Why You Can Trust CNET Altech SysArielAtom-DP04 review: Altech SysArielAtom-DP04
The DP04 is a classic example of why nettop buyers are better off buying netbooks.
Design
You could build the DP04 yourself, or at least something that looks exactly like it. When we say exactly, we really do mean exactly. While Altech's picked and chosen its interior components in specific configurations, the exterior casing of the DP04 is just a Mini-ITX compatible casing. Specifically, it's the Aywun MW-100 ITX chassis, which you could pick up online for around AU$100 or cheaper. The case (and thus the PC) measures in at 70x185x245mm and features a mirrored front panel that pops open to reveal the optical drive, USB and audio ports. The rear of the case is straight out of the generic PC panel play book, right down to fairly flexible thin metal to differentiate each slot.
Altech SysArielAtom-DP04
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
The most obvious systems to compare the DP04's case with are Apple's Mac Mini and Asus' Eee Box. Well, the Mac Mini's a bit unfair, actually. It's much better engineered and sturdy, for a start. Even the Eee Box outclasses the DP04, which ultimately just looks a little cheap in comparison.
Features
The DP04 runs on a dual-core Intel Atom 330 CPU at 1.6GHz. We're still not taken with the idea of Intel's low-cost, low-power CPU being placed into desktop boxes. We know why vendors do it — it enables them to create cheap systems — but without the portability advantage that you get by sticking one of these processors into a netbook, and the battery savings that go with it, we're stuck working out where the consumer benefits.
The more astute amongst you may have noticed that we've listed Vista in both the good and bad columns for the DPO4, and there's good reason for this. Throwing 2GB into the DP04 gives the system some breathing space when it comes to memory (and also pretty much forbids Altech from offering it with XP) and even gives some potential headroom for Windows 7. At the same time, 32-bit Vista's not been popular with the masses, because it's largely slow and clunky. In the DP04's case, you're looking at Vista Home Premium.
As an essentially modular system, you could upgrade the DP04 however you liked, but out of the box you're looking at a 2.5-inch 250GB 5400rpm SATA hard drive, 10/100 Ethernet, DVD Multi Recorder, all running (if that's the right word) on Intel's aging GMA950 graphics solution. One practical upshot of that is that there's no support for DVI, only VGA, which could be a serious limitation for certain LCD monitors.
Performance
Like the Eee Box, the DP04 isn't built for speed, but power efficiency. Except, as with the Eee, that really doesn't make much sense in a desktop machine, beyond having some mild warm feelings about being green sensitive. We're unconvinced that the power savings will add up when you consider doing any heavy work on such a low-powered system will require more lighting, more power for any external devices, and more coffee.
In any case, we weren't expecting much out of the DP04 in the performance arena. We were a little surprised that it managed to complete the 3DMark benchmark at all — many GMA950 solutions will simply fall over when faced with it — although with a score of only 139, we wouldn't suggest that you throw anything more taxing than minesweeper at it.
Our hopes were a little higher for the overall PCMark system performance, if only because that's where the dual-core nature of the DP04's processor should put it above any single-core processor. Its eventual score of 2022 is higher than comparable systems — for the record, the Eee Box got a best score of 1383 on the same test — but that still only marks the DP04 out for basic computing tasks, and not anything particularly intensive.
The DP04's in an uncomfortable position in terms of recommendations. It's better than the Eee Box on paper — with an optical drive, expandability options, memory and in-built Vista — but it's also more expensive. In small form factor PC land, it's not that far removed, price-wise, from the newly announced Mac Mini line, and those systems would wipe the floor with the DP04. At a practical price level and given the lack of DVI, you could also pick up any of a number of netbooks from Asus, Dell, Acer, MSI or Fujitsu and gain portability along with very similar performance.