MSI Cubi: a perfect fit

The MSI Cubi:

I've had some runs with MSI tech, so I must admit, I was already sceptical when I got this off Amazon. While it's not unusual in this day and age for computers to be getting smaller, I just want to take a moment to appreciate how far we've come... 

Let's go back to the year 2000.

In 2000 I was a screaming todler and now I write articles, but I want to talk about some technological advances instead. 

Intel and AMD go over the 1Ghz barrier in the speed of their processors, something that nobody thought they'd achieve. Oh, and all put together it looked like this: 

I won't show you a picture of what I looked in 2000, but I assure you it looks prettier than this. 

This was THE RAGE. Something that ran an Intel Pentuim 3, 933Mhz. A speed that just blows minds.

The MSI Cubi: 

My particular configuration has a Celeron, with 2 whole processor cores clocked at 1.6Ghz. I know, it's 16 later and computing has advanced but this should be appreciated. Not only for how far we've come, but how far we can go too. Mine runs quite happily as a media server and I'm getting that all from something that fits in the palm of my hand. Of course this success can't be attributed to MSI in particular. 

Not only this, you can get the Cubi in several configurations that go all the way to a dual core i7 and that's the sort of processor you could start chucking things like photoshop at, or some light video editing. With them being 5th generation processor chips too, this particular box has advantages over others which only offer 4th generation chips. With the 5th generation, Intel is claiming up to a 50% graphics improvement.
It should also be noted that mine, with the Celeron, has a TDP of 6Watts. This machine sips power frugally and will keep the electric bill down. 

The hardware: 

Take a look at some of my previous reviews, you'll notice I don't really benchmark my technology. If you want a PC that can score the highest benchmark, whatever configuration you get, this isn't the one for you. This little box is never going to beat my MacBook Pro on benchmarks, but it does what I need it do and fantastically too. You're getting an opinion here basically. If you want some benchmarks search for them on Google, it's usually easier to compare them to a wider range of processors anyway.

Speaking of range, you will need to think about what configuration you want if you're gonna pick one of these up. MSI offers a whole range, so do some research first. If you're going for a low power - everyday computing - the i3 configuration is the best bang for your buck. 

MSI offer some configurations that are ready to go, but if you get a barebone model you will need :-

• 204 Pin DDR3 RAM, either 1 or 2 sticks
• Storage solution: Either a 2.5 inch laptop drive, or an Msata SSD. If you feel crazy, you can even have both. 
• Some sort of Operating System, bear in mind MSI drivers are only officially supporting Windows, but this is fairly generic hardware and Linux should run fine. 

Installing all of the above is fairly easy using the provided instruction booklet. If you opt for a 2.5" drive you will need to use the extra baseplate provided that will attack to your 2.5" drive. You also need the connector that connects the 2.5" drive to the mainboard. [Seriously, read the instructions, it's easy as pie!] Just make sure when inserting your connector you've felt a firm click before proceeding to close up the bottom. 

The RAM is just a standard fit and clip system found on most systems. Line up the pins and spacer to make sure you're not putting the stick in the wrong way round and push

That's it, you're ready to install your operating system. 

My Configuration: 

- Intel Celeron N3050, Dual Core clocked at 1.6Ghz. Turboboost: 2.16Ghz

- 8GB DDR3 204pin 1600Mhz RAM

- Bluetooth 4.0

- b/g/n Wifi 

- 240GB Sandisk 2.5" SSD

Performance:

The processor: 
Like I mentioned before, performance is going to vary on what configuration you have. It's obvious that the big bottleneck here is that dual core Celeron processor. Once more, it clearly shows in the experience of using this machine. Running Windows 10, I could have one or two heavy webpages open in Chrome, but that's about it. This is more of a 'one thing at a time machine' and with the Celeron, don't expect that one thing to happen too quickly either. However, for what I use my Cubi for, this is fine and actually makes me appreciate some of my faster machines!

RAM:
While the 8GB in my model is perhaps a little overkill I just happened to have some DDR3 lying around and thought what the heck. If you go for the Celeron processor, 1 stick of 4GB is certainly sufficient. However, if you go for the i7 or i5 configuration, you might find it appreciates a bit more to play around with.

It's all about your requirement. If you're going to be doing high-end work then yes, shell out on some RAM, but again, 4GB is sufficient for everyday computing. If are trying to cut down costs, you could probably grab 2x2GB sticks for a reasonable price on Amazon etc. 

I/O and Ports:

I was happily surprised to see that MSI has not skimped on connectivity here. Inside, there's a Wireless Card combined with Bluetooth and the 2.5" drive connector. If you're not using the Msata, you might even be able to use it for something else too. If you've tried/have suggestions hit me up! 

 

On the outside, there's 3.5mm headphone jack (yes, Apple, people still do use them) and also 2 USB 3.0 ports on the front. Go round to the back, we see a full size HDMI, a 4k capable Mini Display port, VGA out,  2 more USB3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet and power in. I was happy to see so many usb ports, as well as the combination of Mini Display port with HDMI with VGA - it just seems to have all the bases covered whatever your requirement. For security, there's also a Kensington lock slot too. 

What cool things can I do with this? 

Google has plenty of opinions to offer here. As there are so many, I'll just stick with my own personal examples:

• Plex Media Sever: which organised my media, makes it available across the network and also remotely. 
• Remote Desktop Server: this is great if I need to get back into my home network and pick up a files. It's also great for gaining access to blocked websites and applications as most corporate networks don't block the outgoing 3389 port for RDP. 
• Wake On Lan (WOL) machine for my internal network: if I need to fire up something that's off, I can eat a donut and turn a machine on from where I'm sitting without moving. 
• HTPC: applications like Kodi are great for presenting a nice looking, but also very functional media player. The processor in this supports full 4K playback.  

The perfect fit: 

This little device has a lot to offer and is a fantastic example of just how far we've come in the computing world. Higher configurations should be able to play low end games (albeit on low settings) and offer very fluid computing experiences. It's super quiet and can easily be tucked away. It's actually pleasant to look at, but if you don't agree it also comes with a VESA mount to help you tidy it away behind a screen. On top of all this, most of the barbone configurations come at a great price too and you can keep costs down if you've already got some components lying around.