ASRock NetTop ION 330

In our final two tests, Crafty and dcraw, the performance was similar between the two nettops running Linux until it came to overclocking the ASRock ION 330, at which point it sped ahead.

Not only does the ASRock Nettop perform well thanks to its NVIDIA ION GPU and Intel Atom 330 dual-core processor, but also the system has a very small form factor, runs cool and quiet, and comes with a great set of features. There is also great connectivity with HDMI, DVI, VGA, and S/PDIF, but this system lacks any integrated eSATA or WiFi or Bluetooth support. The ability to overclock the Atom 330 processor is also excellent and allows you to squeeze a bit more performance of the system if you so wish. The ASRock NetTop ION 330 is not yet available through most retail outlets, but we are told its price will be at about $350 USD, which is not bad at all. In fact, for that price, we absolutely love this product. There is also the NetTop ION 330-BD for those looking for Blu-ray disc support. ASRock is also working on the MultiBook M15, which is going to be an Intel notebook with a multi-touch touchpad, which should be out later this year and will certainly be interesting to see.

For pricing information on netbooks and other Atom-powered desktop computers, visit TestFreaks.com.