The all in one market isn’t something that has changed much over the years. The main purpose has always been to get the guts of a computer and a monitor inside a housing not much bigger than the latter. A smart idea of anyone looking to safe space and simply plug into a single device and work away.
It’s clear that were not looking at anything that was meant to break any records, but more designed to fill a purpose from a practical point of view. None the less, it’s a PC and performance is key for overall usability. Let’s take a look at the specs before taking a closer look at the unit itself.
MSI Adora 20 2BT
- Wndows 8.1 with BING
- Intel® Bay Trail-D Celeron J1900
- Intel® HM86 Express Chipset
- 19.5″ LED Backlight panel HD+ (1600×900) (Anti-Flicker, Anti-Glare)
- Intel® HD Graphics
- 4GB DDR3
- 500GB
- DVD/RW SM
- Gigabit LAN
- 802.11BGN WLAN
- 2x 3W speakers with Sound Blaster Cinema
- HDMI
- 2x USB 2.0
- 4x USB 3.0
- 2x Mini PCI-E
- 1x Mic in / 1x Headphone out
- 3 in 1 Card Reader
- 1MP Webcam
- 90W Power Adapter
- VESA 100 x 100mm
- 6.43kg
- 2 Years Warranty
The MSI Adora20 2BT
The side connections/buttons include 2 x USB 2.0 connections (1 provides power in standby) SD/MMC/MS memory card reader. Buttons include unit-power, screen-power, menu, and volume up, and down. There is also the activity LED’s as well.
On the right we have the slim DVD-RW drive.
The rear houses most of the connections. Starting from the left we have Power, HDMI out, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x USB 3.0 port, Ehternet, 3.5mm microphone and speaker jacks.
MSI include a complete white wireless keyboard and mouse. both accessories work off the same USB module. Quick and simple to set up.
Design of the PC is very sleek, being an all in one unit that’s exactly what you would hope for. The tilt on the display can be adjusted easily and allows you a little control over the overall height of the device aswell. The clear idea here is to give you an entire PC/monitor setup without any fuss or the need for a lot of room. The MSI Adora 20 ticks the right boxes for the all in one setup. The front also includes a front facing camera with a microphone and built in speakers on the bottom- everything needed for a quick and easy to use PC.
Setup
The computer does come with some extra programs and a Norton Anti Virus pre-installed. We definitely recommend getting rid of Norton, unless you enjoy constant pop-ups. Running the PC for the first time is no different than any Windows 8 device. MSi also include a program for determining whether to start up in desktop mode or directly in the start menu. Desktop mode is best for this model, since we have no touch-screen. Cyber PowerDVD is also among the included software as standard.
There is much to talk about when it comes to setting up the MSI Adora 20, and not to much bloatware that will get in the way. Although we definitely suggest getting rid of the included Norton and simply stick with something like Windows Defender.
Testing
While the all in one pc isn’t meant to break any records;it’s still important to get an idea of what kind of performance we can expect from the unit. PCMark is best for that and will show us exactly what the Adora 20 will offer in terms of overall performance abilities.
PCMark
The three tests we run are Home/Work/Creative Conventional.
It’s clear were not going to be breaking out any extensive programs to run on the Adora 20. Browsing the web, watching YouTube/Netflix and playing low-level games are clearly the most you will get out of it. Exactly what we expected, but at least the results show that won’t be a bit of an issue.
3DMark
When people think of 3DMark, they think of high end graphics cards and ultimate gaming rigs. While it’s true that the most used aspect of the benchmark software is for high end machines. The software does include a wide array of benchmarks aimed at low-end devices. If your looking to play some easy going games, it best to make sure you won’t run into any issues and that the device can handle.
The tests show the Adora 20 can just about handle the same as a high end mobile/mid-range laptop. Scoring under 50fps for Ice Storm Extreme means low end gaming is just about the limit.
Conclusion
The Adora 20 offers a simple way of getting your computer needs. While a basic computer isn’t essentially a messy thing to set up, there is a lot that can be said about an all in one set up that makes it a lot easier to use. There is 1 plug, no monitors to attach, and the wireless keyboard and mouse also mean no wires beyond power are needed.
The included display offers okay viewing angles, but does suffer a decent amount of light bleed. The resolution isn’t 1080p, but is high enough to offer sharp details. MSI do have other models with 1080p and touchscreen abilities, but obviously at a higher cost. Performance is solid enough to give the user a decent experience. We’re not seeing desktop level performance, but closer to a mid-range laptop. Browsing the internet and watching HD videos won’t be an issue for the PC and at this price point, that’s what most people will be looking to get out of it.
We’re generally very pleased with the unit and its usability. Setup was as you expect and ridiculously easy. Using wireless meant we had a single cable for power and that was it and the unit doesn’t require any more than 90w of power, making it extremely power efficient.
The Adora 20 is aimed at being extremely easy to setup and doesn’t require much to get running. The main benefits also include a form factor no bigger than a monitor and some seriously power efficient hardware. The performance isn’t mind blowing or even all that impressive, but enough to handle most daily tasks on a general computer. Ultimately the Adora 2o does a great job for is target market. Pricing is set at £299, with another model available with touchscreen/1080p display for a higher price. While expensive compared to general desktops, the benefit of having an all in one unit are definitely relevant, especially the sub 100w of power it uses.
We of course recommend the Adora 20t from MSI for anyone looking to setup a computer without any hassle and are looking for a simple way to get online and have a fully functional computer in a small space. We gladly award the Adora 20 with gold and recommend people check it out if their looking for something simple and pratical.
