in games without placing much added load on the CPU. Though a distinct sound card is no longer the necessity it once was in terms of features, they still greatly outshines onboard solutions for absolute quality.

Warranty:

CyberPower offers Infinity i7 Phoenix desktop PC three years warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

CyberPower’s Infinity i7 Phoenix desktop PC delivers tremendous upgrade potential, excellent performance and good value. The options of graphics card is disappointing, still, the Phoenix is a well put together rig, spotlessly tidy inside and stress tested to within an inch of its life to make sure the setup is stable when it gets to you. If your question is if this PC is worth its bulky price tag, then when compared to the recently released Fujitsu Celsius Ultra gaming PC, the answer is a big yes. This one has an excellent built and also has a faster, water-cooled CPU; more connectivity and features; a graphics setup that’s quieter, more frugal and yet offers better performance; double the RAM; a far faster primary hard drive, and the list goes on. It is simply a superior machine in every way. It is one of the fastest gaming machines around. CyberPower has managed to provide a clever combination of components to give you close to the best of everything. We give this model a big recommended.

Check other Gaming Desktop PCs Reviews in this website.

CyberPower Infinity i7 Phoenix Gaming PC – Technical Specification Table

The Mac Mini is small, compact, silent, comparatively potent, and above all, it is a real computing system, and hence, you will be able to play any file you feed into it. Now, it seems to have become much more striking as a home theater computer as Apple has given it a complete makeover. It has its price up by a considerable amount too, so, let us find out if the Mini is worth the high-end price tag and if it is the nicest tiny computer for your lounge.

Design:

Make over:

The Mac mini has always been a beauty, but this one seems to be a super duper model. Apart from the obvious beauty, as soon as you look at it, it will be great beneath your television. Since Mac Mini’s introduction in the year 2005, it is this 2010 version that has received a major redesign. While this has been partly a evidence to the modest good looks of the earlier design, obviously, it has managed to merge very well with each and every Apple designing that has been around in the previous 5 years. At the same time, the new make over is promising to be equally attractive by being simple and given a deep thought. As you can see, the major real estate of the casing is the anodised aluminum unibody, that is less thick than the predecessor models by a 1 ¼”, but quite big around at 7 x 7 inches square.

Actually, fact wise, the latest and old Minis are basically the similar size by volume. Hence, the new Apple Mac mini 2010  is just a flattened version of the previous model. Having said that, this Mini does not actually sit flat, it is raised off the ground by a few millimeters on a spherical pedestal. This is caused by two reasons, one being the fact that the lip on the fascia sports an inlet, which is vented out the rear and the second reason being its creative concealing of the WiFi antenna, which would otherwise be muted by that all aluminium enclosure. You will also find a 2nd matching WiFi antenna and a Bluetooth placed on the plastic rear panel that provides a very essential 360degree coverage. And, the new mini looks like nothing similar to the Apple TV but we will discuss in detail about this comparison in a while.

Connectivity features:

Moving on to the all important connectivity in the rear, we have to say that they are pretty standard. The SERIES of ports include four USB, HDMI, gigabit Ethernet, mini DisplayPort, FireWire 800, an SDXC card slot, mic in, and audio out, supporting optical out as well. As we have just indicated, Apple has tried and included everything you will ever need with this PC, so that you will be able to experience all of its features as soon as you unpack it. Again, to fulfill this quench, they have also included the HDMI to DVI adaptor and, hence, can also get a VGA mini DisplayPort adaptor. Since the HDMI included in HDMI1.3 compliant, it will also be able to give you about 8 audio channel and even displays of resolution 1920 x 1200 pixels. Similar to the predecessor Mini, you can use both of the display ops at the same time, it supports a max res of 2560 x 1600 pixels.

We have to mention here that, this is the first time Apple has included an SDXC slot, mounted at the rear, which makes it slightly more convenient to transfer media to or from external devices such as a digital camera. So, now you have the right to expect to see that on other SD equipped Macs as time goes on.

Features:

Reveal the RAM:

On flipping over the Mac Mini 2010 Version PC, you will be able to find a circular access door that can be twisted off to get your hands over the RAM. You will find it really hard not to marvel the sheer Apple-likeness of the panel the very first time you place your eyes over it and interact, it just reminds us no other brand takes computers like Apple. As standard, this PC has 2GB of 1066MHz DD3 memory, which is separated into 2 1GB modules. This memory is upgradable to a max of 8GB for a really costly price tag. And, you get to choose between a 500GB and 320GB.

But, on opening this panel, you will not be able to get into anything else than the RAM as the hard drive of the Mini is not user replaceable. We feel this is very silly as most hard drives have the bad character of failing specially when they are run on non stop servers and video playback devices. And, we would much rather have a hard time upgrading the RAM once at the birth than feel helpless about replacing a faulty hard drive.

