Nettop Lenovo Ideacentre Q190: overview, specifications and reviews

Today it's customary to talk about the gloomy perspective of desktop PCs and call them hopelessly obsolete. Today, mobility occupies a central place in the development of technologies, including in the field of electronic computing. It's no longer surprising to come out a little earlier compact gaming computers of various manufacturers, mini-PCs and even media players with low power consumption. However, the new Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 is an amazing gadget.

How does this device look like?

The IdeaCentre Q190 is a delicate balance between tiny sizes, reasonable performance and low price. This mini-PC has dimensions of only 0.9x6.1x7.6 inches, except for an additional DVD drive that joins from above, thereby adding additional thickness to the device. The basic configuration has a retail price of about $ 350.

Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 - Features Overview

Despite its small size, the IdeaCentre Q190 is equipped with a dual-core Celeron processor, 4 GB of RAM, and a 500 GB hard drive. The only thing that is not provided in the basic configuration - a specialized graphics chip, as well as opportunities for independent updates and additions. The Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 mini-computer has good enough characteristics to be used as a media player or a PC for working with documents. However, not too powerful processor and integrated graphics will not allow you to play modern games or use specialized programs that require high power.

How to dispose of it?

The small dimensions of the device will allow it to be mounted vertically on any surface. If you want to place it as compact as possible, use the supplied bracket to attach the nettop to the back of the monitor or HDTV. Moreover, thanks to the silent fan installed in the device , you are unlikely to hear the Q190 working behind the display, even if you are in an absolutely quiet room.

If you are looking for a compact media player, keep in mind that the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 does not have a Blu-ray disc reader as standard, only a DVD drive can be connected.

Design Features

As already noted, the IdeaCentre Q190 is quite small in size - if you put it vertically, it will take up very little space. As you would expect from a device with such dimensions, the power supply can not be connected to the Q190 inside - there is a design characteristic of laptops.

The plastic case is silver-black color is quite attractive and has with a folding cover that closes the front ports. If you choose a Q190 configuration with the ability to use DVDs, you will see that the drive is a small additional device. In general, the nettop Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 does not visually seem as durable as the models with metal cases, but outwardly much wins. Its design looks more modern and attractive and is much better suited for home use.

Control panel and keyboard

In addition to the optical drive, a wireless input device with Enhanced Multimedia Remote Lenovo is included with the gadget. Outwardly it resembles a tiny smartphone, made in the style of a keyboard, and is equipped with a Nub touch panel. This console is very convenient for making quick manipulations when working in YouTube, as well as launching various programs. However, long e-mails on it are not very convenient to type. In other words, this plug-in is ideal for use as a remote control for playing media files, but if you are going to use a mini-PC to work with powerful programs, you will need a full-size keyboard.

As the instruction attached to the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 informs, the touch panel of the remote control is designed to perform the basic tasks of the device.

Various configurations

Please note that Lenovo offers various additional devices in the kit, depending on where you buy the IdeaCentre Q190. For example, Lenovo's original web store offers the Q190 with a traditional USB keyboard and mouse, as well as an enhanced multimedia Remote. Amazon, on the other hand, has in stock $ 389.98 nettop with an improved multimedia remote control and DVD drive. This configuration is the most common (Hetton Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190).

Test results

As the testing of the IdeaCentre Q190 shows, the Celeron 887 processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz and a dual-core chip responds to commands quickly enough to make multimedia playback and perform basic tasks without any difficulties. This chip is supported by 4 GB of RAM, integrated graphics Intel HD 3000 (which is actually part of the Celeron processor) and a 5,400rpm hard drive with a capacity of 500 GB. In addition, on sale you can find other configurations Q190, in which the processor core i3 and a hard disk of 1 TB are available.

Internet connection

Also, the device contains an integrated Broadcom 802.11b / G / N Wi-Fi adapter. Despite the fact that the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 does not have an external Wi-Fi antenna, it does not have any problems with wirelessly reproducing 1080p streaming video from a router located in another room.

Ports and possible synchronization

Although the technical characteristics of the gadget are quite modest, a sufficient number of ports and connectivity options for other devices are offered. Behind the hinged cover located on the front surface, you will find a pair of USB 3.0 ports, an SDXC card reader and headphone and microphone connectors. There are four USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel (one of them is locked if you use a DVD drive), a Gigabit Ethernet port and a digital audio port. Also, there are connectors for connecting and outputting video VGA and HDMI. In addition, you must purchase an HDMI-DVI adapter to connect the DVI display to the mini-PC.

Software

The compact computer Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 comes with a default 64-bit version of Windows 8. This is a progressive step, because many competing mini-PCs (for example, from Zotac and Giada) do not have the installed OS, so the user will have to buy and Install it yourself. In addition, the device has a loaded Loadout antivirus and many other useful things - McAfeeAntivirus, PowerDVD, CyberLink Power2Go, Silverlight from Microsoft, Adobe Reader, Lenovo Cloud Storage and support for other applications. You also receive a pre-installed copy of Microsoft Office 2010, but it is not activated, so you will need to buy or provide an existing license for its use.

Memory and Download

Despite the hard drive of 5,400 rpm, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 is loaded very quickly, namely: the full load of the Windows 8 desktop occurs in just 15 seconds. Running applications, of course, is not carried out as quickly as on standard PCs equipped with a solid-state drive, but still it's impressive.

In general, the tests show that the IdeaCentre Q190 reacts quite quickly when performing everyday tasks such as browsing web pages, Office applications and playing media files. DVDs and 1080p streaming video are reproduced very smoothly, without delays or fluctuations. But if we talk about such resource-intensive applications as video encoding, the IdeaCentre Q190 can not be compared with the standard stationary computer of the modern model. In addition, on this device you will not be able to play games of a new generation that require a lot of resources - integrated graphics equipment Intel HD 3000 does not have enough technical characteristics for this.

Main conclusions

Thus, IdeaCentre Q190 does not take the first place among devices with high performance, but the gadget is very good and quality among mini-PCs of this price category. The base model, offered on the official website of the manufacturer, costs only $ 335 and is equipped with 4 GB of RAM, a USB keyboard and a mouse. A more advanced version of the device, equipped with an additional DVD-drive and multimedia Remote, can be purchased for a little less than $ 400. Despite the fact that other manufacturers offer more powerful devices for the same price, the IdeaCentre Q190 still wins, if only because it includes In itself pre-installed Windows 8 and useful software, which competitors can not offer today.

What consumers say

As users testify, as a small and quiet home theater or computer for playing video and music Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 (reviews about which are very positive, as you can see) is the most suitable option. It is also a wonderful compact computer for performing student and school homework, working with office applications, browsing the web pages and other typical tasks of the home user. If you do not perform such intensive work as video editing, and are not keen on resource-intensive games, the Q190 offers decent performance considering its price and compact size.

The only real complaint to Q190, which users say, is the lack of the ability to play Blu-ray discs. However, such a feature will be available, as promised by representatives of Lenovo. Of course, you can always connect a Blu-ray reader to an external USB port, but it will not be very convenient. In the end, mini-PCs are purchased in order to save space. In addition, this gadget works almost silently, which is another obvious advantage.

As the owners say, you can connect this nettop to not only the monitor intended for this, but also to a modern TV. Simply connect the video cable for this and make the appropriate settings. It is also possible to share the gadget with such units as a music center or a home theater.

And, finally, you can independently reboot and install the software you need on a mini-computer - the limitations are only relative to the processor's power and the technical characteristics that depend on it. Any programs that do not require too much resource consumption can be installed without any problems.