Asus’ all-in-one V400 desktop is a potent iMac killer for PC followers

In in the present day’s mobile-first computing world, the tried-and-true desktop PC has discovered itself more and more on the point of obsoletism. As a type issue, a pc that continues to be stationary on a desk may seem antiquated in an age of razor-thin laptops and pill PCs, however that is to not say that it could possibly’t serve its personal market area of interest.

Nowadays, desktop PCs assume one in every of three distinct types: the normal tower PC, which is typical of desktop gaming rigs, the mini PC, of which Apple and Qualcomm are pushing the boundaries of in compactness, and, in fact, the iMac-esque all-in-one.

All-in-one PCs (or AiOs) for brief, are a ‘set it and overlook it’ method to desktop computing that consolidates the PC expertise right into a single, handy bundle. An AiO’s monitor can also be its tower, which can also be its audio system, which can also be its microphone, which can also be its webcam…you get the concept.

There’s one thing nice and satisfying about plugging a single unit into the wall, and instantly having a full-fledged PC at your disposal. There isn’t any want to fret about further wires, peripherals, muddle, batteries, or docking stations.

The Asus V400 AiO is a sexy proposition

Whereas not excellent, the pc does supply a stable quantity of tech inside a streamlined bundle

With this in thoughts, and having been an iMac person for a number of years now, I made a decision to take Asus’ new V400 AiO collection for a spin. Immediately, I used to be each impressed by the product’s trendy look, and underwhelmed by its considerably creaky construct. For no matter purpose, there nonetheless is not a viable Home windows PC various to the iMac that provides a premium, all-aluminum enclosure, and Asus is not making an attempt to buck this established order.

Fortunately, the V400’s super-slim NanoEdge show bezels are trendy and minimalistic, with a powerful 93% screen-to-body ratio that, to emphasise, completely torches the iMac. The remainder of the outside is suitably clear, with few seams seen from the entrance and a stable, weighted base.

Sadly, the V400’s show is just simply common. It is 1920 x 1080 FHD decision in all fairness pixel-dense on the 24-inch mannequin, however not fairly as sharp as I would have favored when stretched out throughout a 27-inch canvas. It is IPS LCD know-how makes for good viewing angles, and its 250 nits of brightness (plus a matte show coating) is sufficient to fight glare within the common workplace setting. As somebody who stares at my PC display far too late into the night, I do admire the TÜV Rheinland certification for eye consolation and blue-light discount.

For the worth, the V400 is a relative powerhouse within the computational division. It may be configured with as much as an Intel Core i7-13620H processor, as much as 32GB of quick DDR5 RAM, and as much as 1TB of M.2 NVMe SSD-based inside storage. Different key built-in specs embrace Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, and an included 90W AC adapter to energy all the factor.

The 1080p FHD webcam is pretty customary fare, although I admire that it may be retracted into the physique of the unit when not in use for added safety. In any other case, the V400 lacks some other nicities like Windows Hello biometric authentication, presence detection, a contact display, or the power to pivot the show exterior a relatively restricted vary of movement.

When it comes to in-box peripherals, the V400 ships with a wi-fi mouse and keyboard combo that join through an included USB receiver dongle. The 2 are charged by AAA and AA batteries, respectively, they usually actually do get the job finished. In fact, neither exudes a very robust sense of premium high quality, they usually in no way match as much as, say, Apple’s Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard equivalents.

The place Asus does vault forward of the iMac is in port choice. The V400 is pretty I/O wealthy, with the next on deck:

• 1x HDMI 1.4 (out)
• 3x USB Sort-A (3.2 Gen 1)
• 1x USB Sort-C (3.2 Gen 1)
• 1x RJ45 LAN (Ethernet)
• 1x energy output
• 1x USB Sort-A (2.0)
• 1x microphone/headphone combo jack (3.5mm)
• 1x Kensington lock

This far outdoes the iMac’s meager port scenario, although Apple’s USB-C ports do present much more bandwidth as a consequence of their incorporation of Thunderbolt know-how.

The iMac is not the one AiO on the town

There’s nonetheless room available in the market for a ‘set it and overlook it’ desktop PC expertise

For essentially the most half, once I consider an all-in-one PC, I consider Apple’s iMac. Apple’s flagship AiO has been synonymous with the shape issue for a few years, owing to a legacy of outstanding construct high quality, high-quality show panels, and synergy with the broader ecosystem of Apple {hardware} services.

In fact, with the modern-day iMac, it’s important to accept a 24-inch show dimension, and also you additionally need to be on board with the macOS working system. Gone are the times of a bigger 27-inch iMac SKU, and the power to dual-boot Windows on a Mac natively has turn out to be a footnote of historical past within the Apple Silicon period.

Inside this context, Asus fills the void with its V400 AiO — a 27-inch all-in-one operating Home windows 11, providing a unit with slim bezels, a sexy exterior, and a wholesome choice of ports and I/O connectivity. The product is way from excellent, with its liberal use of plastic, it is comparatively low-res display, and its middling in-box peripherals, but it surely does pack a processing punch with out breaking the financial institution within the course of.

Should you’re seeking to streamline your workspace with a no-nonsense pc that runs Home windows 11, then the Asus V400 is a stable alternative certainly. The PC will get the job finished with out muddle or the necessity to arrange and recharge a dozen exterior peripherals, which truthfully seems like a breath of recent air coming from the more and more frequent paradigm of a laptop computer + dock + exterior monitor setup.

This gadget was offered to Pocket-lint by Asus.