Sapphire Edge Mini PC Review

Power Consumption:

The Sapphire Edge was designed to be a media focused PC, making it a prime candidate for an HTPC.  Low power usage is definitely preferred in HTPC .  All of the scenarios were conducted using a WattsUpPro power meter using the average power consumption over five minutes for each run.

Lower is Better

Temperatures:

Temperature is another concern with Home Theater PCs.  In a typical home theater setup, amplifiers and televisions are going to run hot. So, a PC is going to be running in proximity to these and it is important that they naturally run cool.  To simulate a maximum load on the processor and graphics core, I ran SuperPi and FurMark 1.8.2 simultaneously to get the whole system's temperature up.  Measurements were taken with the computer out in the open with a constant ambient temperature of 20°C during the entire test.

Lower is Better

These last two tests really show just how efficient the Sapphire Edge really is.  Under 100% load on the CPU and GPU, I couldn't get it to use more than 29 Watts.  As if that wasn't impressive enough, the processor temperature maxed out @ 38°C.  During all of these tests, the internal fan at most, produced a light whirl which, from even a short distance, was inaudible.