Foxconn nt-A3700-0H0WBANA AMD A45 (Hudson D1) 1 x 204Pin AMD Radeon HD 6320 Black Mini / Booksize Barebone System

Pros: I waited to purchase until there was a deal for a free SSD included in the regular price. We already had a Widescreen 20.5" LCD monitor but no keyboard or mouse. I was able to get 8 GB of DDR3 1600 Ram, Windows 7 x64 Home Prem., and be up and running with a fully functional computer for about 350 including shipping. With the SSD it's faster than I expected it would be given the processor. It even has a built-in speaker better than many laptops!

Cons: Haven't figured out how to utilize the 1600 speed ram yet and don't know if it's possible. (the bios says it's running the ram at 1333) Everything is running fast, stable and quiet now, I wouldn't want to compromise that.

Other Thoughts: This is my wife's main computer, since setting it up we now have a functional budget and have even started the Total Money Makeover - by Dave Ramsey. Overall; this computer is going to end up saving us thousands of dollars and put us on track to real wealth building.

Pros: Ordered this device with 4GB RAM and 64GB SSD (Included free at the time of order). Installed Windows 8 and Installed Media Center. Has worked flawlessly since initial install.

Cons: NONE!

Pros: This device provides nearly every connection you might want. Especially nice is the HDMI and DVI can both be used for Multimon setup. 6 USB ports is a big + too.

I had no trouble getting RAM and SSD installed and have run Linux Mint 14 and Win7 without difficulty. Performance is really pretty good for the hardware.

Cons: Not as quiet as I had hoped or expected. The fan is clearly audible and cycles up and down in speed during normal desktop use. Core and GPU temps are reported as 75-80 deg. C. and 85-90C when watching video.

Also, the Wifi is basically unusable. The antenna is internal in this model, and It would barely hold a solid connection in the same room as the AP. I have to use a wired connection.

Any cable movement when turned on causes the HDMI signal to cut in and out due to connector flex. On-board Bluetooth would have been a nice addition too

Other Thoughts: This was a great deal - mine came with a free SSD, but the fan noise makes me wish I had paid a bit more for a truly fanless model.

Pros: Easy to setup. System comes with an opening tool (plastic knive). Took less than 5 minutes to open, install 4 GB SO-DIMM and 64 GB SSD (incl. in this deal)
Youtube and other video plays o.k. even at 1080.

Cons: Had some problems installing Windows 7 from USB stick. System booted fine (in front USB 3 port) but during install asked for a driver. Did some searching online and found workaround. Cancel out of driver dialog and move USB stick to another port (back). Was able to install Windows 7.
Some jitter and stutter when playing video from a NAS even at SD resolution.

Other Thoughts: After Windows install, be sure to install included drivers (after copying them from DVD to USB stick). This will enable Ethernet and WiFi as well as audio, video, etc,

Pros: Small form factor, lightweight, extremely quiet

Cons: no drivers, cheap plastic case breaks easily (to be expected), extreme temps for extended operating sessions

Other Thoughts: Bought this to use as a HTPC for a family member. Works great with 4g RAM and a 64g SSD (free with deal from NewEgg) running Win7x64, and blazes with Ubuntu.

Tried to remove the case cover to install the RAM and SDD, one of the screws was stripped right out of the box, and the cheap plastic "separator tool" broke one of the clips on the equally cheap plastic case. Not really a big deal, I bought it because it was cheap, I won't reduce an egg for that.

Also as others have stated, under heavy load the temps in this case get extremely high, but that's somewhat to be expected in a computer this small. I would recommend using the included stand and NOT laying it flat or mounting to a TV.

The real boon of this was I did not receive a driver CD. All attempts to get the drivers off the FoxConn website return 500 errors from their site, and I have yet been unable to find a reputable site that has them. And since one of the drivers missing is the LAN package, for the time being it's a (very light, quiet, cheap plastic) paperweight. Minus one egg for not including required software.

Overall for a light duty computer used for HTPC or web browsing, this is a good option (assuming you get the drivers). If you want to play modern games and such, buy/build an actual game rig.

Pros: DOA......( Loud Fart Noise ). Came with a free SSD.

Cons: DOA......( Loud Fart Noise )..... Ill change it if i can get it replaced. Hopefully I can.

Manufacturer Response:

Please try a different RAM stick or use one of the RAM sticks from our compatibility list.
http://www.foxconnsupport.com/NanoPClist.aspx?models=en-us0000002&type=MEMORY&Series=en-us0000012

Best regards,
Foxconn support team.

