Fujitsu-Siemens ESPRIMO Q5030 Centrino 2 Mini-PC

Fujitsu-Siemens have taken the wraps off of their own mini desktop PC, the ESPRIMO Q5030.  Unlike the ASUS Eee Box, which has an energy-efficient but relatively low-powered Atom CPU, the Q5030 offers Intel's latest Centrino 2 chipset together with up to 4GB of RAM, a 250GB 5,400rpm hard-drive and slot-loading DVD drive.  What's most impressive, though, is the fact that even running a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo P8400 processor the Q5030 still merely sips electricity.

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In fact, according to Fujitsu-Siemens the Energy Star 4.0 certified ESPRIMO has an annual energy consumption of less than 80 kilowatt hours.  That corresponds to annual energy costs of just €13 ($19.40). It's also small, at 1.7kg in weight and measuring 165 x 165 x 50mm, but still packs six USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA, gigabit ethernet and a DVI port. 

Graphics are, unsurprisingly, integrated; Intel's Mobile GMA 4500MHD is used, capable out driving a monitor via DVI at up to 1920 x 1200 resolution.  You'll pay a little more for the ESPRIMO Q5030 than you might for an Eee Box – the range starts at €529 ($789) – but I know which I'd rather have on my desk.

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