Sapphire EDGE VS8 Pro Reviews

Priced at just over $500 at the time of this review, one could make a solid argument that the same amount of money could be invested into a capable notebook computer that takes up even less space and includes a display, keyboard, etc. That wouldn’t really be an option, however, if you aren’t interested in a notebook. But as a small form factor computer, the Sapphire VS8 excels in a number of categories.

The Edge VS8 delivers somewhat unimpressive general performance, but really comes into its own with multimedia and gaming where it can outclass the competition. A good set of connectivity options is provided, along with a roomy 500GB hard drive. It can function well as a stand-alone family entertainment hub and is available at a very low price.

The Sapphire Edge VS8 may cost a bit more than most other units, but it offers an excellent price to performance ratio. The other comparable unit would be the brand new ID83 from Zotac. It costs around 10% more and offers a dual-core CPU with Intel HD3000 graphics, which not only makes the Sapphire Edge VS8 more affordable, but also better specced - at least on paper. If you can live without IR and any remote features right out of the box - something you can easily buy separately if need be - then there is really nothing to go against the Edge VS8. Those worried about what Sapphire could install within the full system should grab the barebone unit with an SSD and their choice of memory. With such a configuration, the VS8 will not only manage to impress in3D applications and games, but also in everyday use.

All in all the Edge VS8 is very good mini PC with a speedy CPU and killer GPU. It is more than just another alternative to Atom and Brazos based systems, in terms of performance it is in a league of its own. In spite of that, the power consumption is low, it is quieter than other HD-series systems and at €379 it isn’t too expensive, either. In barebone flavour it costs €299, which means you could put together an SSD system for about €450.

Sapphire’s tiny PC looks the part, but poor performance from the AMD APU and a high price leave it lagging behind the competition