Pros: Tiny
Low Power
Decent hardware
Solid so far
Quiet
Mounts to tv or wall

Cons: Only 1 memory slot (but supports 8gb stick)
No expansion ports
Haven't used wireless, but it looks cheap

Other Thoughts: I love this machine for what I'm using it for. I currently have Windows Server 2012 installed and am using it as a web server, a spiceworks server, a vpn server, an hmail server, and a few other various things. It is mounted under my desk with the included tv mount, wired to the router, and basically invisible, which is more than I could ask for. Furthermore, it uses hardly any power, so if power goes out in my house, the UPS should keep it running for about 90 minutes. This is a huge plus in my book since I don't like having my website go down for even a minute.

I have been running this straight for over a month with no problems, no hangs, no restarts, no excessive heat, but I obviously am not taxing the system much. Windows Server software doesn't put much load unless you run massive databases and other fun stuff. I just run small databases and a few websites, and for this task it is more than adequate.

I highly recommend that you use an SSD as it will benefit this system greatly. I didn't have much issue cracking the case open once I found a good place to start, and nothing seemed easily breakable during the process. This unit deserves high praise for being what I think might be the best low cost, low energy home web server solution out there. 5 eggs!!!

Pros: Small and sleek looking. Fast enough for light tasks. Fast install and great for surfing the net. 720p plays fine but 1080p chokes a lot.

Cons: Maybe mine is defective but nothing I do will allow this little box to run 1080p. Not on Netflix. Not on Youtube. Not using VLC while playing .mkv's. Any 1080p video i try just pegs the processor at 100% and playback is jerky and completely unwatchable. Considering returning it or writing Foxconn as I'm pretty upset that it cannot play 1080p even though they say it can on the products webpage. Running Windows 7 Ultimate, 8gig of RAM, and a 60gig SSD that came with the A3700 from newegg. I've updated every driver imaginable, roll them back, flashed the bios and nothing will get this machine to play 1080p. Pretty bummed as I had planned on using this as a HTPC. Got an external Blu-Ray player coming in the mail today and I know already that it won't work because the A3700 I got WILL NOT PLAY 1080p!

Other Thoughts: Guess I should have known better than to pin my HTPC hopes on this device....

Manufacturer Response:

We apologize for any inconvenience. If you are using Wifi, please connect to the Internet using the onboard NIC instead. We are wondering if the 1080p issue is related to the Wifi. Also please submit your email to the link below. Thanks in advance.

http://www.foxconnsupport.com/inquiry.aspx

Best regards,
Barebone support team.

Pros: This HTPC has a great Form factor, is easy to work on, setup was quick with windows 8 on a usb. I had no driver issues and it only took about 30 minutes.

It comes with a small tool which is all you need to open it and work on it. I must have received a newer manual than other reviewers as I didn't find the manual confusing at all and it had clear pictures on how to get it open.

I put in a 60gb SSD I got through a Newegg deal, 4 gb of ram, and a Logitech wireless touch keyboard. With those it does everything I need. I got this to replace a combination of lackluster settop boxes i've been trying (AppleTV + Roku).

I mostly run Plex home theater and it runs great. I also watch Netflix and other streaming services. No issues streaming 1080p files over wireless. I plan on getting a media remote and then using the vesa mount.

Cons: Although all of these things are pointed out in the specs here are things you should be aware of before purchasing:

GPU lags under high processor utilization. Not the ideal system for GPU heavy tasks. Still much better than integrated Intel graphics though.

No Bluetooth.

Other Thoughts: I wish it had an integrated IR port like the MacMini but not a deal breaker.

I would have preferred an integrated power supply. The power brick is ok and I know why it is so often used but an internal power supply makes products seem much more polished.

Just an FYI for prospective buyers, it is really easy to strip the screws if you don't use the tiny, but included, screwdriver.

Can run Starcraft 2 on lowest settings and doesn't look terrible. Not really a pro or a con but I thought it was worth noting.

Pros: I bought over 100 of these little guys to build computer labs for four separate schools. So far I have about half of them up and running without a single failure! This is about the only component that I haven't had to RMA yet. Using them as fat clients on Edubuntu LTSP is an awesome solution for these labs with 4G of RAM and no need to buy hard drives. Easily powers my 1080P monitors without hesitation on effects and video playback. Rock solid as far as I can tell. And, VESA mounting them on the back of the display along with a little cable management provides the super-clean look I wanted in these labs.

Cons: Still haven't been able to figure out a (reliable) way to boot these machines with WOL (Wake on Lan). Don't want the students to have to reach behind the monitors to power up the machines in the morning. (suggestions welcome) They seem to maintain a 10mbit link in S5, but the MACs don't register in the address table of my switch, so I don't think the Magic Packet is getting forwarded...?

Other Thoughts: Very satisfied with these little guys. If/when I get the WOL issues solved, I'll have the perfect setup for my needs.