The Chuwi LarkBox is a surprisingly decent ultra-small form factor system. While it is a novelty compared to a proper laptop, for example, it still performed admirably. Chuwi also avoided the pitfalls ECS has run into with its LIVA Q2. Unlike its closest competitor, the LarkBox comes with enough eMMC storage for both applications and Windows updates without jumping through endless hoops. While the LIVA Q2 does come in a 64 GB eMMC version, its availability has been more spotty, which also makes the option of having expandable storage via a micro SD card or—more importantly—a SATA based M.2 2242 SSD great, as it's a feature typically missing with systems this size. Add in the 6 GB of LPDDR4 compared to the competition at 4 GB and there is enough system memory to avoid hitting the page file more often than not under light use. However, with multiple chrome tabs and other apps, the system will still slow down, and while more memory can help with that, you are still limited to the 6 GB it comes with. Regardless, that is still an upgrade compared to what I have seen lately in terms of out-of-the-box configurations.

All told, the system felt quite responsive considering its meager specifications, and while it's not a system for power users, it's a perfect little HTPC if you access media via network-attached storage. It is capable of handling 4K 60 Hz, and I had no issues with the playback of 4K Youtube content either. I would say its most attractive role is as a PC for the more technology challenged to do some online shopping and checking Facebook without any troubles, or the kids to do their homework. Suffice it to say simple tasks are not a problem, but trying to do any serious work on this system is going to result in a bad day. No, you won't be doing 3D rendering, gaming, or any kind of serious work on something this affordable. However, if you are just looking to do basic office work, it's an entry-level system that fills those needs perfectly.

The polycarbonate chassis feels pretty solid, and while the Intel Celeron J4115 could likely be passively cooled, especially in a larger chassis, the use of active cooling by Chuwi is nice to see. Playing it safe just means temperatures stay low and performance remains as high as you can expect from a Celeron processor. Performance is constrained by the CPU's TDP, which ranges from 6 watts at idle to 15 watts under load, with peaks of 18 watts from the wall under intense loads. That said, noise levels were not a major concern as the system typically peaked at around 42 dBA, and my testing of it mounted behind a monitor showed that it is effectively silent in that scenario.

The only real downside to the system is its lack of USB connectivity. Put simply, two USB Type-A ports are not enough. Systems of this size really need at least three usable USB Type-A ports. Trust me, trying to use this system and moving benchmarks over from an external HDD was a pain since I had to constantly unplug the keyboard or mouse to make it happen. As such, anyone buying a system like this at the very least may want to invest in a USB hub. I was also surprised the system had no Ethernet port. Granted, it does have Wi-Fi because of its Intel Wireless-AC 9461, but a proper wired connection would have been nice. The LarkBox also has an extremely limited BIOS, which wasn't unexpected. However, the system as a whole was quite surprising.

The Chuwi LarkBox leaves a positive impression despite its minor shortcomings. It does quite well with light-duty work, proving to be the perfect system for Facebook, email checking and composing, online shopping, and basic office tasks. Add the fact that it is affordable and well built, with the ability to upgrade the internal storage, and it is easy to recommend for certain niche situations. Speaking of niche situations, I will be giving this unit to a relative to replace their ancient dinosaur of a desktop which is used for the things listed above. Either way, if you need a fully featured system this small, the Chuwi LarkBox is a solid option for the price, but keep your eyes open for potential sales as I have seen it available for $199.