Test and review: MSI Cubi N - economical and silent mini-PC. A short review and discussion of MSI Cubi

Most manufacturers computer equipment concentrated all their efforts on portable devices. This also affected familiar PCs - barebone systems and nettops will help save space on your desktop and use free space more efficiently, thereby improving the quality and speed of work in various use scenarios. This review will focus on MSI's solution with excellent equipment and a memorable name.

Contents of delivery

Along with the nettop itself, a set of paper documentation, a disk with software, a 65 W power adapter, an adapter for connecting hard disk, VESA standard mount (75x75 mm, 100x100 mm), as well as an additional cover that will allow you to install a 2.5-inch drive into the system.

Design and construction features

The hero of our review is a fairly compact nettop, which in size is more reminiscent of an ashtray than full-fledged computer, almost ready for work.

The main body is made of durable polycarbonate, and both covers are made of metal. By the way, the internal frame of the Cubi is also made of metal.

MSI Cubi Available in both black and white versions.

On top panel you can see the manufacturer’s logo and a beveled edge with a power key, which is backlit in blue. On the front side there are two USB connectors, system indicators and a 3.5 mm jack for connecting a headset or microphone.

On the opposite side are the remaining communication interfaces - two more USB port 3.0, HDMI, DisplayPort, RJ-45 and a socket for connecting a power supply.

Also on this panel is the cooling system grille. In addition, there are cooling slots on the metal cover. By the way, on it you can find holes for VESA mounting and screws with rubberized plugs that act as legs.

Mounting the MSI Cubi to your monitor is easy.

There are no complaints about the MSI Cubi in terms of design and ergonomics - it looks simply amazing, and even the most demanding users will like its ergonomics, given the large number of scenarios for working with a nettop. In addition, it is worth noting that the noise level during operation of the nettop does not exceed 20 dB, while seemingly silence in the library “makes noise” at 40 dB, and a simple vacuum cleaner creates a noise of 80 dB.

Dimensions MSI Cubi - 115 x 111 mm. The height of the nettop when using different covers ranges from 33 to 45 mm. Weight, depending on the configuration, varies from 295 to 480 g.

Considering the small size, motherboard the corresponding one is used here.

All components on it are located quite tightly. The processor received a cooling system with a 50 mm fan, and two slots for SO-DIMM RAM, as well as an mSATA slot for installing an SSD drive, are available for upgrade.

And in available slot M2 already installed Intel Wireless Network Adapter Dual Band Wireless-AC 3160.

In addition, the manufacturer has provided the possibility of using a 2.5-inch drive - as I already mentioned, an additional cover is provided for this.

Configuration

MSI engineers relied on Intel processors - models are available on both energy-efficient Celeron and Pentium, as well as more productive Core i3 and Core i5. In our case, Cubi is built on the basis dual core processor Intel Core i5 - 5200U with clock frequency 2.2 GHz, 3 MB cache, as well as integrated Intel graphics HD Graphics 5500. Technology support is worth highlighting here Turbo Boost And Hyper Threading- the first is responsible for overclocking the processor under increasing load (from base 2.2 GHz to 2.7 GHz), and the second will allow processing two data streams per core. The amount of RAM can be expanded using DDR3L-1600 modules up to 16 GB. Can be used as a storage device solid state drive with mSATA interface, and to expand the volume you can use a 2.5-inch HDD or another solid state drive. The maximum supported memory capacity can reach 2 TB. It is also worth noting that the power consumption of MSI Cubi is less than 30 W, which will save money on electricity bills and save the environment.

In terms of performance, this MSI Cubi configuration can handle simple games that aren't particularly demanding. graphic card, as well as with almost all tasks, including working with the package office applications, databases and web surfing. This work scenario can be called an office one - an excellent solution would be to mount the MSI Cubi on the monitor and save space in the employee’s workplace, which can be used more efficiently. In addition, by expanding internal system storage, MSI Cubi will be an excellent home multimedia center, which can be connected to huge TV in the living room. Moreover, this system will be where more functional than TVs with Smart TV. It is noteworthy that MSI Cubi, in addition to supporting dual displays, is also capable of outputting images in 4K format. Well, if we consider the MSI Cubi as a gaming PC, then, as I already mentioned, only the most simple games like DOTA, Counter-Strike, Minecraft and others. Wargaming's projects will also be used, but at minimum settings graphics.

