ASRock Vision 3D 137B HTPC with NVIDIA 3DTV Play
Our Summary and Conclusion
Performance Summary: Performance with the ASRock Vision 3D HTPC was excellent throughout our testing. The benchmarks showed the machine easily outpacing the other HTPC or mobile platforms we tested, but there is much more to the story than the benchmarks with a machine of this type. For an HTPC to perform well, not only does it have to offer good benchmark scores, but it must also offer a good home theater experience. In this respect, the ASRock Vision 3D HTPC also excels. The machine has a small form factor, is unobtrusive, easy to set up, and it's nice and quiet. The machine also played back every type of file or media we threw at it and it did so with no fuss. As an HTPC, the ASRock Vision 3D is excellent.
The ASRock Vision 3D HTPC with NVIDIA 3DTV Play
We have used a number of home theater PCs over the years, whether it be a pre-built machine, a barebones unit, or a complete DIY job. While some of them have been very good, there hasn’t been one yet that offered the kind of performance or experience of the ASRock Vision 3D. From the moment we took the system out of its box, until we ran our final test, our experience with the ASRock Vision 3D HTPC was very satisfying. With mobile components and an enclosure that’s both small and attractive, ASRock was able to produce an HTPC that performs well, looks good, and remains quiet.
The components used in the machine also struck a great balance between price and performance. The ASRock Vision 3D HTPC as we tested it is currently available for about $760. While not cheap, considering the machine’s performance and feature set, the price is justifiable. Without an OS, for example, the AMD 3-350 based Zotac ZBox Blu-Ray AD03 is available for about $530. The additional $230 (give or take) will net consumers with an OS, a copy of PowerDVD 10 (for Blu-Ray equipped models), a MCE Remote, and support for NVIDIA’s 3DTV Play technology, not to mention exponentially better system performance.
Media playback on the machine was also very good throughout. Playing standard and high definition videos of virtually any type is excellent and NVIDIA’s 3DTV Play technology was both easy to use offered great results. 3D gaming on a Samsung 3DTV worked perfectly and 3D Blu-Ray playback was as simple as clicking a button in PowerDVD 10. The ASRock Vision 3D HTPC simply does what it was designed to do very well. If you’re in the market for a HTPC, do yourself a favor and look into the Vision 3D.
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