PRICE As reviewed, £1,460 (£1,752 inc VAT) from pcpro.link/337box
There's nothing new about customisable PCs. After all, Michael Dell built a world-conquering company out of the concept. Where Box is attempting something different with its custom-built range is that it defines "the look" of your PC, and then allows you to choose exactly which components you want to put inside it.
Let's say you like the cut of the ZX8's jib. That means it will be built with stylish white or black braided cables to match the striking design of the case, created by Chinese brand 1stPlayer. You can also be guided by Box's handpicked recommendations as you go along.
Your choice isn't limited to this chassis, with a dozen preset options on offer at pcpro.link/ 337custom. If the ZX8 isn't to your taste, the Corsair iCue 4000X may well be. So you just select that chassis, along with some custom styling options preselected by Box, and then start choosing components.
The first selection you make is case fans, with a dozen to choose from with the ZX8. They're listed in price order, and clicking on each option provides a brief description, but you would be well advised to do your own research if you don't want to rely on Box's recommendations. Then you select the CPU, with the range stretching from a Ryzen 3 4100 right up to a Core 19-12900K. After that, you can choose not only the exact cooler you want, but even the thermal paste.
This story is from the November 2022 edition of PC Pro.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 2022 edition of PC Pro.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Key things to look for when buying a mini PC
Buying a mini PC isn't like buying a laptop or a fully fledged desktop PC, but a pitfall-laden experience that sits somewhere in between
BRANDS YOU CAN TRUST
Whenever you buy something in the coming year, why not draw on the experience of thousands of discerning buyers?
5 things we learned from Lenovo Tech World'24
In a landmark event where the CEOs of AMD, Intel and Nvidia all took to the stage, the theme of \"smarter AI for all\" was never far away, writes Tim Danton
The Darktrace leading to government
British security firm Darktrace has been mired in controversy. Now its former CEO is a government minister. Rois Ni Thuama and Barry Collins investigate
Microsoft is doing more harm to Arm than good, argues Jon Honeyball
You know that sinking feeling you get when something is not quite right? That nagging doubt that it shouldn't be like this? It was like that when I read that Qualcomm has cancelled its Snapdragon X developer kit, a desktop Mac mini-like box designed for developers to create and test apps for Windows on Arm (WoA).
How do we know how smart AI really is?
Maths questions. Silly word puzzles. Counting the letter \"r\" in a sentence. Nicole Kobie reveals how we're trying to work out exactly how intelligent AI is
Missed call Whatever happened to the Acorn Communicator?
When Acorn launched its 16-bit Communicator computer with a built-in modem, it struggled to get potential buyers to listen, as David Crookes explains
STEVE CASSIDY-"Getting workers to do simple jobs in the 16th century was not much different from the 21st"
Why 16th century \"networking\" legislation still has an impact, and why the term AI is confusing to punters as well as a waste of natural resources
JON HONEYBALL -"The more I have to do with UK telcos, the more broken their systems seem to be"
After being tempted by the iPhone 16 Pro Max - for professional reasons, honest - and the Watch 2 Ultra, Jon discovers not everything is perfect in Apple's new generation
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
A bigger display, borrowed 5x tetraprism zoom from the Max and no price hike make this the best iPhone