Review: Shuttle mini X 100HA desktop computer

Shuttle has pulled out all the stops to make the mini X 100HA its smallest PC to date. The design isn't as stylish as what we're used to from Shuttle – some might even say it looks a little dated - but with the same footprint as an A4 sheet of paper, it's certainly compact.

At the front of the mini X 100HA you'll find a slot-loading DVD writer, power button and a single USB port. Round the back sit four more USB ports, a FireWire socket, audio connections and an Ethernet port. 802.11g wireless networking is also integrated.

Shuttle has chosen an Intel T2050 (1.6GHz) Core Duo processor to power the mini X 100 HA. This is actually from Intel's notebook range of processors and therefore doesn't compare too well, in power terms, against the desktop versions – especially the new Core 2 Duo models.

However, it's perfectly capable of running office applications, basic image editing and the like. A 200GB hard disk sits inside the case and provides ample space for storing video, music and other media files.

But should you want to indulge in a bit of gaming, the graphics setup will certainly hold you back.

Just like the processor, the ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 graphics card is more common in notebook computers than desktops and will struggle to cope with the latest games unless you wind the detail levels right down.

Another restricting feature is that our review model came with just 512MB of memory; load up a heap of applications and Windows will soon start to struggle.

The fact that it's not the most powerful of systems does, however, help it in the noise department – the mini X 100HA is whisper-quiet.

Its almost silent operation is also thanks to the power supply being located on an external brick as opposed to the standard internal power supply (complete with fan) found in most desktop PCs.

Despite the small size of the computer lending itself to the home entertainment crowd, there's no TV tuner installed in the mini X 100HA. You can always add one (there are plenty of USB TV tuners available), but considering the relatively high price of this PC it's a shame one isn't included as standard.

No multimedia software is bundled either, so you'll have to splash out on that, as well as a monitor – unless you've got a spare or plan to hook it up to a television.

If you're simply looking for a small, quiet computer to stick in a study, the mini X 100HA will no doubt appeal. However, gamers and those looking for a home entertainment PC will want to look elsewhere and probably save a fair amount of cash at the same time.

Should you want to improve on the processor, memory or hard disk, you can configure your own mini X 100HA on the Shuttle website.

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