Sapphire EDGE HD4 Mini PC Review

Sapphire are keen to point out that they have several ranges of EDGE system available now. The high powered EDGE VS8 (AMD A8 4555m) is their fastest system and we were really impressed with the performance when we reviewed it back in December last year. The only weak link in the chain was the slow 5,400rpm 2.5 inch hard drive. Replacing this with a Solid State Drive totally transforms the system, no matter how basic the tasks may be.

The system we reviewed today is the latest in the HD range, following on after the AMD E450 powered EDGE HD3 which we reviewed in February last year. The dual core Celeron 847 is actually more of a direct replacement for the EDGE-HD system which was covered in our original article way back in March 2011. The ATOM processors are now end of life, so it makes sense for Sapphire to update this model, even if it is slightly confusing the way they keep switching between AMD and Intel processors in the HD range.

The EDGE HD4 makes most sense as a replacement for the EDGE HD System. The Celeron 847 processor is a significant improvement over the older ATOM processors, especially when we look at the throughput potential. Memory bandwidth is more than doubled between old and new platforms which has a positive impact on tasks such as video encoding and 3D rendering.

That said, I wouldn't recommend the EDGE HD4 for intensive tasks. Also, if you want to game, the EDGE VS8 makes much more sense, although the cost of ownership is greater.

The strengths of the Edge HD4 are based around the efficiency of the platform. It demands between 14 watts and 25 watts of power, which is such a tiny figure that it wouldn't have a negative impact on an electricity bill, even if this system was left on 24/7 all year.

The system is so tiny it can be easily slotted in behind a television set, or next to a monitor, without taking up desk space. When we factor in the low noise output, tiny power drain and diminutive size there are plenty of reasons why many people would opt for an EDGE system in their house.

Sadly Sapphire are ignoring feedback and all of their EDGE systems use horrifically slow 2.5 inch 5,400 rpm hard drives. With all the feedback over the years, we really shouldn't be mentioning this again. Cost really isn't a primary concern anymore either as a 320GB 5,400 RPM 2.5 inch drive can be picked up on Amazon.co.uk for £33 inc vat and a 60GB SSD is only £20 more expensive.

We don't have confirmed pricing yet in the United Kingdom but will update this review as soon as we can.

EDIT: 11th February: Pricing is now online at Overclockers UK. EDGE HD4 is available for £295.00.

Pros:

• Extremely small.
• tiny power drain at the wall.
• Good build quality.
• Supports XP, Vista, 7 and 8 OS

Cons:

• 5,400 rpm 2.5 inch HDD is painfully slow.
• Need to install the operating system and drivers, which includes bios boot changes. Newbies might find this too complex.
• Not ideal for gaming.
• budget extra for the operating system.

Kitguru says: A very practical PC with such a tiny footprint you can hide it almost anywhere.

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