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We review many high end, power sapping systems destined to power through a variety of intensive Direct X 11 games at super high resolutions. They also cause a huge dent with your electricity bill. Not everyone wants or needs such a high powered system however and today we have the pleasure to look at the latest iteration of the diminutive Sapphire Edge PC.
This ‘HD3' version follows the design ethic of the previous versions, aiming for the smallest possible physical footprint while delivering enough processing power to cover a majority of uses.
The Edge HD3 looks very like the older versions of the product … that being super slim with a stylish curved outline. This time around Sapphire have included the latest AMD E450 APU processor. The machine includes a 320GB hard drive, 4GB of DDR3 memory and built in wireless connectivity and a GB LAN port.
The system can support resolutions up to 1920×1080 via an HDMI interface, ideal for connection to a large television or PC monitor.
Above, a picture of the Sapphire Edge HD3 alongside an ASUS USB self powered BluRay drive. This is a great indication of just how small the Edge HD3 really is!
This system is completely ready to rock, all you need is an operating system disc for initial installation.
Its a lovely looking little computer, the price is competitive, but I dont think id be happy with a 5,400 rpm 2.5 inch drive, they are painful. my Lenovo laptop had one and I had to replace it as it was slowing everything down.
I dont think the hard drive is that important, but I suppose it would depend on what you are using it for. I still have the first edge and I use it in a bedroom hooked into a television. with a remote controller. It has been flawless now for a long time. I might get this as an upgrade. I do think they should sell one with a 128GB SSD at extra cost, a lot of people would jump on it.
when is this released, cant find it anywhere.
wow this is some piece of kit. two USB 3 ports as well, very nice.
the power drain alone is really worth it. I bought a power meter recently to measure my systems and my media pc takes around 200 watts !
Shame they dont bundle one with an OS preinstalled, for a little extra. A lot of people aren’t comfortable with setting up a system and t hen the drivers etc.
Ideal for a living room. my wife doesnt like a huge pc in the corner. and i have to deal with whinging regularly from her. I could hide this behind the tv.
Only problem is, if she saw the credit card bill she would bitch too, so I cant win either way.
It’s worth mentioning that free software exists out there to run this device as a dedicated HD media centre PC that avoids having to purchase a copy of windows. The free software “XMBC” can be easily installed from a USB drive and has a great interface for browsing and playing your media. It’s compatible with the Media Player remote controls out there and there are also apps to remote control it via your tablet PC.