Novatech Ion Fusion Plus Desktop PC Computer
The Novatech Ion Fusion is a net-top computer, so called because it is similar in power to the more common mini-notebook or ‘netbook’ computers. Novatech Ion Fusion is the successor of the award winning Novatech Ion nettop. The Ion Fusion has a lot of “Firsts” attached to its title. Novatech Ion Fusion plus is to make nVidia’s 3D Vision kit available in the UK, the first one to come fitted with the Intel’s Atom 330 processor and it was the first after Asus to offer a range of nettop systems.
Decent Display:
The Novatech Ion Fusion Plus has a 19-inch LG Flatron W1934S monitor which is quite surprising for this price and the original version too had only a 17” display. The display resolution is, 1,440×900 pixels which is a surprise again. Bigger monitors are always preferred as they give you a more spacious feel enhancing the quality of the display. The viewing angles are not wide but anti-glare finish has been given and so you will not experience and distracting glares from any of the light sources. You will notice that some white areas look a bit greyish. The image quality is average as a result of poor grey scale gradation. But, the texts displayed are nice and sharp. The monitor sits on a stand with a round base which is simple and attractive. The monitor is having a blue backlit power button and below that are the other controls having some faint labels. Novatech has upgraded the Fusion’s peripherals as well as the spec. The original Ion came bundled with a 17in Hanns.G monitor, while the Fusion includes a 19″ LG Flatron display.
The CPU unit:
The unit’s dimension of 270 x 75 x 325mm (W x H x D) is quite a lot for a netbook and is hence heavy too weighing 3.65kg. But you will have to forgive the dimensions as the unit is built of a large metal chassis which gives you excellent built quality and durability. The facia has a piano black finish with a silver power button.
Peripherals:
The peripherals, keyboard and mouse are both cheap. They are the generic Logitech models that have a matte black finish that matches the system. The keyboard provided is not ergonomically designed and so typing can be uncomfortable. They layout is uncomplicated and in the name of being simple, shortcuts to any media has been neglected.
Menu:
The menu has been designed logically with variety of presets along with the aspect ratio controls too.
Ports:
Novatech has given Ion Fusion Plus Desktop Computer (PC-1266) a good range of ports. There are six USB ports, forget the two because they will be required to fit in the Novatech keyboard and mouse, the rest four is for the use of your wish. Gigabit Ethernet has been provided but you will not be able to do any wireless networking with the WiFi being absent. A PCI slot is available inside the motherboard, (don’t jump!), it cannot be used as the case has no bracket at the rear that matches the slot, which is very disappointing and unexpected as with the original Ion, it could be fitted with a PCI card. The absence of a memory card slot or room to fit in one is ridiculous! The unit otherwise sports a VGA, twin PS2 ports, parallel and serial ports, three 3.5mm audio jacks, headphone and microphone jacks, and an eSATA port. The eSATA port is available as the Fusions motherboard supports only two SATA ports.
Some might be also intending to connect the system to a TV, in that case, the only connection for a screen is the VGA socket, so while it can connect using that to some flat-panel televisions you are out of luck if your TV only has an HDMI socket.
Atom 330 processor:
Most of you might get confused by Novatech Ion Fusion Plus’s name that it is based on the nVidia’s revolutionary Ion platform, which is not true. Instead, it uses the Intel D945GCLF2D motherboard that is based on the less complicated 945GC Express Chipset. Ion platform would have been better as it incorporates significantly better graphics than the current alternatives. It is not that convincing to have something in the name and deliver something else. Atom 330 processor not only doubles the cores but also the cache.
Intel’s Atom 330 processor is a dual core version of the Atom 230 processor that is commonly found in the other nettops. Atom 330 processor runs at 1.6GHz. The dual core system makes windows more responsive, but the complete benefits can be witnessed and enjoyed only when you run multiple applications. Intel Atom processors feature multiple threads for better performance and increased system responsiveness whilst maintaining a low cost. Certain applications that are optimised especially for dual core processors like most of the video encoding software, has an increase of 40 percent in their performance. You can get the most out of multitasking only when there is ample RAM. The Novatech Ion Fusion Desktop PC Computer has only 1GB RAM and so, you will have to upgrade it to 2GB, but since there is only one slot, you will need to replace the existing chip. Ion Fusion is about 23% quicker than the other nettops available in the current market which is evident with the speed at which it responds to a wide variety of tasks.
Novatech claims that it has included the Intel processor that is based on the entirely new micro architecture, specifically for targeted performance and low power consumption while maintaining full Intel core performance.
