Asus Nova Lite PX24

And that graphics chip brings another inevitable side effect: while the original Nova P20 consumed just 50W at full load, the PX24 peaked at 92W, almost twice that. This only fell to 73W when idle, so while it's significantly more economical than most full-sized PCs, it's certainly not in the same green league as the 20W idle draw of the little MSI.

A few other issues niggled. The metal stand isn't particularly high-tech, and it didn't quite fit flush enough with our PC to stop it wobbling when touched. The lack of a TV tuner - or indeed any opportunity to add one without resorting to external USB add-ons - also limits its appeal as a dedicated Media Center device. And although Asus told us it has plans for an even cheaper version with a smaller hard disk and possibly a Linux install, there's currently no option to buy the PX24 without Windows pre-installed.

But the Nova Lite PX24 has a lot going for it, not least its marriage of tiny dimensions with proper digital outputs and the ability to play intensive high definition video. It's stylish and desirable, far more so than the less polished MSI, and for such a low price we're impressed by how much Asus has crammed into it. Sure, it has its limitations, but as long as your needs aren't too intensive the Nova Lite is a fine example of a mini-PC.

Author: David Bayon