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Lenovo Q190 - Test results & 2 questions
#1
I've seen a few posts on whether Lenovo’s new Q190 with a Celeron 887 cpu will make a good HTPC with XBMC, so thought I’d share my feedback as I purchased one from Amazon UK last week.

I confirm the lowest spec Q190 running XBMC Frodo on Windows 8 plays anything I throw at it, including 1080P 3D films (tested on my 47 inch Active LG 3D TV with 3D glasses) and outputs Bitstream for HD audio (my Yamaha Amp reports DTS-MA or Dolby True-HD etc).

At £249 ($348 in Amazon US) fully loaded for what Lenovo call the world’s smallest PC, I see this as currently the best value full HTPC. (With it paperback book size and 500mb drive, it’s also perfect to fill with kids Movies to take on holiday etc).

Only downslide is slightly louder than expected fan noise that appears to run at full speed all the time, even though XBMC never raises CPU utilisation above 10% (though can only really hear it during the quietest dialogue parts of a film). I can’t find a BIOS setting or get any Fan control software to reduce the fan speed. Does anyone have any other ideas how I can reduce fan noise?

I’m Considering rebuilding it with OpenELEC 3.0 (when it is finally released) so as to reduce boot up time. (As Q190 has Intel 2000 graphics it will support HD audio unlike HTPC’s running AMD cpu’s with on board graphics). Does anyone think this is worth it as currently Win8 boots in about 15 seconds?
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#2
How is this a better value than the Arctic MC001?
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#3
About 290 euro...

Specs
Brand Lenovo
Item Weight 2.7 Kg
Product Dimensions 45.4 x 20.6 x 14.4 cm
Item model number VE74AUK
Processor Brand Intel
Processor Type Intel Celeron
Processor Speed 1.5 GHz
RAM Size 4 GB
Computer Memory Type DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive Size 500 GB
Graphics Card Description Integrated
Graphics RAM Type DDR3 SDRAM
Operating System Windows 8
Lithium Battery Weight 25 grams

Image

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Νο IR Remote though...

Really good looking

Seems an interesting choice..

and please report back about the noise with Openelec installed...

If they havent solved the noise problems i dont thing this is a good choice for htpc
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#4
The Arctic MC001 is probably the closest device to the Q190, but I thought the Q190 would make a better HTPC as its Celeron 887 CPU is 3 x faster than the Arctic MC001 Atom. I also didn’t think the Arctic MC001 qualifies a s truly portable mini HTPC, the Q190 is 1/3rd smaller. Lastly I don't believe the Arctic MC001 will play HD Audio if running OpenELec, something I wish to run.

I excluded Rasberry pi and Android devices as full 1080P playback is questionable and they won’t play 3D or support HD Audio.
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#5
(2013-02-25, 21:11)mirwin Wrote: I've seen a few posts on whether Lenovo’s new Q190 with a Celeron 887 cpu will make a good HTPC with XBMC, so thought I’d share my feedback as I purchased one from Amazon UK last week.

I confirm the lowest spec Q190 running XBMC Frodo on Windows 8 plays anything I throw at it, including 1080P 3D films (tested on my 47 inch Active LG 3D TV with 3D glasses) and outputs Bitstream for HD audio (my Yamaha Amp reports DTS-MA or Dolby True-HD etc).

Funny, because the prevailing theory here is that you can't do any of these things with the Sandy Bridge Celeron mobile. It's nice to see someone else post real world experience.
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#6
How would this stack up versus a Zotac AD04?
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#7
Probably i am too old...

I - still - cant imagine an HTPC without an IR remote... Smile
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#8
(2013-02-25, 21:11)mirwin Wrote: I confirm the lowest spec Q190 running XBMC Frodo on Windows 8 plays anything I throw at it, including 1080P 3D films (tested on my 47 inch Active LG 3D TV with 3D glasses) and outputs Bitstream for HD audio (my Yamaha Amp reports DTS-MA or Dolby True-HD etc).
Are you sure it can do SBS 3d on Frodo? Intel spec don't support it- Intel® Celeron® Processor 887 (2M Cache, 1.50 GHz). If it is "Intel® Core™ i3-2365M Processor (3M Cache, 1.40 GHz)", it support 3d....
>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
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#9
I'm torn between getting this or the ArticMC001 (with windows)

I want Windows OS to be able to use SkyGo (I'm in Ireland) and Any opinions would be appreciated.

FWIW I don't want any DVD or blu ray drives, and willprobably just use an external Hard drive for increased storage capacity.
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#10
This one is much faster then Arctic...and comes with Windows 8 pre installed..

http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Celeron-88...-Atom-D525

If you can afford it.. you should go for it.. (since you want to use windows)
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#11
(2013-02-27, 19:46)solamnic Wrote: This one is much faster then Arctic...and comes with Windows 8 pre installed..

http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Celeron-88...-Atom-D525

If you can afford it.. you should go for it.. (since you want to use windows)

Sorry but did you mean to link to a processor comparison.

Sorry I had a brain fart.
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#12
Yep..

to support my argument that Lenovo has a more powerful processor than Arctic Smile
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#13
(2013-02-27, 20:36)solamnic Wrote: Yep..

to support my argument that Lenovo has a more powerful processor than Arctic Smile

Thanks Tongue
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#14
(2013-02-27, 19:33)ltsmashie Wrote: I'm torn between getting this or the ArticMC001 (with windows)

I want Windows OS to be able to use SkyGo (I'm in Ireland) and Any opinions would be appreciated.

FWIW I don't want any DVD or blu ray drives, and willprobably just use an external Hard drive for increased storage capacity.
If you want a powerful tiny box, this little box might the best of all- Intel BOXDC3217IYE Intel QS77 2 x 204Pin Intel HD Graphics 4000....
>Alienware X51- do it all HTPC
>Simplify XBMC configurations
>HOW-TO Bitstreaming using XBMC
I refused to watch movie without bitstreaming HD audio!
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#15
I installed OpenELEC 3.0 RC3 on my Lenovo Q190 today running from a USB stick and again it plays anything I throw at it. Including several 3D, HD Audio demo’s from www.demo-world.eu/trailers/3d-high-definition-trailers.php, as well as “LG 3D Demo 1080p Half-SBS AC3.mkv”, and “Megamind+3D+Trailer.mkv” I downloaded, although have yet to try full 10GB+.mkv 3D movie.

Some responses to my first post were skeptical if the Q190 with a Celeron 887 could play 3D SBS films with True HD sound, but I have now tested with several different files on my 3D TV with active glasses and all looks fine to me.

I have attached a link pic (don't know how to insert) with below (with TV 3D mode turned off so you can see the side by side, rather than the blur without the 3D glasses). You will also see the tiny Q190 under my TV and my Yamaha AMP reporting DTS HD.

As I’m not a real techie so I could be missing something, so perhaps someone could interpret the XBMC on screen display in the pic and let me know if it is real 3D and Dolby HD, as if so the Q190 looks like a very good value HTPC.

https://plus.google.com/photos/111773415...3000091521
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