TOP-5 nettops at the end of 2015

Lenovo IdeaCentre Stick 300 (90ER000BRU)

In our review, along with nettops, there is also a representative of another class of compact PCs — a microcomputer. In principle, they correspond to the concept of nettops — they are small, not very performant, but cheap. Such devices are also called "USB flash drive computers", because they also need to be connected to the port to work, only, not USB, but HDMI. These computers appeared in 2015 and are still only looking for recognition from users. For example, the Lenovo Ideacentre Stick 300, which we are talking about, costs about $130 — it is the most affordable computer on the market. An alternative for the price is an entry—level tablet. But even these mobile devices are much larger than this "flash drive".

The main advantage of such computers is not the price, but the compactness. You can literally put it in your pocket and take it with you anywhere. And you can use it anywhere where there is a TV or monitor with an HDMI port. Just plug it into the port, turn it on, make simple settings and get to work.

The Stick 300 has a 4-core Intel Atom processor with a frequency of 1.33 GHz (with an increase to 1.83 GHz in turbo mode), 2 GB of RAM and Intel HD Graphics. The data in this computer is stored on a 32 GB eMMC drive. eMMC hard drives are a kind of hybrid of SSD and conventional flash drives. They do not work as fast as SSDs, but they consume a minimum of energy, and their cost is lower than conventional solid-state drives. It runs a mini PC running Windows 8.1 (with the ability to upgrade to version 10).

On this computer you can surf the Internet, listen to music, watch videos (not everything, but HD should be played), use familiar programs (Skype, Word and others). But more complex tasks, such as 3D games or image processing, are beyond him.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules are responsible for wireless communications, which are present in all devices from our review. But the Lenovo Stick does not have Ethernet. And in general, it has few connectors: one USB 2.0 for connecting devices and microUSB for power. Therefore, in order to connect a mouse and keyboard to it at the same time, you need to use a USB hub or a wireless kit. And this is additional costs, because Bluetooth manipulators are not cheap. But it will be very convenient to use such a set with a TV.

Intel NUC (NUC5I5RYH)

Nettops can be divided into two types: ready-made products and barebone constructors. Buying a model of the second type, you get a case with a motherboard and a processor, and you need to purchase memory and a hard disk separately. There are both pros and cons to this approach. The advantage is that you can build a system depending on your preferences. And the disadvantage is that you need to spend extra money on components and install them yourself. Although, if you have experience building a PC, then this will not cause problems.

Barebone is popular among experienced users. And Intel NUC is one of them. Its name stands for Next Unit of Computing (a new type of computer) and there is some truth in this. With its miniature dimensions, it confidently competes in performance with larger laptops, monoblocks and even with ordinary office computers. In addition, the nettop has a neat appearance, so it will look appropriate on a desk with a monitor both at home and in the office. The only drawback in the design is the top cover, on which the power button is located, has a thick glossy surface and "collects" fingerprints.

There are two USB 3.0 ports on the front panel (one of them can charge devices when the system is in sleep mode) and the headset input. At the back there are two more USB 3.0 ports, a network connector, as well as mini and HDMI mini DisplayProt outputs. With their help, you can not only connect two monitors at the same time, but also output multi-channel sound to the AV receiver. A card reader would not hurt either, but apparently due to lack of space in the case, Intel engineers decided not to install it.

Intel NUC has about a dozen configurations that differ in the installed processor — from Atom to Core i7. In our review, we included a model with an Intel Core i5 5250U processor, two cores of which operate at frequencies from 1.6 to 2.7 GHz together with a video chip HD Graphics 6000. This 2015 model from the Broadwell line has a heat package of only 15 watts. By adding to it the required amount of RAM (up to 16 GB) and a 2.5-inch SSD drive, you will not experience performance problems. But at the same time, you need to understand that the final cost of the assembled PC will be one and a half to two times that of barebone. Nevertheless, this nettop is worth the money. It is compact, quiet, energy efficient and performant (in top-end configurations). And what else is needed from such devices?

