The world of the humble PC has changed. Where once the term 'desktop
PC' conjured up images of a certain size and shape, these days the term
doesn't necessarily relate to any particular form factor or use, as the
Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 and its ilk emphasise.
Small desktop PCs
have the advantage over laptops in their ability to connect to a large
monitor or TV, with budget 24-inch, 1080p screens such as the AOC E2462VWH selling for only around £120/US$150. Alternatively, 1080p televisions in a variety of sizes can be had at bargain prices too.
Ratings in depth
The
Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 is a tiny computer that you can hide out of
sight behind just such a monitor or TV screen, with a full price of
£429.99 / US$419 (around AU$725) for an Intel Core i3 model.
Where
Lenovo's other slim machines are soberly designed to ensure that they
don't look out of place in an office, such as the Lenovo M92p, the
Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 is far more like something you'd see next to a TV
or in a more designer-like place of work.
The Lenovo IdeaCentre
Q-series PC is thin, stylish and looks more like a router than it does a
whole computer. This is of course assuming you want the device on show.
If not, it's quite easy to use the supplied VESA mount to sneak it
around the back of your screen and have it completely out of sight.
Of
course the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 isn't the only small form factor PC
to be available right now, with plenty of manufacturers producing
machines that are surprisingly tiny. Acer for instance has had its Revo
line around for a long time, and has been honing its offerings for a
variety of markets - including for use as a set-top box.
Gigabyte
has recently released the Brix, while the Zotak ZBox even manages to
pack some gaming capabilities into its stylish shell. Intel has also
made its presence known in this market, with its tiny NUC range of
barebones kits making for some intriguing possibilities. And of course,
there's always Apple's Mac mini.
Specifications
The internal makeup of the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 is fairly basic,
relying as it does on slightly older technology, but it's still capable
enough for most basic uses.
The Core i3 -2365M 1.4GHz processor in the model we tested may be two generations behind the latest Haswell chips, but it can still handle four concurrent threads and happily runs the latest applications smoothly enough.
The cheaper (£299.99 / US$299) specced version of the Lenovo Q190 runs on an Intel Pentium ULV 2127U processor at 1.9GHz.
Lenovo
has paired the Intel chip, which is also responsible for the graphics
capabilities of the machine, with 4GB of PC3-10600 DDR3 RAM. The tiny
chassis is home to a 1TB 5,400rpm hard drive and offers support for
802.11b/g/n wireless connectivity as well.
The capabilities of the
internal components are nearly as important as the expansion options of
these small form factor machines, and many a manufacturer has come
unstuck here, simply because they haven't put enough USB ports on the
device. Lenovo
hasn't fallen here though, and the IdeaCentre Q190 boasts a total of
six USB ports for your peripherals and expansions, three of which are
USB 3.0 type. You can of course add a USB hub if you need more options,
but at least this isn't necessary just to get a useful machine.
The
two USB 3.0 connections can be found hidden behind a flap on the front
edge of the machine, along with microphone and headphone 3.5mm jacks and
a memory card reader. This memory card reader accepts SD/SDHC/SDXC and
MMC/MS/MS Pro cards, making it a good companion for photographers.
The
rear of the system is home to four high-speed USB 2.0 ports, which
we'll admit are a little cramped together, but should see you fine for
everything but the chunkiest of high-capacity USB flash drives.
To
the right of the USB ports there's a legacy display adaptor, a VGA
port, next to to the SPDIF digital audio connector. The HDMI port and
RJ45 wired Ethernet connector are positioned on the other side of the
bank of USB ports.
On the far-left of these ports you'll find a
Kensington Lock - which is useful given the pocketable size of the
machine if you're looking to use it in the office - along with the power
connector, which connects to a standard laptop-like power supply. The final points of interest can be found on the left-hand edge of
the Lenovo Q190 - or the top, depending on your preferred orientation.
These are the power button and hard drive activity light. The other
edges have exposed grilles to help keep the machine cool.
Performance
As
mentioned, the internal components of the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 aren't
going to challenge a full desktop PC or indeed many laptops - and this
notion isn't betrayed by the benchmarks. The Intel Core i3 processor may
be capable of handling four threads at the same time, but given that it
is only rated at 1.4GHz, it lacks the basic raw power. Benchmarks Cinebench R11.5 - OpenGL: 6.86fps, CPU: 1.34pts 3DMark 2013 - Ice Storm: 18,555, Cloud Gate: 1,794 PCMark 7 - Index: 1,895
The
CPU index of 1.34 in Cinebench R11.5 demonstrates this ably enough,
lagging behind many simpler laptops, even those at the lower end of the
price scale - and remember that such machines come with a screen
attached as well.
The integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics fare
slightly better, since this isn't the bargain basement graphics core
from Intel, but actually the top-end of the previous generation. In real
terms this means that some simpler games are going to be playable so
long as you can turn the settings down to the absolute minimum.
The
new 3DMark 2013 benchmark test does prove that there is hope for this
machine, and while it may not be able to run the most recent tests, the
basic Ice Storm benchmarks, which lack the fancy lighting and clever
effects of more recent games, do run smoothly - at 93fps in the first
test, and 82fps in the second. The
Lenovo Q190 is hardly a gamer's computer, we'll concede, but it does
mean that you have the option to put the PC to other uses now and again
if the moment takes you.
Having said all that, when it comes to
using the computer for more sober tasks - simple office work, browsing
or editing photos - it handles the workload well and barely breaks into a
sweat. When you do push it, as with the Cinebench tests, the internal
fan does make itself heard, but normally it's no louder than most
laptops.
As ever with a fresh install of Windows 8,
we did find the PC initially sluggish, but once Microsoft's
optimisation routines kick in, it settled in to being quite a responsive
system - which is helped by that healthy 4GB of RAM.
It's in the
usability stakes where the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 impresses the most,
though. Plug it in, connect whatever devices you need and you're up and
running in minutes. Being able to plug in all manner of USB drives,
peripherals and memory cards without reaching for a third-party unit
makes for a great little companion for many tasks.
If you need
serious performance, then you're going to have to pick up a machine with
faster, more-up-to-date components. But if your needs are more
straightforward, then there's enough performance from the Core i3
processor to keep you happy. There are certainly no problems when
playing back HD videos.
TechRadar rating 
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