Pre-packaged computers which come loaded with good strong features often are loaded with a package…
Pre-packaged computers which come loaded with good strong features often are loaded with a package of software preloaded and inflexibility on upgrades. However what do you do when you want to break the mould? When you do not want an HP or Dell product that tells you what you need? This is where barebones PCs have offered a different experience.
Basic computer
The basic computer begins with a motherboard and the brains behind the operation, the processor. The first question most computer buyers need to ask is what is the basic need they have for their computer? Any computer from a netbook to a power game PC can use the internet watch YouTube and create documents in Microsoft Word.
Before buying
Where does a barebone PC buyer start ? What do they want to do beyond that ? This shapes the way the computer progresses and how useful it will be.
Processor war
The first question starts at the motherboard and the processor. Everything after that depends on where you start. AMD and Intel have waged a war over processors. This war has created a circumstance where a computer buyer must choose what type of processor they want. Most barebones computers on the market will use an Intel Celeron or an AMD processor.
Gaming
Gamers and those that want high speed and high power will be looking for a quad core processor which can handle the demands created buy those users. AMD offer the higher speed processor at a reasonable price while currently Intel offers integration with NVIDA graphics which gives a slight edge on gaming computers.
Motherboards
Motherboards on barebones computers need to have a good reputation of working with a wide range of products. However each processor has a specific type of motherboard it works with so most barebones PCs work with this limitation.
Motherboard accessories
Motherboards come with graphic cards and sound cards as a standard. The better the card the more expensive the board will be. So if you are looking to add your own gaming card you may not need an expensive built in graphics card.
Motherboards capacity
Before buying any barebones PC checking the motherboard reviews is critical : a bad motherboard will make your experience a nightmare whereas a good one will allow you flexibility to build beyond barebones. Memory is another key point for barebones computers. Most memory is relatively inexpensive so it is not the end of the world if you start low. Motherboard ideally should be able to use more than the standard 4 gigabytes of memory or this may be an issue for you later. Price, reliability and flexibility are all critical to a great computer.
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Intel NUC |
Intel Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 9 reviews – 14 user opinions – 149 news – 31 forums – 5 videos – 12 photos
Intel NUC Kit D54250WYK
DigitalVersus —
12-2013
The Intel NUC Kit D54250WYK is a handy little DIY device that’s great for everything but gaming. Lacking storage, RAM and an operating system, it’s decidedly for-enthusiasts-only. Casual users, keep… Hide
Intel NUC Kit D54250WYK | Read more
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£600 to £1,079
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Fujitsu Esprimo Q510 |
Fujitsu Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 1 review
Fujitsu Esprimo Q510 desktops
PCPRO —
12-2012
An ideal Windows desktop replacement; superbly built with low power consumption Hide
Fujitsu Esprimo Q510 desktops | Read more
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£60
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AOpen XC Cube MZ915-M |
AOpen Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 1 review – 1 feedback – 2 photos
AOpen XC Cube MZ915-M – SFF Barebone review
Trusted Reviews —
10-2005
AOpen XC Cube MZ915-M – SFF Barebone Desktop PC review: If standard small form factor boxes aren’t quite small enough for you, check out AOpen’s XC Cube MZ915-M. Hide
AOpen XC Cube MZ915-M – SFF Barebone review | Read more
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£66 to £642
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Zotac Zbox HD-ID11 |
Zotac Barebones & Mini PC | ||
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1 review – 30 news – 2 forums – 5 videos – 5 photos
ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 Nettop PC
Geeky-Gadgets —
03/03/2010
Zotac has launched a new nettop PC that will uses NVIDIA’s second generation ION platform, the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 Nettop PC. The ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 features a dual core Intel Atom D510 1.66GHz… Hide
ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ID11 Nettop PC | Read more
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£279 to £1,099
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Shuttle D10 |
Shuttle Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 1 review – 2 news – 1 photo
Shuttle D10
PCPRO —
02-2009
A neat idea, but it doesn’t work well with Windows Media Center and is too limited for other uses. Hide
Shuttle D10 | Read more
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£52 to £335
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ASRock ION 330 |
ASRock Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 1 review – 63 news – 3 photos
ASRock ION 330Pro Nettop PC Atom Dual Core (330) 1.6GHz 2048MB 320GB DVD-SuperMulti LAN NVIDIA ION Graphics (White)
Component Warehouse —
24/05/2010
Equipped with the Intel Dual Core Atom 330 Processor ASRock ION 330 series bring you the highest performance with the lowest power consumption. ASRock ION 330 series come with the powerful NVIDIA ION… Hide
ASRock ION 330Pro Nettop PC Atom Dual Core (330) 1.6GHz 2048MB 320GB DVD-SuperMulti LAN NVIDIA ION Graphics (White) | Read more
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£15 to £167
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Shuttle XS35 |
Shuttle Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 6 reviews – 5 user opinions – 19 news – 4 videos – 16 photos
Shuttle XS35 Intel Atom (D510) 1.66GHz PC Barebone 1GB 160GB SATA Hard Drive GMA 3150 Graphics Card (Black) – No Operating System/Optical Drive
Component Warehouse —
03/08/2011
