Aopen XC Cube MZ915-M

Aopen is one of only a few companies to realise the advantages of using Intel’s Pentium M mobile processor in a desktop environment.

Thanks to its low power consumption, the Pentium M produces less heat and therefore requires less cooling, and the result is slower and quieter fans.

The company supports Pentium M on its motherboards and XC Cube barebones line-up. Both of these have been updated to use Intel’s 915 chipset instead of the slower and less-featured 855 notebook chipset used previously.

With the launch of the MZ915-M barebones system, this update has been implemented in the Cube Mini range, too. The system supports all the latest 533MHz FSB Intel Pentium M CPUs, from the 730 (1.6GHz) up to the 770 (2.13GHz).

Cube Mini is an apt description of the MZ915-M, as it measures just 105mm high and weighs a mere 2.6kg. The flawless gloss black finish looks stunning.

When you first open the MZ915-M’s case, which is held in place by three thumbscrews, you’ll be amazed at how little space there is inside. But have no fear, Aopen has made the MZ915-M as easy to build as possible with some neat design touches, especially with the drive cages.

By following the manual, complete with colour photos and illustrations, you should have no problems during the build.

Thanks to the 915 chipset you get an x16 PCI Express graphics slot as well as a PCI slot. The latter could be used for a TV card if you’re building a media centre system. Two DDR2 memory slots are also included, along with integrated 7.1 audio and Gigabit Lan.

Aopen’s MZ915-M shows you don’t need a full-size desktop or tower system to get all the features you have come to expect from a standard PC. Our only real complaint is that it’s very expensive.

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