What you're looking at is not a retro hi-fi, nor a bento box as Acer CEO Jason Chen likened the new Acer Revo Build to when introducing it on stage at the company's IFA press conference in Berlin.

Our quick take

Acer Revo Build

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Nope, the Acer Revo Build is an assemble-it-yourself modular mini PC. In its basic form the single unit houses the necessary compute power (via Intel Pentium or Celeron chips, prices will vary) to handle your day-to-day tasks, similar to the Acer Revo One we're seen previously, but through adding additional components (sold separately) it can become a veritable mini PC.

Best of all you don't need to open any units, nor complexly wire anything together. Each section of the Revo Build is magnetically joined to the next, complete with connection pins and sockets that are sucked into place as needed. It's like constructing Lego blocks into a greater whole.

The Windows 10 machine we saw had all manner of additions (some of which were mock-ups rather than real-deal additions for now): from a 'Digital Sound Center' audio module with physical volume knob, to external graphics, portable hard drive, even a wireless charging top section for recharging the phone. So it takes the fear out of building your own PC given the simplicity.

The Revo Build looks very retro in its black and (sometimes) orange finish. As in a bit too retro. That might make sense in terms of design practicality, but it's a long way from the considered one-piece designs of modern products. That's the price to pay for modularity.

Pricing isn't set in stone yet, but the entry level single-piece Acer Revo Build is expected to cost around €199 when it launches in Europe, with individual modules' price tags varying dependent on product. Expect to see the base unit come October this year.