Interface and software

Considering that our MSI Cubi configuration comes without internal storage, users have the opportunity to choose operating system, and the recent release of Windows 10 OS will no doubt remove this issue, because the level of comfort, ease of use and performance of this version of the OS deserves the most best grades and reviews.

Communications

As I already mentioned, the nettop received a module with wireless interfaces- Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.0. Also it supports Intel technology Wi-Di, which will allow you to display images on the display wirelessly.

conclusions

MSI Cubi is not only a stylish and compact nettop with the ability to upgrade its configuration, but also excellent replacement bulky PC with the ability to more rational use free space. With its help, you can build both a computer for office use and a home multimedia PC.

The compact PC segment has already more or less formed and is present on the market great amount options from various manufacturers. This year, mini-PCs based on the Broadwell-U platform, which was first demonstrated at CES 2015, began to appear.

In March, MSI announced its mini PCs called Cubi, which hinted at the square shape of the case. Cubi is based on the Broadwell-U platform, there is a slot for an mSATA drive, and two connectors for low-voltage DDR3L memory modules. It is assumed that the buyer himself selects and installs the gigabytes of memory he needs and disk space(the computer was purchased in the USA, in other countries options with installed memory and mSATA drive). Also installed inside wireless adapter Intel 3160 responsible for support Wi-Fi connection 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0, there is a Gigabit Ethernet port.

*image from us.msi.com

The monitored device has Pentium processor 3805U (modifications available with Celeron processors 3205U, Core i3-5005U and Core i5-5200U), which is characterized by a frequency of 1.9 GHz, has 2 cores, 2 MB of cache memory, graphics core Intel HD Graphics and 15W TDP.

There are two body color options – white and black. In my opinion, Cubi looks more interesting in black. In addition, in this case the computer will look more harmonious next to home and office equipment. But, of course, this is a matter of taste.
The name of the modification is indicated on the box (a description of this modification can be found on American MSI website ), brief characteristics:

Inside the box there is a small pile of documentation, assembly instructions, a disk with drivers, bags of bolts:

Also in the box there is a mount for the back wall of the monitor and a “trough” for an additional 2.5 format disk, with which you can add the missing gigabytes. And it’s relatively cheap if you install a regular SATA drive:

The kit includes a universal power supply and it will work anywhere in the world:

But please note that if you order this mini-PC from the USA, you will need either an adapter for electrical outlet European type or a power cord with a triangular connector at the end:

We take out the device, the case is made of matte plastic, this is good, the dust does not stick so much, there are information stickers on the bottom:

The device is miniature, one might say toy-like, looks frivolous and fits in the palm of your hand; for comparison, a photograph next to a regular AA battery:

On the front panel there is a power button (it “crawled” onto the top cover, looks original):

There are also two USB 3.0 connectors (one of them with the ability fast charging mobile devices), disk activity indicator and combined headphone and microphone jack:

On the back wall there is a power supply plug socket, HDMI output standard size, connector Mini Display Port, gigabit network interface and two more USB 3.0 ports:

The interior decoration is nothing special, compact motherboard, connectors for random access memory and mSATA drive. At the bottom center you can see a special connector for connecting additional storage 2.5-inch format, using the cable and back cover included in the box:

Pre-installation Windows versions 10 failed, appeared " blue screen death”, I had to install Windows 8.1 64-bit, I didn’t do any special performance tests, after all, the device is not intended for any resource-intensive applications. Rather, it is an office or multimedia " workhorse».

Grade Windows performance 8.1, I don’t know whether it’s a lot or a little, decide for yourself:

Cpu-Z utility information:

This mini-computer was purchased as a replacement for the WD TV Live media player, so I was primarily interested in playing movies in MKV format using free Kodi media center(official site - www.kodi.tv ), which MSI Cubi copes with successfully.

Playing a 20 GB movie in MKV format over the network:

The processor load does not exceed 10%, there are no problems with playback.

The cooling fan is completely inaudible, the device is silent, the processor temperature does not exceed 60 degrees under heavy load, at rest it stays around 50 degrees.

