Thread: Panache Office Value

At first glance, the Office Value looks plain and boring, but inside it lurks the fastest CPU of the bunch. It had the only dual-core Atom of the lot, giving it an immediate advantage. The Office Value won our Best Performance prize, but still might not be the best choice for some because of its relative lack of features and accessories. The case is a 3-litre design, i.e. three times the size of the Asus and Acer models. This allows it to use a standard microlTX motherboard, at the cost of its competitors' sleek looks. The box we received came with basically nothing other than the stand and power adapter: not even a keyboard and mouse were included. You get Linux preinstalled, so you'll have to pay more for Windows if you want it. You'll also be without Wi-Fi, a card reader, and other such conveniences. It's definitely more for getting work done than multimedia or entertainment, making it far more suitable for an office desk than a home. We were pleasantly surprised to see benchmark scores nearly double those of the competition, which of course can only be attributed to the dual-core CPU. It's still an Atom though, so it isn't up for any serious number crunching. VERDICT: If you're looking for reasonable power at a reasonable price in a small and quiet form factor, then this is clearly the best option. FOR: Great performance and price AGAINST: Bare package, weak multimedia