Gadget Review: Ctroniq Uno 240

I have to say I was quite impressed when I unboxed our guest for this week, the Ctroniq Uno 240 all-in-one desktop PC. I've reviewed some of their laptops in the past, and needled them primarily for speed. (To be fair, Ctroniq's a maker of really budget devices, so go figure.) But the Uno 240 is about to change all that.
To start off, there are four models in the Uno 240 range, and their names indicate their respective specs. Our review model is the i5-8400T, so those in the know can ascertain that this machine is powered by an eighth-generation Intel i5 processor. All variants have a 24-inch full-HD display, a 1TB solid state drive and 4GB of RAM. Those are above-par specs if you ask me - more than enough to take you through your day, whether through work or play - but we'll get back to that in a bit.
Its build is solid. At first glance, you may mistake it for plastic, but it's actually made of metal - think of it as what you see on those white refrigerators. The bottom panel has a somewhat brushed finish as well.
You'll have to DIY to make it stand by screwing in a boomerang-like base to the bottom of the machine. The problem with this is that the computer offers only one angle, since you can't tilt the screen up or down. A lower desk is fine since you can place it on other things in order to bring it up to your desired viewing angle. Wish for a higher location? You may need to stretch your neck like a giraffe.
Swing around and you'll see the power button on the left, a couple of USB-B ports and a memory card reader on the right, and several more ports below: HDMI, AV, ethernet and four more USB-Bs. No USB-Cs in sight (understandable). There's also the absence of a front camera (what?!).
Yep, no front camera, folks. That means you'll have to revert to the good ol' days when you had a webcam dangling from somewhere, perched atop the screen or just plain resting on the table if you want to have a little video chat with someone. Yikes.
Anyway, since this is a desktop, it means you'll be running on power right from your socket - so no YouTube tests this week. What I did with video, however, was test its screen quality: the Uno 240 has a 1920 x 1080 display, so there won't be any problem enjoying content. I tried a 4K video sample on it and the scenes glided just fine.
To get back to an earlier point: performance. The Uno 240 isn't exactly buttery-smooth. The chip inside is actually an i5-8600K, which is not so old because it was introduced only in 2017 (that's Coffee Lake architecture for all you nerds). In general, it responds well to keyboard commands and mouse movements/clicks, but firing up several apps or trying to smash through stuff at a quick pace will result in some split-second lags. Noticeable, but not annoying.
What bugs me a bit is the price. The first two in the line-up are at Dh2,600 and Dh3,000, which is good (the latter is our demo unit's cost). The last two, at Dh3,300 and Dh4,000, are a bit eyebrow-raising - because I know a particular model of a known brand that costs a hairline below these price points and has double the RAM, a dedicated graphics card and a front camera.
AND SO.
At this price point, the Ctroniq Uno 240 is a viable alternative to more expensive desktops, particularly all-in-ones. It's ideal for offices that require multiple machines dedicated to a lot of work that don't eat up a lot of space (it did hold up well with gaming, though). Its minimalistic design saves space as well, so there's room for other stuff on your desk. you know, like that webcam.
alvin@khaleejtimes.com

• Hard Drive