Nettop HTPC Comparison
With nettops becoming much more popular and affordable they are becoming a viable option for using as a dedicated HTPC.
A nettop in basic talk is a relatively cheap small PC with a low power consumption, which is perfect for a HTPC. This allow you to hide it away out of sight or place on display under the screen. It also means that you aren’t going to run up a large electricity bill by having it on all the time.
In my eyes there are three main lines that fill the gap. Asrock 330, Asus Eee Box and the Acer Aspire Revo.Each have their good and their not so good sides, this is what I want to talk about in this article. It depends what you are after as to which is correct (if any) for you. Before beginning I would like to make it clear that you are not going to be gaming or running hard working servers using this setup but it will make a fantastic solution as a front end for a HTPC.
Considerations
Some of you may be using Network Attached Storage (NAS) to share all you data which will mean that you don’t require a large Hard Drive to store all those large HD Movies.
You will need interface ports that work with the rest of your setup, do you require an HDMI output for audio and video or do you wish to use a separate optical cable for audio?
You also need to think about how many USB ports you will use on a daily basis while leaving some free for other devices.
Optical drives vary on these toys and this point alone may make the between the three for you. Some include a Blue ray drive and some don’t have any optical drive, after all its all on your hard drive anyway, isn’t it? Remember you always add an external drive if you need to.
You may only have a small low resolution screen so you will not require a 1080P output to your TV/Monitor.
If you plan to rip/encode using your HTPC you may want to consider the Processor speed or using a separate computer for the job.
Do you require your box to be small and hidden behind the TV or are you proud of your new toy and want to show it off in all its geeky glory.
While I wouldn’t recommend streaming your video using a wireless connection I understand that some people do do this, so this may be a consideration for you.
Acer Aspire Revo
With a maximum RAM capacity of 4GB, an Intel Atom 330 coupled with NVIDIA Ion Graphics and up to a 500GB HDD you shouldn’t have any problems with playback of HD content. The revo features a large hard drive which is fantastic for those of us who don’t already have a storage area, otherwise it is a little un-needed. The revo is also very small and easily hidden.
Asus Eee PC
With only a maximum of 2GB RAM shipped and an upgradable capacity of 4GB it is dropped on you front door with less RAM than the Revo, but I doubt that you will need 4GB just for a HTPC anyway. Asus have also gone for the NVIDIA Ion Graphics which is perfect for HD playback. The Eee is behind again with a maximum shipped hard drive size of 250GB. The advantage of these machines is the size, of the three talked about in this article it is the smallest.
Asrock 330
Again only ships with 2GB RAM and can be upgraded to 4GB . The Asrock meets in the middle with a 320GB hard drive. Not surprisingly the latest model is also based on the NVIDIA Ion Graphics chipset.There are several different ranges available to you. There is a HT model that includes an infra red remote and also the BD range which includes a blue ray drive for that optical HD goodness, of course you could get the HT-BD model (guess what that means). You can also add an extra hard drive and make use of the on board RAID setup for extra performance or redundancy. Having a built in optical drive does make it slightly larger than the others.
Comparison
This comparison is based on the highest spec machines that you can get at the time of writing, money no object (not they get very pricey).Please note that this information is subject to change.
| AsRock 330HT-BD | Acer Aspire Revo | Asus Eee Box | |
| Maximum HDD Size | 320GB | 500GB | 250GB |
| Maximum RAM(GB) | 2/Upgrade to 4 | 4 | 2/Upgradable to 4 |
| Graphics | NVIDEA ION | NVIDEA ION | NVIDEA ION |
| CPU | Intel Atom 330 | Intel Atom 330 | Intel Atom 330 |
| Optical Drive | Blue Ray | None | None |
| Included Operating System | None | Windows 7 Home Premium | Windows 7 Home Premium |
| Dimensions(mm) | 195x186x70 | 180x180x30 | 193x193x39 |
| Remote Control | Infra Red Handheld Remote | Wireless Keyboard/ Mouse | None |
| Power Adapter Wattage | 65W | 65W | 65W |
| Price | £361.99 | £319.98 | £354.49 |
| Wirelss Technology | 802.11 b/g/n | 802.11 b/g | 802.11 b/g/n |
Please note that all specifications stated are based on best spec available without upgrading yourself unless otherwise stated.
Wrap it up
As you can see the cheapest machine is the Aspire Revo and it is also has the best specification. However if you require an Internal drive and don’t mind going slightly larger then the Asrock 330 is only roughly £40 more but comes without an operating system which may or may not be an issue for you (Linux is quick and free). In my opinion the Eee Box is overpriced for what you get compared to the other two. Again the Revo is the device to pledge for if you need the HDD space. If you store all your media on the nettop and not on another PC it may be worth considering the Asrock 330 because of the option of adding an extra HDD and configuring up a RAID solution.
I hope that this post has been informative and helpfull towards you purchasing decision.
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