Conclusion

Although this device cannot be called cheap (it cost about 20 thousand rubles when ordered from the USA), it performs its functions properly and, in general, compared to its competitors, can be considered a profitable purchase. But it still remains a niche product and the lot of enthusiasts.

IN Lately is gaining more and more popularity new class desktop computers- nettops. Similar devices combine excellent compactness and almost full functionality of a full-fledged desktop PC, with the exception, perhaps, of lower performance.

MSI also does not stand aside and presents its solution to this segment called Cubi. This is exactly what I will tell you about!

Equipment

The box is packed quite tightly. The set includes a power supply, a set of brochures and, most surprisingly, a pair of disks (and where to put them, especially if there is no external drive?). Next is the most interesting part - a small cable for connecting an additional 2.5 format drive with SATA and a replaceable bottom cover for it.

The bottom cover is a regular replaceable tray where the desired HDD or SSD drive. The pre-installed cover is unscrewed from the device and replaced with the prepared one.

It is worth noting that this cover is an order of magnitude thicker standard version. However, the device still retains excellent compactness.

A very important and pleasant addition is a set of all the necessary screws and cable for installing and connecting an additional HDD.

Housing materials and appearance

The nettop is made in the shape of a parallelepiped with slightly rounded vertical edges. One of the front corners has a pronounced cut on which a power button equipped with an LED is installed of blue color. The body is made of matte white plastic, and the bottom cover is made of metal.

There are also two additional USB 3.0 ports, one of which has support for Super Charger (the ability to provide currents of more than 2A for charging gadgets), a drive activity indicator and a combined port for headphones or a microphone, which is clearly not the best solution.

The back part contains the main ports of the device: power input, HDMI, Mino Display Port, LAN and two USB 3.0 ports. The total number of USB reaches 4 pieces, which is definitely enough for everyday use. Another nice feature is the ability to connect two monitors with a total resolution of up to 4K. On the same side, warm air is removed from the cooling system.

The left side does not contain anything special. The only thing that can be difficult to notice is the joints of the side surfaces.

WITH right side The manufacturer made the Kensington lock hole. It's hard to imagine what it might be needed for. ordinary user, but if you use the device for public use, it will come in handy.

The bottom metal cover is studded with ventilation grilles, as well as holes for VESA mounting. For this purpose, the kit includes special platform, which is attached to back TV. The nettop can be removed quickly and conveniently, without the use of screws.

Hardware and performance

My Cubi trim is the poorest, so boast of high performance this device can not.

Specifications:
Processor: Intel® Celeron™ 3205U
Memory: 2GB DDR3L 1600MHz up to 16GB (2 slots)
Graphics: Intel® HD Graphics
Storage system: 64GB mSATA + 1 2.5 HDD slot in an enlarged cover
Network card: Intel 3160 Gigabits LAN
Wireless Network: Realtek 802.11N + Bluetooth V4.0
Power: 65W

Ports:
2 x USB 3.0
1 x HDMI
1 x RJ45 LAN
1 x Mini Display Port
1 x Audio combo (headphones+microphone)

Dimensions: 115x111x35mm (without HDD)
Weight(kg): 295g (without HDD)

Processor and RAM

So, the heart of our device is Intel processor® Celeron™ 3205U Broadwell generation. MSI Cubi with this processor is the most economical option. It has 2 cores without Hyper-Tharding technology with a base clock frequency of 1.5 GHz and a maximum power of 15 W. Manufactured using the 14 nm process technology since the first quarter of 2015.

It is worth noting that the processor under load runs at its honest 1.5 GHz without any drawdowns. From additional qualities It is worth noting support for VT-x virtualization technology.
There is also an integrated graphic Intel core® HD Graphics, capable of operating at a frequency of 100-800 MHz, supporting image output in 4K format, as well as the ability to work with multiple monitors. It does not have its own video memory, so part of the RAM is used. It is worth considering that the processor does not support memory more than 1600 MHz, so we will improve graphics performance more fast memory It won't work.
One SK Hynix HMT425S6AFR6A-PB stick with a capacity of 2 GB is installed as RAM.

