Introducing the miniature powerhouse, the ASUS VivoPC VM42.
Byline : by din
The ASUS VivoPC Mini line has been ASUS’ take on the Intel’s own NUC (Next Unit of Computing) concept, a system that many prefer over bulky PCs. I have encountered various iterations of the VivoPC mini from ASUS and, right now, I have one of the latest ones – the VM42, for review. It’s so new that it’s not even listed on ASUS’ site yet (at the time of this article).
Smartly Versatile
The beauty of the VivoPC mini is that it’s customisable based on your choosing. While users can install either Windows or Linux, the unit sent in for review, AKA ASUS VivoPC VM42, came pre-installed with Windows 8.1. The black square box is small enough to look at home beside your TV or, if you want, have it mounted to a monitor using the VESA mount for an instant all in one! The ASUS VivoPC VM42 is perfect for those who need a small, silent, and stylish PC. You can use it as a living room HTPC, a POS machine for your company, to provide for virtual PCs or just about anything you can think of with this compact and light but powerful box. Talk about multi-purpose!
Important Innards
The specs used are decent as the mini system rocks an Intel Celeron 2957U Processor, 2GB DDR3 RAM, which is upgradeable, an M.2 SATA slot – the review unit has a 16GB SSD, a couple of USB slots, high-speed Wi-Fi, Gigabit LAN, HDMI and DisplayPort, a Kensington lock slot, and 4 USB 3.0 ports. Note that it has no fan, so it’s pretty silent.
Tiny yet Good
Due to the rather small hard disk space, I didn’t manage to run any benchmarks on it but you can be rest assured that it runs surprisingly fast. There are no stuttering or sluggishness, eventhough it’s just using a Celeron processor. The Intel HD 4000 is good enough for media playback and the high-speed Wi-Fi means you can plug this baby to your large TV, hook up a wireless controller (or two), and stream STEAM games from your main gaming PC to your living room. Instant gaming PC!
Dimensions (W x H x D): 190 x 190 x 56.2 mm
Weight: 0.97kg
Processor: Intel Celeron 2957U Processor
Memory: 2 GB Up to 16 GB
Storage: M.2 SATA 16GB SSD, 2.5″ 500GB
Graphics: Intel HD 4000
OS: Windows 8.1
Connectivity: 10/100/1000/Gigabits Mbps
Sound: SonicMaster
I/O:
4 x USB 3.0
2 x USB 2.0
1 x HDMI
1 x RJ45 LAN
1 x Kensington Lock
1 x DC-in
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
1 x Display
2 x Audio Jack(s) (Mic in/Headphone out)
Value: 9/10
Features: 9/10
Performance: 10/10
Design: 9/10
Usability: 9/10
Verdict: An undeniable tiny powerhouse.
Total 9.2/10
