The Narrow Box is the second mini PC from CSL that we tested. The CSL Tiny Box (test report) was already something special because the model was exceptionally small. The Narrow Box, on the other hand, wants to score points with a fanless design. The hardware for this purpose is not breathtaking with an economical Intel N200, but it is effective. It’s good that the main memory (RAM) isn’t a showstopper here, as there’s plenty of it at 8 to 32 GB. The price of the basic equipment starts at 280 Euro. In our test we show whether what CSL presents here is good and doesn’t just sound nice.
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Highlights der CSL Narrow Box
Completely silent USB-C port available (with image transfer) Connection of up to three monitors possible Hardware is well suited for Office & Co. Bluetooth 5.2 Wi-Fi 6 good future viability thanks to SO-DIMM RAM
What are the features of the CSL Narrow Box?
An Intel N200 is used in the CSL Narrow Box, whose little brother N100 is now a frequently seen basis for inexpensive mini PCs. In order to survive in a setup without active cooling, the CPU is set to low power with four cores at a maximum of 3.7 GHz. The TDP (Thermal Design Power) is a slim 6 watts.
Thankfully, the manufacturer doesn’t skimp on RAM like it did with the CSL Tiny Box (test report), because less than 8 GB of RAM would have been a catastrophe for system performance. Depending on the equipment, you get up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM (3200 MHz), which can also be subsequently replaced as a SODIMM bar. The same applies to the NVMe SSD, which even works according to the PCIe 4 standard. The narrow box comes ex works with storage sizes between 500 GB and 4 TB. To retrofit, simply open the four screws on the housing and then remove the underbody. Then you get directly to the M.2 2280 SSD and the RAM bar (single channel).
In our test sample, the 1 TB SSD works, which reads at 1643 MB/s and writes at 1141 MB/s in the Crystaldiskmark storage benchmark. In general, that’s fast, but it’s just mediocre for an SSD – although users have few noticeable disadvantages in everyday life. In any case, the system responds reliably and quickly, opening files without delay.
In terms of connections, the USB-C connection with DisplayPort connection is particularly worth highlighting. In combination with the other two image outputs (HDMI and DisplayPort), you can connect up to three monitors. It’s a shame, however, that you can only connect the included power supply to the second USB-C port, which is responsible for the power supply. We tried out various power supplies from our list of the best USB-C chargers from 65 watts, none of which were accepted by the mini PC. Honestly, why is USB-C needed if the manufacturer rules out the use of other USB-C power supplies through an artificial blockage anyway? The current standards Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 should also be mentioned positively.
What does the CSL Narrow Box do?
The Intel N200 used fits into the cohort of economical budget CPUs. Accordingly, the quad-core system performs cautiously in the PCmark 10 benchmark. The Narrow Box averages 2750 points, with peaks at 2850 points. This is rather below average compared to N100 systems – i.e. the supposedly weaker CPUs – because some of them achieve almost 3200 points. Especially with such overall lower benchmark values, the seemingly small differences are very relevant for everyday performance. Accordingly, the result is somewhat weak in comparison, but is still in the field that is completely sufficient for home office and office.
In a round of 3Dmark Time Spy, we take a look at the respective performance of the CPU and iGPU (integrated graphics). First, the system achieves a total score of 414 points – the N100 in the T-Bao T8 Plus (test report), which has a lead of over 300 points in PCmark 10, ends up with 371 points in Time Spy. The main difference is the higher graphics performance of the Narrow Box, which is rated at 368 points instead of 323 points (T8 Plus). The iGPU of the N200 seems to be slightly stronger than that of the N100. Overall, however, both values are a clear indication of weak graphics, especially because the Intel variants are usually significantly weaker than their AMD counterparts.