Storage system

As already mentioned, the nettop is equipped with an mSATA slot built into the motherboard with installed SSD drive from Transcend model TS64GMSA370. This SSD showed himself not with the best side: if everything was in order with the reading speed, then the recording sags extremely significantly.

The drive has a capacity of 64 GB, which is only enough to install the system and basic applications. Replacing it is quite easy. To do this, simply remove the bottom cover. The interface is mSATA, so finding a replacement will be easy.

As already mentioned, it is possible to install an additional 2.5" HDD/SSD in the extended bottom cover. It is connected via a cable to the device’s motherboard. Everything is quite simple. Interface - SATA 6 GB/s.

Cooling system

This device has active system cooling with one turbine. It is worth noting that even under load it works very quietly, and such a weak processor is not at all capable of warming up to critical temperatures.

As can be seen from the graph, CO will be enough for much more powerful processor(available with i5 5200U).

Performance

Of course, I ran several benchmark tests. The results speak for themselves: expect high performance It's not worth it from a low-end processor.

I didn’t ignore a couple of currently popular games. It is completely useless to run modern serious games at a resolution of 1920x1080. Don't be surprised - Cubi is not intended for this. His destiny is surfing the Internet and watching movies, working in low-resource office applications.

conclusions

MSI has created a very interesting device, which copes quite well with its direct responsibilities, maintaining a comfortable environment and taking up a minimum of space. What makes it stand out is, first of all, the ability to install it if necessary. extra hard disk and the presence of 4 USB ports, which is definitely enough for everyday use.

Pros:
+ 4 USB ports
+ Supports 4K output (up to two monitors)
+ Additional removable HDD tray
+ Quiet and efficient CO
+ VESA available

Minuses:
- Low productivity in this configuration
- Low SSD write speed

The compact PC segment has already more or less formed and there are a huge number of options on the market from various manufacturers. This year, mini-PCs based on the Broadwell-U platform, which was first demonstrated at CES 2015, began to appear.

In March, MSI announced its mini PCs called Cubi, which hinted at the square shape of the case. Cubi is based on the Broadwell-U platform, there is a slot for an mSATA drive, and two connectors for low-voltage DDR3L memory modules. It is assumed that the buyer himself selects and installs the gigabytes of memory and disk space he needs (the computer was purchased in the USA; in other countries, options with installed memory and mSATA disk are possible). Also installed inside is an Intel 3160 wireless adapter, which is responsible for supporting Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0 communications, and there is a Gigabit Ethernet port.

*image from us.msi.com

The device under review is equipped with a Pentium 3805U processor (there are modifications with Celeron 3205U, Core i3-5005U and Core i5-5200U processors), which is characterized by a frequency of 1.9 GHz, has 2 cores, 2 MB of cache memory, an Intel HD Graphics core and heat dissipation 15W.

The name of the modification is indicated on the box (a description of this modification can be found at), brief characteristics:

Inside the box there is a small pile of documentation, assembly instructions, a disk with drivers, bags of bolts:

The kit includes a universal power supply and it will work anywhere in the world:

But please note that if you order this mini-PC from the USA, you will need either an adapter for a European-style electrical outlet or a power cord with a triangular connector at the end:

We take out the device, the case is made of matte plastic, this is good, the dust does not stick so much, there are information stickers on the bottom:

The device is miniature, one might say toy-like, looks frivolous and fits in the palm of your hand; for comparison, a photo next to a regular AA battery:

On the front panel there is a power button (it “crawled” onto the top cover, looks original):

There are also two USB 3.0 connectors (one of them with the ability to quickly charge mobile devices), a disk activity indicator and a combined headphone and microphone jack:

On the rear wall there is a power supply plug socket, output HDMI standard size, Mini DisplayPort connector, gigabit network interface and two more USB 3.0 ports:

The interior is nothing special, a compact motherboard, connectors for RAM and mSATA storage. At the bottom center you can see a special connector for connecting an additional 2.5-inch drive, using the wire and back cover provided in the box:

Installation preview version Windows 10 failed, the “blue screen of death” appeared, I had to install Windows 8.1 64-bit, I didn’t do any special performance tests, after all, the device is not intended for any resource-intensive applications. Rather, it is an office or multimedia “workhorse”.

