RM miniPC ecoquiet 210 review

The RM Desktop ecoquiet 210 is the company’s best-selling small-form-factor PC and uses RM’s G chassis, which measures just 322 x 420 x 94mm (WDH). This puts it between the company’s full height D chassis PCs and the ultra form factor MiniPC. The Desktop ecoquiet 210 looks very compact when viewed from the front, but it is quite deep. You can use the PC in desktop or tower configuration – RM provides two sturdy plastic feet for the latter.

Our review sample came with a full-size Logitech keyboard and RM mouse, and set-up was straightforward. RM says its PC cases are especially made for education and the Desktop ecoquiet 210’s metal case feels reassuringly robust, while its ‘finger force’ buttons are designed to withstand up to 11kg force or pressure. Prodding fingers are unlikely to damage this PC.

The PC’s design also works because it puts almost everything the user needs within easy reach. On the front panel are two USB 2 ports, a multi-card reader, a DVD rewriter, plus headphone and microphone sockets, so there’s little need for pupils to root around the back, although additional connectivity, including four more USB 2 ports, can be found there. RM also wins brownie points for positioning the front ports and the card reader so they’re not obscured by the keyboard, making memory cards and USB devices easier to insert and remove.

This being an ecoquiet PC, power consumption is much lower than with a regular desktop PC; RM claims it uses 24% less energy than one of its standard systems. It’s also quieter, putting out 14dB less than a normal PC, and cooler. All this is confirmed in operation – the Desktop ecoquiet 201 makes little noise, even when pushed.

The ecoquiet 210’s size means that it can pack a lot under the bonnet, and with a Core i3 2100T Sandy Bridge processor and 2GB of fast DDR2 RAM, this PC had no problems running typical classroom IT activities. In fact, with a PC Pro benchmark score of 0.46, there isn’t much this system won’t do with the exception of playing 3D games, where the integrated graphics Intel HD 2000 graphics slow things down.

RM is also only one of two companies on test that includes an on-site warranty with the price of the supplied unit. If saving desk space is your priority, then you might want to consider an even smaller PC, but otherwise this is an excellent choice.