To put it in a nutshell the Shuttle XS35 is an extremely slim and ergonomic Mini PC that works highly energy-efficiently. With a power consumption that is barely not worth mentioning its noise nevel… Hide
Shuttle XS35 Intel Atom (D510) 1.66GHz PC Barebone 1GB 160GB SATA Hard Drive GMA 3150 Graphics Card (Black) – No Operating System/Optical Drive | Read more
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£79 to £194
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Shuttle SD11G5 |
Shuttle Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 2 reviews – 10 user opinions – 1 news – 8 photos
Review: Shuttle XPC SD11G5 SFF
Hexus —
10-2005
Shuttle XPC SD11G5 SFF Shuttle now lists a whole gamut of XPC SFF units on its website . You can choose from an array of chipsets that generally revolve around Intel’s LGA775 and AMD’s S939… Hide
Review: Shuttle XPC SD11G5 SFF | Read more
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£97 to £194
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Asus V3-M2A690G |
Asus Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 10 user opinions – 4 photos |
£140 to £397
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VIA ARTiGO A1100 |
VIA Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 1 review – 18 news – 1 video – 1 photo
VIA Artigo A1100 Pico-ITX Kit Review
bit-tech.net —
08/09/2010
A tiny Pico-ITX barebone kit for a fuss-free tiny PC, but what about the performance? Hide
VIA Artigo A1100 Pico-ITX Kit Review | Read more
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£97 to £2,799
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Shuttle SK22G2 |
Shuttle Barebones & Mini PC | |||
![]() 1 review – 20 user opinions – 1 video – 9 photos
Shuttle XPC SK22G2 – Small Form Factor Barebone for AMD review
Trusted Reviews —
09-2006
Shuttle XPC SK22G2 – Small Form Factor Barebone for AMD Desktop PC review: If Shuttle’s AM2 based XPC SN27P2 is too pricey then you should consider the SK22G2 instead. Hide
Shuttle XPC SK22G2 – Small Form Factor Barebone for AMD review | Read more
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£97 to £194
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Zbox Blu-ray AD03 |
Zotac Barebones & Mini PC | |||
![]() 1 review – 10 news – 2 videos – 2 photos
Zotac ZBox Blu-ray AD03 Plus
testseek.co.uk – Latest reviews. —
26/04/2011
www.testseek.co.uk has collected 7 expert reviews for Zotac ZBox Blu-ray AD03 Plus and the average expert rating is 68 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community´s view on this product. Hide
Zotac ZBox Blu-ray AD03 Plus | Read more
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£120 to £354
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MSI Mega 651 |
MSI Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 1 news – 1 photo |
£26 to £600
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Shuttle XPC SX58J3 |
Shuttle Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 1 review – 2 user opinions – 1 news – 2 videos
Shuttle XPC Barebone SX58J3 review
Hexus —
06-2010
Ah, the good ol’ Shuttle PC. First launched almost a decade ago in the form of the SV24, the now-familiar form factor continues to offer today’s latest technologies in an all-round smaller desktop… Hide
Shuttle XPC Barebone SX58J3 review | Read more
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£97 to £194
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Zotac Zbox nano XS AD11 Plus |
Zotac Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 2 reviews – 2 news – 1 video – 4 photos
The smallest full PC we’ve ever seen
TechRadar —
05-2012
The Zotac Zbox nano XS AD11 Plus is quite a mouthful, but the title is almost bigger than the incredibly diminutive PC itself.When you think of the mini PC you might think of something with the… Hide
The smallest full PC we’ve ever seen | Read more
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£71 to £198
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Zotac Zbox Blu-Ray AD03 PLUS |
Zotac Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 1 review – 1 news – 2 videos – 2 photos
Zotac ZBox Blu-ray AD03 Plus
testseek.co.uk – Latest reviews. —
26/04/2011
www.testseek.co.uk has collected 7 expert reviews for Zotac ZBox Blu-ray AD03 Plus and the average expert rating is 68 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community´s view on this product. Hide
Zotac ZBox Blu-ray AD03 Plus | Read more
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£130 to £479
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Asus S-Presso S1-P111 |
Asus Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 1 feedback
Just didn’t live up to what it could be
Ciao —
04-2006
The reason i bought this machine was because my brother complained humongously about my old pc being incredibly loud. He uses it most because i’m away at university. When he does his homework, he… Hide
Just didn’t live up to what it could be | Read more
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£62 to £394
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Asus Nova P22 |
Asus Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 2 reviews – 7 news – 1 photo
Asus Nova P22 to Compete With Mac Mini
Coolest Gadgets —
20/02/2008
Ever since Apple came out with the Mac Mini, PC manufacturers have been scrambling to come out with a “Mac Mini Clone” that will run Windows yet still have that “cool” factor that the Apple product… Hide
Asus Nova P22 to Compete With Mac Mini | Read more
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£75 to £329
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Shuttle SD39P2 |
Shuttle Barebones & Mini PC | |||
![]() 1 review – 10 user opinions – 5 photos
Shuttle SD39P2 Barebone review
Trusted Reviews —
05-2007
Shuttle SD39P2 Barebone Desktop PC review: Is this the best Shuttle barebone system ever? Hide
Shuttle SD39P2 Barebone review | Read more
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£55 to £194
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Shuttle SN68SG2 |
Shuttle Barebones & Mini PC | ||
![]() 1 review – 3 news – 1 photo
Shuttle SN68SG2 Barebones PC review
Trusted Reviews —
09-2007
Shuttle SN68SG2 Barebones PC Desktop PC review: Looking for a small office PC? Then look no further. Hide
Shuttle SN68SG2 Barebones PC review | Read more
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£97 to £194
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