It is truly hard for me to remain completely subjective about the ECS LIVA Mini PC kit as an end user. On one hand, having had high-end computers because I could afford them, the offered performance here is quite limited, which is part of the reason there are no benchmarks in this review. There simply is no point in running benchmarks to prove that this tiny PC I assembled is slow compared to the huge Tri-SLI gaming rig I am in the process of building. However, that is not really the point of the ECS LIVA Mini PC. It's about being "just enough" while keeping costs to a minimum. That in and of itself is no small task, pun not intended.

I took a look at how much each individual part actually added up to, and looking at the Intel-based x86 SoC alone made me stop. That little thing sipping the power costs just a bit over $100 itself, never mind adding audio, network, wireless NGFF, memory, storage, and PCB. ECS has done a fantastic job of choosing decent componentry, and so much so as to make that in and of itself exciting. You are definitely getting your money's worth by buying one for just $200.

I can see how these little boxes could easily replace the many office machines spread across the globe, lowering power consumption and offering the limited expandability such an environment requires. Yet with USB 3.0 for added storage, and USB 2.0 for a wireless keyboard, you got yourself a pretty decent entry-level system for surfing the web and streaming videos. It will do most basic office-type software as well, which makes it something you can give to your kids without having to worry about them playing video games all day long. With its low cost and low power consumption, it's that small box you can use to bring the Internet to every room, and with no fan, it's not going to bring any noise with it. You can not expect a lot for $200, but ECS's LIVA Mini PC Kit definitely delivers. I did write this review on it, after all. ;)