Acer is expanding its Revo line of tiny desktop computers with a new model that starts small… but can get bigger if you need more power.

The Acer Revo Build series is a modular mini-desktop that will be available in Europe, the Middle East and Asia in October for a starting price of €199 in Europe.

Acer does plan to offer the Revo Build in the United States, but pricing and availability haven’t been announced yet.

revo build_01

The basic mini PC is about the size of an Intel NUC, measuring 4.9″ x 4.9″ x 2.2.” It’ll never get wider than that, but you can build up by stacking “Blocks” on top of the base.

Blocks connect to one another through pogo pins with magnetic alignment, so there are no cables required to add a block. At launch, Acer plans to make Blocks with 500GB and 1 terabyte portable hard drives available.

Future modules will include features such as an Audio Block with built-in speakers and a microphone, a wireless power bank, a projector Block, and even an external graphics Block with an AMD graphics card.

The guts of the computer are in the base station, which features 32GB of eMMC storage, up to 8GB of RAM, and an Intel Celeron N3050, Celeron N3150, or Pentium N3700 Braswell processor.

The system ships with Windows 10 software and features three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and DisplayPort, a headset jack, and an SD card reader.

Acer says it’s easy to upgrade the Revo Build’s memory by loosening a single screw to open up the case.

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7 replies on “Acer Revo Build is a modular mini PC”

  1. The biggest mistake is the form factor not allowing for 3.5 inch drives. being able to stack a few of those ,with Acer selling just the empty shell would allow it to address a far bigger market. That rather cheap plastic is not ideal either since the living room should be one the main targets.

    1. I think you may have underestimated the size of a 3.5 inch HD… Also, most 2.5 inch drives are st most only $10 more than their 3.5 inch model, really not that much. In addition, putting a 3.5 inch drive on a pc that is meant to have small form factor just doesn’t make sense.

      What you said also doesn’t make sense. Its for the living room, not a battlefield, what is wrong with using plastic?

  2. I’m curious as to what the bussing is via the pogo pins. Something proprietary perhaps or just USB 3 maybe? Either way this looks like a solution in search of a problem with too many engineering dollars buried inside it.

  3. 1. are the connectivity protocol open for others to implement? If not then this is dead from the outset.

    2. are the contacts safe while in use? Meaning that if one were to brush them while the computer is running one will not risk a shock or similar?

  4. will be a success or failure depending on price and the availability for new modules.

    I don’t think those will continue to be available in 1-2 years after release and ther probably won’t be newer models of the base, so i wouldn’t be inclined to invest in that.
    But if acer really does build something like that and continues to invest into the line over some years, then this could become something really nice.

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