Introduction

ECS is a mainstay in the PC market, having been founded back in 1987. Being an OEM manufacturer for other brands along with producing their own high-quality products over the last 30 years, ECS has grown, having expanded into various markets with motherboards, desktops, mini-PCs, notebooks, graphics cards, and more. Through it all, ECS has continued to commit themselves to excellence, having overcome numerous obstacles in their continued drive to develop cutting-edge technology.


In today's review, I focus on the ECS LIVA Q2; this updated model of the original LIVA Q2 only has a few upgrades, the biggest being the switch from an Intel Celeron N3350 to an N4000. Storage space and system memory remain the same with the system coming with 32 GB of eMMC storage and 4 GB of DDR4 memory. Overall, the system sticks with the tiny form factor of its predecessor, but before going any further, let's take a closer look at the specifications.

Packaging and Contents

The LIVA Q comes in a box that is 13 cm long, 13 cm wide, and 9.5 cm thick. The top shows an image of the system and mentions the inclusion of Windows 10, with a quick list of features on the bottom right, including its compact size, 4K capabilities, and HDMI-CEC remote control. Moving to the left, system specifications and UPC code have been placed here, while the right side details the system's specifications and connectivity options, including its overall dimensions of just 70 x 70 x 33.4 mm. It really is a "Pocket-sized PC".


The remaining sides offer up nothing other than the LIVA Q2 model name in orange.


Upon opening the box, you will be greeted by the ECS LIVA Q2, placed neatly in the middle of the packaging. The rest of the parts are placed around or below it by the way of cardboard pieces that create partitions for keeping everything neat and tidy.


The bundle itself is very much barebones, but does include everything necessary to power up the system and mount it to the back of a TV. It was also nice to see UK and EU power plug adapters in the box.

• LIVA Q2
• Power brick
• VESA mounting plate
• VESA screws
• UK power adapter
• EU power adapter

A Closer Look

Looking at the top of the LIVA Q2, it has a brushed aluminium-style finish and yes, you can feel the grooves. While it does add a bit of flair alongside the orange LIVA name in the middle, it's soon forgotten. The bottom lists the system's product name as "Ultra tiny PC" with the specific model being the LIVA Q2; they certainly got the tiny part right.


The front of the unit has a power button along with a USB 3.0 and a USB 2.0 port. Meanwhile, extra storage is handled via the micro SD card slot, which is on the left side and allows for a maximum of 128 GB of extra storage. Finally, the rear of the unit has a Gigabit LAN port, HDMI 2.0 port, and, of course, the power plug.


A Kensington lock is on the right side. Other than that, you won't find much else here.


When it comes to attaching the LIVA Q2 to a monitor, start by attaching the two screws with smooth sections to the system. Then, secure the bracket to your monitor. With that done, you can turn and slide the LIVA Q2 into place on the bracket, at which point gravity will hold it in place.