Lenovo Ideacentre Q190 review

Mini PCs all save on space, making them perfect companions for messy desks. But while the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 is comparatively tall compared to other mini PCs we’ve tested, it’s still incredibly slight. Measuring just 155x22x193mm, it’s roughly the same size as an iPad Mini standing on its end. It even comes with a VESA mount so you can screw it onto the back of your monitor if you don’t want to lay it flat or use the included stand.

Its small size doesn’t mean the Q190 is much less versatile than a traditional PC, though, as Lenovo has made good use of the available space to cram in plenty of ports. Most of these are on the rear of the PC, and include four USB2 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port and an optical S/PDIF audio output to connect to certain surround sound systems.

There’s only a VGA and an HDMI output to connect to a display, but as you can plug an HDMI port into a DVI monitor with a £4 adaptor this isn’t too much of a problem. You certainly won’t be short of USB ports, as the PC has another two USB3 ports on the front of the PC along with a multi-format card reader and separate headphone and microphone jacks underneath its elegant, if slightly flimsy, silver plastic flap.

This gives you plenty of scope for adding extra storage to the Q190’s 1TB hard disk, but you’ll need to save two USB ports for a keyboard and mouse, or one if you use a wireless set; the Q190 doesn’t have built-in Bluetooth.

The Q190’s main downside is its lack of upgrade options. The plastic chassis is completely sealed, so you’ll have to make do with what’s already inside the box for the duration of the PC’s lifespan. This will come as a disappointment to some, but fortunately the Q190 is already considerably more powerful than many PCs in this price range.