Mini PC CSL Narrow Box – photo series
Mini PC CSL Narrow Box – photo series
Windows 11 comes pre-installed in the spartan S mode, which can easily be switched to Windows 11 Home via the Microsoft Store application. We changed that straight away and would recommend it to everyone. The performance is sufficient for typical office applications, the system reacts quickly and pleasantly. It behaves reliably in other respects too; the system runs stable even after two hours of Prime95.
What is noticeable is that we quickly reached the limits of the mini PC; after just ten minutes in Prime95 under full load, the system significantly reduced its performance. The CPU temperature read with HWMonitor was 90 degrees Celsius at this point, and it even peaked at 100 degrees Celsius after an hour and a half. No problem for a CPU, as the chips are designed for temperatures of 120 degrees Celsius and have sufficient safety features to definitely prevent overheating. However, these full-load scenarios are not commonplace; we cover the extreme cases here.
How quiet is the CSL Narrow Box?
This question is elementary with the CSL Narrow Box, because the main advantage of the mini computer is its complete silence. Thanks to passive cooling and the lack of a fan, no noise can occur at all. However, the mini PC is not completely silent, as sensitive ears can sometimes detect a high-frequency whining noise coming from the inside of the case – a bit of a shame, but only noticeable because there are no fans to mask the noise. What’s unpleasant is that it beeps even when it’s turned off. Overall, however, fanless, pleasantly quiet operation that we’re happy to get used to.
How much does the CSL Narrow Box cost?
The CSL Narrow Box is available in the basic configuration with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD storage 280 Euro. The better version with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage costs 349 euros.
Alternatives
The T-Bao T8 Plus (Test report) moves the point where botches & co. start a little further back. Already from 138 Euro (Code NNNDET8256) you get a mini PC with the Intel N100 we know, together with 8 GB of main memory (RAM) and from 256 GB of SSD storage.
It offers similar hardware and a nice small housing Blackview MP80 (Review). In addition to the classic USB-A ports, there are also three HDMI ports and two Ethernet interfaces. The mini PC is quiet in operation and achieves over 3300 points (Intel N97) in the benchmark.
Depending on the equipment variant, the mini PC uses an older Intel Celeron N5095, an Alder Lake N95 or N97. The RAM is 12 GB or 16 GB, the SSD has 512 GB of storage. The variant with Intel Celeron N5095 and 12/256 GB is currently the entry-level price 166 Euro on Ebay (code OPTIMAL), with 16/512 GB it is 207 euros. The N97 model costs just under 16/512 GB 234 Euro (Code LEVELUP24), the Intel N95 with 12/256 GB is in between at around 230 Euro.
It’s not silent, but it’s still extremely quiet Bmax B6 Plus (Test report) – in our opinion, the lowest volume of a fan-powered mini PC to date. You can currently get it with an Intel i3-10005G and 12/512 GB for 170 Euro (Code 77B71C8M). Although “only” a dual-core processor is used, the B6 Plus achieves a similarly strong benchmark result of 3155 points. Overall, a clear recommendation and another, better alternative to the Tiny Box – albeit less compact.
If you want more performance, mini PCs like this are available Listen to AMR5 (test report). For the same price as the Narrow Box, this is significantly more powerful, but not fanless. In our best list of mini PCs under 300 euros, it wins the test as a true price-performance cannon. At Full HD resolution and reduced settings, it can even play games like Portal 2, Counter Strike or Anno 1800. But the most attractive thing about this mini PC, aside from its performance, is the relatively low price: with the code NNNDEOVR57 This is currently reduced to 300 Euro.
Conclusion
If you want mini PCs to be silent but still have good office performance, the Narrow Box from the manufacturer CSL is a good choice. The fanless system is no surprise and not a price-performance hit, but a passive cooler is simply more effort than an air cooler. In view of this, we think the price is fair, especially since the competition at the same price only offers 4 GB of RAM and is therefore unusable.
We find the beeping noise when the power supply is plugged in to be a shame. We are also surprised and disappointed that you can only use the included power adapter despite the USB-C power supply.