Final thoughts and rating
Sapphire's latest update to its EDGE mini PC line now takes in AMD's Fusion technology. The EDGE-HD3, which is little larger than a Blu-ray case, packs in an E-450 'Brazos' chip instead of the Intel Atom and NVIDIA ION combination present in previous models. Outwardly changed with the upgrade to USB 3.0 for the two front-mounted ports, the major modifications are, obviously, on the inside.
Our numbers show that the switch to AMD's latest Fusion CPU doesn't provide a huge boost in either CPU or GPU performance. This is still a small form factor PC whose main forte is running basic apps or low-resolution, casual gaming. In that respect, then, nothing much has changed since the launch of the first-gen model a year ago.
The AMD E-450 chip, USB 3.0 support and upgrades to the hard-drive capacity and system memory mean the EDGE-HD3 is the best mini-PC from Sapphire. It's reasonably quiet when configured correctly and small enough to fit into a large coat pocket, and we can see it being considered by firms who need basic office-based machines in a small, tidy package.
Trouble is, the £290 street price, which doesn't include Microsoft Windows, is steep when put up against other AMD E-450-based 'mini PCs'. Really, we like the idea of a pint-sized PC using AMD's low-power technology, but Sapphire needs to take another look at pricing if the EDGE-HD3 is going to be a big hit: £200 should do it.
The Good
Wonderfully small footprint
Good outputs
The Bad
Feels sluggish with moderate multitasking
Similar, albeit larger, machines available for significantly less
No VESA mounting
HEXUS Rating
HEXUS Where2Buy
The reviewed mini PC is available from Dabs.com.
HEXUS Right2Reply
At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
