HP was one of the first manufacturers to release a small form factor PC and the e-PC 42 is the first of its size to include an Intel Pentium 4 processor. It's supplied with a choice of specifications, including either an Intel Celeron or Pentium 4 processor.

Our review system used a 1.7GHz Pentium 4 CPU and Intel 845 chipset, as well as 128MB of PC133 SDRAM memory, rather than the more expensive Rambus.

One of the major criticisms of the original e-PC was its lack of expandability. That's not the case with this new version, however. Its hard disk can also be swapped using the tool-free caddy.

Port Control System

The case is tool free and has a built-in lock for security. For those companies where employees aren't allowed to alter their PC in any way, the ports at the rear of the e-PC 42 can be locked down. This is done using a plastic cover (the Port Control System) that locks over the two PS/2 ports, serial, parallel and two USB ports.

There are also two USB ports on the front of the chassis, but these can be disabled in the BIOS.

Size & weight

The main reason for having a PC of this size is the amount of space it saves. It measures 28 by 9.5 by 25cm and can even be hung under a desk using HP's Mounting Bracket. The weight of a desktop system isn't usually considered important, but because the e-PC is small enough to be carried easily, the fact that it weighs just 4.85kg is helpful. Monitor

HP supplies the e-PC 42 with a choice of either a 15in or 17in LCD monitor. Our review model came with a 15in display with a native resolution of 1,024 by 768 pixels and powered by an integrated ATI Rage 128 Pro 4XL GPU with 16MB of memory.

Our review model also had a Seagate 20GB Ultra ATA/100 5,200rpm hard disk drive.

Cooling system & software

The e-PC 42 isn't only small, it is also very quiet. Despite using a Pentium 4 CPU, which requires a lot of cooling because of the heat it generates, the internal fans are hardly noticeable. This is because the chassis has been optimised to allow efficient airflow, therefore reducing the need for large fans.

Included with the e-PC is Rembo Auto Deploy and Rembo Auto Backup software, which, for systems connected to a network, let you deploy software across it and do backup. HP's Toptools software is also included. Windows XP Professional is the pre-installed operating system.

Conclusion

HP's e-PC 42 offers a great deal for a small form factor PC.

Contact
HP: 0990 474747 www.hp.co.uk