Barebones systems allow buyers to pop in their own RAM, storage and other modules for a custom setup. Germany's Shuttle has announced just such a system, the XPC Barebone DL10J which can run 24/7 and be optioned to include 4G LTE.

"It is ideal for use as an office desktop PC, as a fixed or mobile digital signage player or as a control PC in industry," said Shuttle's Tom Seiffert. "Just like its predecessor, the DL10J is a highly reliable choice and thanks to its non-moving parts, it is even suitable for constant 24/7 operation."

The 19 x 16.5 x 4.3 cm (7.4 x 6.5 x 1.7 in) DL10J is built around a Gemini Lake processor based on Intel's 14 nm architecture, namely a 2.7 GHz Intel J4005 Celeron dual-core chip with Intel UHD Graphics 600. Buyers will need to throw their own memory modules into the two SO-DIMM slots, up to 8 GB, and there's enough room inside for a 2.5-inch SSD drive and NVMe solid state storage.