Performance assessment of Windows 8.1, I don’t know whether it’s a lot or a little, decide for yourself:

Cpu-Z utility information:

This mini-computer was purchased as a replacement for the WD TV Live media player, so I was primarily interested in playing movies in the MKV format using the free Kodi media center (official website -), which MSI Cubi does successfully.

Playing a 20 GB movie in MKV format over the network:

The processor load does not exceed 10%, there are no problems with playback.

When playing HD channels from the site online television torrent-tv.ru, the processor load is already more serious and remains around 30%, which in general is also not very much:

The cooling fan is completely inaudible, the device is silent, the processor temperature does not exceed 60 degrees under heavy load, and at rest it stays around 50 degrees.

Conclusion

Although this device cannot be called cheap (it cost about 15 thousand rubles when ordering from the USA for the computer itself and 5 thousand rubles for the memory and mSATA drive, which were already purchased in Russia), it performs its functions properly and, in general, against competitors, can be considered a profitable acquisition. But it still remains a niche product and the lot of enthusiasts.

Thank you for your attention)))

Until recently, we could not even imagine that huge desktop personal computers would remain the prerogative of gamers, while laptops, small PCs and nettops would take their place in offices and be actively used at home. A clear example The development of technologies and new user preferences has become a compact nettop MSI Cubi 2. It will be discussed in this review.

Appearance Cubi 2

The main feature of a device such as Cubi 2 is its small size. The model became the smallest mini-PC in its 0.45 liter case. And despite such small dimensions, it is able to provide users with all the benefits personal computers while remaining in a sleek, compact form factor.

The computer resembles a small box similar to a TV set-top box. The manufacturer's logo is located on the top edge, and at the lower left beveled corner there is a button to turn on the device.

On the front side there are the necessary ports for convenient work, including: USB 3.1, USB 3.1 Type-C, audio out and mic in. The company's engineers placed other connectors on the back: HDMI, Mini DisplayPort, RJ45, two USB3.1 and a connector for connecting the power cable. Above the ports there is a grille for cooling the internal components of the nettop.

The bottom surface of the model has the common VESA mounting standard, so MSI Cubi 2 can be used both horizontally and vertical position, fixing the mini-PC, for example, on back panel monitor.

Depending on the type of internal storage, the nettop may have different thicknesses: 115.2 mm x 112.2 mm x 32.6 mm (with SSD installation) or 115.2 mm x 112.2 mm x 42.7 mm (with HDD installation). The weight will also be different: 390 g in the first case and 510 g in the second.

Cubi 2 performance and functionality

Home MSI feature Cubi 2 became new processor seventh generation Intel Kaby lake-U. And while the seventh generation of processors will only become available from the first quarter of next year, ERC already has drums based on these latest models.

In this modification we have an Intel Core i5-7200U processor with a clock frequency of 2.5-3.1 GHz and support for Hyper-Threading technology, thanks to which the processor can process up to 4 threads simultaneously. It also works with up to 32GB DDR4 RAM so the user can install required amount memory without limiting your needs.

Additionally, the processor has a powerful Intel HD Graphics 620 graphics core with a clock frequency of 300-1000 MHz. Such a graphics core will help you perfectly perform not only office tasks, but also comfortable to work with graphic editors like Photoshop and play videos in 4K. Therefore, this nettop can also be used as a heavy-duty TV set-top box for panels with high resolution. Due to the presence of two video ports HDMI and Mini DisplayPort, the user can work with two monitors at once and thus expand their workspace.

The special design of the device allows you to install one SSD with an M. 2 interface and one 2.5” SATA HDD or SSD. In any case, the availability of the necessary storage space large quantity data has become a definite plus of MSI Cubi 2. And for working with wireless networks there is a built-in Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 with support for IEEE 802.11 ac and Wi-Di standards for wireless transmission Images.

The model is powered by a supplied 65 W power supply, which is small and convenient sizes and it won't take much extra space in your bag.

Impression

MSI Cubi 2 is a convenient and compact solution, which can satisfy most needs modern user. The nettop is easy to work with, and the VESA mount allows you to conveniently attach it to the back of the monitor to free up your work surface. The model works great with office programs, graphic editors and high-resolution multimedia video content. And the special design allows you to place a large amount of RAM and data storage drives into the device body.