Asus VivoPC VM62 (VM62-G030M)

Asus has the largest line of nettops — VivoPC. We took the VivoPC VM62 model for the TOP 5 of it (an update of the 2014 VM60 model). The manufacturer positions it as a compact multimedia PC with a Wi-Fi 802.11ac module. And in fact VM62 is a good option for those who need a ready-made solution "out of the box" at home for the Internet, movies and music.

The dimensions of this computer cannot boast of record figures: they are 190x190x56 mm with a weight of 1.2 kg. But the appearance is good — all VivoPC have a stylish design. A symmetrical, spectacular-looking circular pattern is applied on the top cover with an aluminium overlay. And the black colour makes it easy to "fit" this nettop into almost any interior style.

Asus VivoPC does not require additional installation of components. You only have to install the operating system and the software — and the nettop will be ready to work. It works on the basis of a dual-core Intel Core i3 processor with a frequency of 1.9 GHz, 4 GB of RAM (the system supports up to 16 GB), and 500 GB is available for data storage on a regular HDD. By the way, you can use two 2.5” drives or one 3.5” with a capacity of up to 1 TB each. So there shouldn't be any performance problems at home.

The nettop has 6 USB ports: two 2.0 standard and four 3.0 standard. In addition, you can use an HDMI or D-Sub port for connecting monitors and three audio jacks (headphone output, line-out and microphone input). The VM62 "chip" is the presence of two speakers and an optical S/PDIF output for connecting AV receivers, DACs, etc. This model also has a card reader that reads SD and MMC cards. Of course, there is a network port and a power input. As you can see, a nettop can become a home entertainment centre (you just need to store content on an external or network drive).

HP Pavilion Mini (L6J46EA)

Pavilion Mini is suitable for those who are looking for a compact PC ready to work "out of the box". Unlike the previous model, you don't even need to install an operating system on HP. There is already Windows 8.1 on the nettop, so after switching on, starting the system setup (which takes a few minutes) and installing the programs you need, you can get to work.

If the models from other manufacturers are rectangular, then HP designers decided to experiment with the shape. As a result, Hewlett-Packard has a case without straight edges and slightly expanding from the bottom up. In the reviews for this model, it is ironic that this betrays the nettop similarity either with kitchen utensils, or with Apple appliances (the name also hints at similarities with the Mac Mini). Anyway, the Mini is very cute and stands out from other models.

This baby weighs 0.6 kg, and the height of its body is 52 mm. At the same time, it has performant hardware inside: a dual—core Intel Core i3 from the Haswell line with clock speeds of 1.6-2.7 GHz and an HD Graphics 4400 video core, 8 GB of RAM and a 1 TB HDD. These components will even allow you to play non-demanding and not new 3D games, as well as perform almost any other everyday tasks. And on the drive you can collect a large collection of content. At the same time, the system consumes less than 45 watts (excluding the monitor and peripherals).

From the point of view of the set of connectors and their placement, the HP Pavilion Mini is notable for having 4 USB 3.0 ports (two in front and two in back), and video outputs are represented by HDMI and DisplayPort ports (with the ability to connect two monitors). On one of the side panels there is a card reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC), and there is one audio jack — it is suitable for connecting a headset.

The price of this nettop seems a bit overpriced. However, keep in mind that bringing HP home and opening the box, you will immediately get a ready-made, economical and quite performant solution. So this is a good option for those who do not want to get involved with the purchase and installation of components and an operating system. If the price does not fit into your low-cost, but you like this model, you can choose a more affordable Mini package.

Apple Mac mini 2014 (MGEN2)

Apple's equipment is high-quality and stylish, but the prices for it are high. It turns out that you can become a "poppy grower" for relatively little money. Yes, the Apple Mac mini 2014 is more expensive than other models in our TOP 5, but significantly cheaper than laptops and Apple desktop computers — Macbook and iMac. At the same time, you get a full-fledged Mac computer, even if it is not as performant as its older "brothers".

Like most Apple gadgets, this nettop looks very stylish. The square aluminium case with smoothed corners has a pleasant silver colour and compact dimensions — slightly more than 3.5 cm in height and less than 20 cm in length and width. A traditional bitten apple is painted on the lid.