The Insides:

The insides of the Mini is quite similar to the MacBook. CPU and graphics have had a makeover too, though the Intel Core 2 Duo CPU has got just a small improvement from 2.26GHz to 2.4GHz.  The most noticeable change is the new Nvidia GeForce 320M GPU that has managed to get an upgrade from the old 9400M chip, bringing 3D performance up to the level of the entry level MacBook Pro. This chip will not pull up any trees, but does offer some promise for gaming. The one omission that can be felt is a Blu-ray drive.

Mini in living room:

While consumers have been making use of the Mini as the basic Home Theater PC for a number of years now, the HDMI port in the new model has made it seem as if Apple has given this little machine its approval to conquer the lounge. It is not as simple as you think it is; if you are eager to just replace your Apple TV with the Mini, well you have something very exciting coming on the way. To begin with, all of the HDMI ports gives you an easier way of interconnection, which otherwise means you are still sitting with a complete computer, and not a media PC.

That said, the mini is a capable little Home Theater PC once you get it set up and going with the software of your choice. Since the mini can output up to eight audio channels over HDMI, it is also capable of technically running a full 7.1 surround system from it. As we had mentioned earlier, you will not be able to just hook this up to a TV and go, you will have to pamper it a little if you want the best experience out of it.

Performance:

What We Know:

As far as performance of this Mac Mini is concerned, we sure know what a core 2 duo2.4GHz can do with a 1066MHz, as this is what Apple had employed in all of its systems since 2008. Its performance is similar to that of a mid range laptop. Because of its 5400rpm hard drive, the disk intensive applications can be slow. The graphics processor is better than the ones in previous generation and reasonably fast too.

WiFi:

When the Mini was tested for its WiFi smartness on a 5GHz WiFi network, it suffered zero problems. This just implies that this little trick of the second antenna that had been placed at the rear for 360 degree coverage effective. Now, we will examine how it fares with others having larger or more complex WiFi setups fare.

Gaming:

One major area where the Apple Mini struggles is, when it comes to gaming performance. Even though the GeForce 320M will be able to handle the less taxing games and even the ones with lower resolutions, it just hangs once you crank things up.

Cool and Quiet:

We guarantee that you will hear any kind of noise from the Mini as it is exceptionally quite and the fan’s noise never seems to kick in, even as you play games or watch any kind of videos. We are not trying to say that there was no fan working, but it is just that we never heard of it. With the recent experiences with incredibly obnoxious MacBook Pro fans, we are subjected to marking that in the boons part. The Apple Mini also seems to be laudably cool and we were never able to feel it get even slightly warm after a full day of testing.

Power Saver:

On testing we could say that it was not a ton of a computer as you will be able to get any number of Core i5 PC towers with similar GPUs at the same price tag. But as always with Apple, that is not exactly what it is aiming for, and what you lose in raw computing power you gain in saved power and this is because the Mini consumes lesser than 10 watts of power when idle, peaking at 23W during its boot sequence, which is lesser than almost every other rival machine.

Warranty:

Apple Mac Mini 2010 comes with one year warranty for parts and labour.

Verdict:

The new Mac Mini 2010 is a beautifully engineered piece of equipment, it brings in a better graphics, more memory and a brand new design. Other notable additions to the Mac mini: an SD card reader, integrated power supply with lower energy consumption and HDMI output, you can plug the Mini straight into your TV. And that is really just it and the Mac Mini is simply yet another Mac, except the fact that it is one that is much simpler to connect to your television. If you wish to have a complete computing machine in your lounge, it is a great way to begin with, since it is quite small, noiseless, chill, and speedy.

You need to be just aware that enjoying the best out of the Mini is not necessarily just that easy, unless you are eager to spend a great deal of time playing around with the semi vague apps such as Audio MIDI Setup, and having a Mini beneath your telly may cause a lot of issues than it might actually solve. As a first for any mac, its HDMI port addition has made it dead simple to be added to your HDTV set. However, on the other side, the base price of the only stock consumer has gone up by a considerable level, and to be straightforward, some of the much cheaper PCs have had a HDMI port forever. Once you factor a monitor and peripherals into the equation, Apple’s entry-level MacBook offers similar specs and better value. The entry level consumer model, reviewed here, will set you back £650. The mini with Snow Leopard Server is available for a starting price of £930, and trades its optical drive for twin hard disks.

Apple Mac Mini 2010 Desktop PC – Technical Specification Table

Design:

Incredibly small:

The Nova Lite Mini 2L is easily the best looking Media centre PC in the market. But the first thing that captivates anyone’s attention is the incredibly small size of it. Roughly around the size of a Da Vinci code paperback, we wonder how something this small could be a PC. It measures 231 x 184 x 51mm and weighs a meager 1.5kgs.  That means it is roughly about the size of the Mac and a pound heavier. This small beauty has an inner volume of two L when compared to the 20-30 liters a standard desktop has.

First Impressions:

The Nova Lite uses a silver and black colour theme that could be better executed. Most of the desktop has a black glossy finish and is go together by a silver matte ring.  The desktop features a slot loading DVD drive and touch responsive buttons that the steal the limelight.