Other features:
Apart from the fact that the Fusion is using Atom 330 dual core processor, all the other specifications are the same as the other nettops that are available in the current market. The specs also include the undesirable integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics chip. The integrated graphics does not do much for its games performance, but gamers will need a more powerful computer than this and so it is not a big deal, and this chip is perfectly capable of a respectable video playback and DVD playback. DDR2 introduces some new features which allow it to ramp up to much higher speeds with correspondingly higher bandwidth and higher memory densities, with lesser power consumption. SATA hard disc, which is the next generation drive interface, following the traditional Parallel ATA is employed. Cables used are are very thin with small 7-pin connectors and they can be up to 3 feet in length. These cables and pins are easily routed to stay out of the way that allows maximum airflow inside the case.
Gigabit Ethernet:
Gigabit Ethernet is 10 times faster than Fast Ethernet. This means that as your network and the amount of information that is sent across as it grows, speed will be very important. When moving music, video files, pictures and large files your data transfer will be up to ten times faster than a standard network. With the emergence of interactive TV on the Internet and the streaming of Internet TV, fast networking has never been more important.
Hard disk:
The desktop 3.5” hard disk provides you with 160GB memory that provides you with sufficient space for all your data needs such as office documents, music, video and photos. However, if you feel that it is not going to be enough for you, you can replace it with a larger model of your own choice. You will not find it hard to open the case of fusion, but the assembly that holds the optical drive and hard disk is a little tricky to deal with.
Slimline DVD rewriter:
Novatech Fusion Plus Slimline Desktop PC has employed a DVD writer which a latest net top like Eee Box B204 does not have and in that way the Ion Fusion has an edge over the other nettops. DVD writers are a very essential need as you will want them for installation of any software or back up your files or even watch movies. The CD and DVD drive is a slimline model which can read and write most kinds of disc except Blu-ray. The slimline model makes sure that it allows some space-saving inside the case which in turn will be of great help when you want future upgrades.
Power efficiency:
Though the performance factor has been increased a great deal, the nettop is not as power efficient as its predecessor. Though the stand-by power usage of 1W looks good, the maximum power consumption rate of just 30W of Samsung’s 23in EcoFit SyncMaster P2370 makes Novatech Fusion’s 36W look less impressive. Having an efficient processor, large casing, 120W power supply and passive graphics cooling, you would have thought that the system works quietly; unfortunately, it is the other way round, very noisy.
The package:
Just by looking at the whole package of the Novatech Ion Fusion PC-1266, you can say that the system is compact as the package has just the size of an average PC tower-case box. All the units are well packed but, you will not find it that tough to unpack it.
Novatech offers Ion Fusion plus 1 year standard warranty.
Verdict:
Novatech Ion Fusion is a compact and an very affordable nettop. The performance up gradations made possible with the help of the dual core processor is not that evident in some tasks but is worth having it. By costing a very minor amount higher than the original Ion, and having a bigger monitor makes this nettop very cost efficient too. If you are asking us what can be an alternative, then you can look for some old laptops in good condition that will have a 2GHz or faster Intel Celeron CPU, 2GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive and running on Windows Vista for the same price. Hence, you will have a better RAM, updated Operating System and you might also get WiFi and a card reader too.
Check Latest Desktop PC Reviews, other models of Novatech Desktop Computers.
Novatech Ion Fusion Plus Desktop PC - Specification Details
| Manufacturer | Novatech |
| Model Name | Novatech Ion Fusion plus |
| Product Code | PC-1266 |
| PC type | Nettop |
| Colour/Finish | Black and silver |
| Monitor | 19″ LG Flatron W1934S |
| Processor | Intel Atom 330 |
| Processor Speed | 2 x 1.6GHz |
| Chip set | 945GC Express |
| RAM | 1GB |
| Hard disk drive | 160GB SATAII Hard Drive, 7200rpm |
| Optical drive | Slimline DVD rewriter |
| Graphics processor | Integrated Intel Express 4 |
| Audio processing | Integrated Intel Express 4 |
| Ethernet | Yes |
| Modem | No |
| Wireless | No |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Video connectivity | VGA |
| Audio connectivity | 1 x head phone out 1 x microphone in S/PDIF optical 7.1 surround sound analogue |
| Memory card reader | No |
| Other ports available | 6 x USB ports 2 x PS2 Serial Ethernet Parallel |
| Operating system | Windows XP 32bit |
| Peripherals | Logitech keyboard and mouse |
| Warranty | 1 year |
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