PRICE £383 (£460 inc VAT) from chillblast.com
The Chillblast WAP Ultimate is, in some ways, a product built for our times. Not only is it the smallest computer here by some distance, with roughly the same footprint as two iPhone minis placed side by side, but it also survives on a tiny 11W trickle of power when idling along. Even at 54p per kWh, and assuming you push it to the max for 90 minutes per eight-hour day, that works out at £29 per year. A pittance compared to all the other computers in this Labs.
Its one drawback is that when it does require more processing power (which is often when Windows 11 decides to embark on some mysterious errand of its own) the fans kick in, and you will notice them. Not because they're obnoxiously loud, simply because they switch tone. This is one of the drawbacks of such a small design, with no space in the chassis for bigger and thus quieter fans.
What's perhaps surprising is that you can access this PC's innards for repairs and upgrades. Four crosshead screws stand in your way, and then you simply pop the top off. Great news for IT departments and end users alike.
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Denne historien er fra December 2022-utgaven av PC Pro.
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