Flexibility of placement:

The device could be placed either horizontally or vertically giving owners plenty of flexibility. Its stylish appearance makes it easy to be placed in a study, a bedroom or a living room. A separate stand is provided to hold the device in the vertical mode as it gets a little wobbly. We suggest ditch the stand and let it lie horizontally.

Interesting pair of speakers:

Very striking piece of design in the Nova Lite is the in-built speaker. It lies under a mesh on the top panel and is pretty similar to what we see in laptops. However, this is not something common in desktop PCs of the size as the Mac Mini.  We do not expect it to be very loud and would be handy for regular users.

Connectivity:

The Nova Lite Mini 2L does not feature any front facing ports. However, do not despair; there are plenty on the back side: Four USB ports, HDMI and DVI video outputs, Ethernet port and 3 audio ports. These should suffice to most of the regular PC users. One can convert one of the audio ports to an optical S/PDIF port when the need arises to connect to digital surround sound equipment. But had a couple of ports been placed in the front, it would have been friendlier.

Features:

Hardware:

Asus calls the PC a Media centre and hence we expect loads of storage, pretty great graphics and faster processor speed. However, the Nova Lite Mini 2L does not exactly have impressive specifications. It has a 1.2 GHz Celeron M CPU, which has been a standard for entry level laptops in the earlier years. There is 2 GB of DDR 2 memory and 250 GB hard drive.  The hard drive can store about 300 SD movies or about 50 odd HD movies. The graphics are not particularly that amazing either. You can choose for the default Intel graphics or the ATI RV 620LE. Both are able to play HD video as well as handling regular PC uses but the latter is a better choice for graphics demanding applications.

Optional Wireless Adapter:

The Nova Lite  2L Mini Desktop PC features an optional integrated wireless adaptor of the 802.11b/g variety that is slower than the high speed 802.11n version. It fills great for the existing wireless network making it a great way to transfer files from the Nova Lite to devices in your network. However, we do not think that Wi-Fi is a great reason for shelling out extra cash when the Mac comes with better specifications sans Wi-Fi.

Choice of Operating System:

If you happen to buy the PC from Asus, you can choose the operating system of your choice. While it offers Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, we suggest you go for Windows 7 for all the obvious reasons. Windows XP is outdated and Windows Vista makes this machine slower than it is.  The Windows 7 Home Premium features a Media centre interface that complements the multimedia files.

Infrared Remote Control:

There is a remote control provided along with the Nova Lite Mini 2L which can be used to control the PC. The layout is rather simple and is responsive. Pressing the green Windows button would automatically launch the Media Centre that allows you to watch recorded shows, play music and video files and watch DVD movies. Like other Media centre remotes, it feels cheap  and one cannot move the on screen cursor with it.

Like most small desktop PCs, the Nova does not come along with a keyboard, mouse or a monitor which means you will have to shell out extra for spare peripherals.

Hard to Upgrade:

Customisation options are limited and Asus themselves do not offer upgrades. While one can get an upgrade done after purchase, by unscrewing the screws on the Nova, the warranty would go void.

Performance:

We have to admit it; there is no way that the Nova Lite Mini 2L could have passed our bench marks. The 1.2 GHz Celeron PC and the 250 GB RAM are not exactly great specifications but the device is capable of playing HD movies of the 720p sort assuming it does not run other multifaceted applications at the same time.  Like many other PCs of the mini variety, the device is not capable of playing games even with the high end configuration.

Movies:

The Nova Lite does a decent job of playing 720p content. However, the inbuilt speakers do not match up well. It does all the basic tasks such as Internet browsing etc perfectly well making it a decent choice for a home PC.

Audio:

The speakers are not loud at all and we suggest you connect to an external speaker if you can.

Negligible Heat and Noise:

Because the device is so small and uses low end components, it does not create much temperature and hence there is no need for a great amount of cooling. Asus claims to have used a unique tranquilizer technology that allows integration of an optimized system air flow and a unique heat dissipation module. That explains the presence of a lone fan that was so quiet we could not even hear it even when we put our heads on it.

Power Consumption:

The CPU consumes 18W while in operation and about 5 W when in idle mode. So not only is the size small, but also the power consumption.

Warranty:

There is a warranty of one year on the Asus Nova Lite Mini 2L. The warranty includes toll free support as well as free hardware support. The Asus site also contains a list of trouble shooting FAQs that are sufficiently clear.

Verdict:

The Asus Nova Lite Mini 2L is of a decent price for the incredulously small form factor. It also lives up to the claims of being a media centre. There are analogue and digital outputs as well as Wi-Fi available. Also it is highly handy if you have space constraints or need a PC for the living room.  However, the PC has underwhelming specifications that render it useless for gaming. The so called hi-fi speakers are not loud even in the remotest sense of the definition. It is definitely not a hardcore office computer or a full on media centre as Asus A33 but it does its job well when the tasks are basic.  However, if you do not have intensive needs and are on a tight budget, this is a decent choice.

Check other Mini Desktop PC Reviews in this website.

Asus Nova Lite Mini 2L Desktop PC  – Technical Specification Table