Light and stylish, that's how we like our all-in-one PCs
Most all-in-one PCs tend to be high priced, over large and unwieldy setups. Yes, they perform reasonably well, and they do offer the appeal of taking up less overall space than a traditional desktop PC and monitor, but they often sacrifice that appeal in favour of looks or functionality. However, towards the end of last year MSI released the Adora20, which lays the foundations for its newer generation of stylish, functional and lightweight all-in-one PCs.
At a first glance, the Adora20 could easily be mistaken for an Apple product. The clinically white colour scheme with a band of brushed aluminium at the bottom, neat rounded edges and matching style wireless (USB dongle included) keyboard and mouse, all speak of a system that wouldn't look too out of place in some trendy office in the heart of the city. There's a lot going on under the aesthetically pleasing surface, though.
The Adora20 comes with a guad-core 2GHz Intel Celeron J1900 processor, 4GB of DDR3 SO-DIMM memory and a Hitachi Travelstar 500GB hard drive with Windows 8.1 Bing Edition preinstalled. The screen is a decent enough 19.5" panel displaying an resolution of 1600 x 900. It feature anti-glare and anti-flicker technology together with the ability to emit less blue light. The end result is easy on the eyes and ideal for longer stretches in front of the computer.
It's an incredibly slim and lightweight all-in-one PC is the Adora20, measuring just 491 x 34.7 x 375mm, with a minimum thickness of 23mm and weighing only 6.43Kg. Somehow, MSI has managed to sgueeze in a three-in-one card reader, DVD, 802.11 b/g/n wi-fi, five USB 2.0 and a single USB 3.0 port, HDMI out, gigabit Ethernet, a 1MP webcam and a pair of 3W speakers, all into a single unit without feeling like the connectivity is cramped or too close together. You can even wall mount it thanks to the VESA screw holes.
A kickstand mounted on the rear of the screen provides a sturdy enough base for the unit to sit on. The stand can be pulled out until it's perpendicular with the back of the unit, bringing it into a more relaxed position that's ideal for touchscreen readiness - alas, this unit didn't come with touchscreen capabilities, however a 10-point touch is available on specific models.
Although the system specifications are reasonably good, don't expect this AIO to become a gaming machine on its day off - the Sniper Elite ч2 benchmark we ran on the Adora20 only managed 5.1 FPS, which is pretty awful. For standard office duties though, such as browsing, watching HD content, Skype and conference calling, this is an ideal machine. It's quiet, stylish, takes up very little room and contains everything an office workstation should - and it does it with a lot more elegance than the usual under the desk tower affair.
The MSI Adora20 isn't a bad, basic and entry level allin-one PC. The combination of looks, design, low power consumption, very little weight and slimline aspect are certainly enticing for the consumer. Moreover it's price makes it a more acceptable AIO than the far more capable products on offer from the competition.
At roughly £260, the Adora20 is certainly worth considering, providing you accept the fact that this isn't the world's most powerful PC but rather one that keeps everything contained within a single, neat and stylish package. David Hayward
A good looking, thin, lightweight and functional AIO PC.