The EVO PC is the smallest barebones in the 'shoebox' form factor we tested this month. It weighs in at the ridiculously low 2.2kg with power supply, but without the Pentium 4 heatsink. Unfortunately, it was not the highest quality unit: it feels rather flimsy for lack of weight; is without room for AGP expansion and limits you to the integrated shared memory graphics. Its single storage bay will allow you to put in a DVD-ROM, although for additional flexibility, your better option would be a DVD/CD-RW combo drive.

Input for a single DIMM of DDR will force you to buy a single stick with decent capacity, and limits future upgrades, although if the box will only be used for MP3 playback or home movies, you'll get by with one stick of 256MB.

Plenty of legacy connectivity here - this is your no-frills barebones system for low budget builders still looking to crack into small form factor without paying as much as the more feature-laden Shuttle units. As such it represents great value for money, although at the sacrifice of features and upgrade potential.