HFX mCubed Micro M1 Mini-ITX Fanless review

HFX's mCubed is very different from the more traditional barebones systems here.

For starters, the motherboard isn't pre-installed. It's also the only system in our group to use Socket M for mobile Intel Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors. You won't be able to use the latest Core 2 Duo processors, though, as these use Socket P, so check carefully before you buy.

As well as the motherboard, the internal receiver for the Windows Media Center remote and the passive cooling system for the processor also have to be installed. Screwing in the motherboard isn't difficult, but fitting the other parts is time-consuming and tricky.

The badly written documentation doesn't cover connecting the cables for the front-mounted ports, activity light and power switch to the motherboard headers. At least a crosshead screwdriver is included in the box.

You don't need to fit a power supply as the compact mCubed uses a laptop-style AC power adaptor instead. The padded enclosure for the 2in hard disk and included laptop DVD writer helps reduce vibration and noise, but it's difficult to line up the slot-loading drive correctly with the slot on the front of the case.

Unlike the other Intel-based kits here, the mCubed uses Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors designed for laptops rather than desktops. We fitted a Core 2 Duo T7200 and 1GB of RAM. It was whisper quiet and performed well in our Windows benchmarks. The integrated graphics aren't powerful enough to play the latest games and there's no PCI-E x16 slot for a dedicated graphics card. The only expansion slots are a mini PCI slot for a wireless adaptor and a PCI Express x1 slot.

The mCubed is very expensive, and you'll have to spend even more money, as notebook components are a lot more expensive than their desktop equivalents. Although your completed PC will be silent, the mCubed is just too expensive to recommend.