Items tagged with SFF
Intel's Haswell 4th generation Core series processors with Iris Pro Graphics (formerly known by the code name Crystal Well) offered the promise of more robust integrated graphics performance, since we first laid eyes on the Gigabyte-built device we're showcasing here today, back at CES 2014 in Las Vegas earlier this year. The Gigabyte BRIX Pro is a tiny 4.5-inch square "brick" of technology, if you will, and it's powered by an Intel Core i7-4770R quad-core processor with integrated Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200. This CPU actually boasts the fastest, most powerful Intel graphics engine we have tested to date, so this should be an interesting ride to say the least. Let's have a look... Gigabyte...
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Mini PCs are big business these days, whether you consider devices like Valve's Steambox initiative, ASUS' Chromebox, Zotac's ZBox line or Intel's own NUC (Next Unit of Computing) mini PC. In fact, Intel has gone on record, projecting mini PCs like this have shipped over a million units in 2013 and are projected for strong growth this year as well. So what's the attraction? Obviously there are a number of use cases for this class of device, whether it be as a home theater PC, a strategically placed and aesthetically pleasing family or office PC or even as an arguably (or not) more versatile alternative to console gaming. Regardless, the form factor itself has taken the market...
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Zotac has a new lineup of mini PCs that alternately rock Intel Core CPUs and AMD A8 APUs, and some of them are aimed at mainstream gamers. The Zotac Zbox E-Series offer Intel Iris Pro 5200 graphics with 128GB of EDRAM and Intel Pixel Sync technology and have quad-core Intel Core i7-4770R (3.2GHz) or Intel Core i5-4570R (2.7GHZ), both with Turbo Boost. Zotac ZBOX E-Series The four E-Series models also feature up to 16GB of DDR3-1600 RAM (2 DIMMs) and a 2.5-inch HDD or SSD. The “Plus” configuration offers 8GB of RAM and a 1TB (5400 RPM) HDD via SATA 6Gbps. Ports include two DisplayPort, two DVI-O, a 4-in-1 card reader, dual 10/100/1000 LAN, four USB 3.0, and 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth...
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We’ve been hankering to test out one of CyberPowerPC’s new Zeus Mini SFF gaming desktop models ever since we got some hands on time with it at CES, so we were happy to unpack the black and neon green Zeus Mini-I 780 that CyberPowerPC sent us this week. Small form factor (SFF) PCs are something of a trend these days, and frankly, it’s refreshing to see powerful machines on the market that don’t take up much space and and don’t weigh 50 pounds.... CyberPowerPC Zeus Mini-I 780 SFF Gaming PC Review...
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We’ve been hankering to test out one of CyberPowerPC’s new Zeus Mini SFF gaming desktop models ever since we got some hands on time with it at CES, so we were happy to unpack the black and neon green Zeus Mini-I 780 that CyberPowerPC sent us this week. Small form factor (SFF) PCs are something of a trend these days, and frankly, it’s refreshing to see powerful machines on the market that don’t take up much space and and don’t weigh 50 pounds. However, there are two big challenges a SFF machine must face. One is engineering a system that can fit all of those high-end components into a tiny space while still dissipating heat effectively. The...
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We got a firsthand look at some of CyberPowerPC’s Zeus Mini small form factor gaming PCs at CES, and now you can grab your very own from the company’s site. There are eight different models to choose from, with three AMD-based models and five systems rocking Intel parts. The SFF chassis, which measures just 4.4 x 17.4 x 13 inches (LxWxH), houses a mini ITX motherboard and a slim 8x DVD/RW drive, and it can accommodate full-size GPUs and 240mm liquid coolers. Each system includes three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 1.4, and HD audio. To give you a sense of the range of the Zeus Mini options, the least expensive system is $599 and has an AMD A10-A7850K processor, integrated graphics, 8GB (4GB...
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We got a sneak peak at Gigabyte’s new Brix Gaming PC when we toured the company’s booth at CES, and now the tiny machine with discrete graphics is official. Other Gigabyte Brix PCs we’ve been privy to rely on integrated graphics--which, considering that some of those IGPs are Intel’s Iris Pro Graphics isn’t anything to sneeze at--but the new Brix Gaming model offers a discrete AMD Radeon R9 M275X GPU (2GB), along with an AMD A8-5557M APU. The system is sold as a DIY kit (with a preinstalled WiFi Mini PCIe module), so you can choose your own SO-DIMMs (there are two slots supporting up to 16GB of 1600MHz) and storage configuration. For storage, there’s an mSATA...
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We spent a little time meeting with the folks from Gigabyte while zipping from demo suite to demo suite at CES, and have some interesting products to show you. Along with a their wide array of existing motherboards, graphics cards, and peripherals, Gigabyte was showing off some brand new products as well, including a few updated (and more powerful) Brix small form factor machines and a couple of Thunderbolt 2.0 certified motherboards. This GA-ZZ87X-UD7 TH is one of Gigabyte’s latest flagship Z87 Express based motherboards for Intel’s 4th Gen Core processors. In addition to all of the features inherent to the chipset, Gigabyte has also equipped this board with high-end...
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The long-awaited Steam Machine consoles are rolling out, and Digital Storm fittingly placed the “Bolt” name on its version. The first Bolt, which we reviewed, was all the things we expect now from Steam Machines--compact size, excellent specs, and a cool design. The Digital Storm Bolt II is a SFF and hybrid Steam Machine, which is to say that it offers both Steam OS and Windows, thus giving gamers the option to run either OS. That perhaps runs slightly counter to what Valve had in mind with Steam OS, but it’s a terrific idea nonetheless. “We (Digital Storm) are not looking to compete with console pricing,”? said Rajeev Kuruppu, Digital Storm?s Director of Product...
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Falcon Northwest is a big name in a very niche market of luxury PCs. The company is known for special touches like custom cases (think FragBox) and mind-blowing, artist-rendered panel images. The company has also built the rest of its reputation on blazing PC performance. Falcon Northwest recently shipped its Tiki to take on the other small form factor rigs we’ve tested of late. The Tiki is small enough and light enough that it could be your next LAN-party rig, but it’s really meant for your desk. And although it’s much, much smaller than your old full- or mid-tower system, it’s going to draw a lot more attention, by virtue of its statuesque design. The Tiki has a clean,...
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Desktops are evolving, getting smaller and less intrusive. Zotac is a company that's been at the forefront of this evolution by offering up a constantly expanding line of small form factor (SFF) mini PCs that have grown more powerful with each new generation. The compromise between raw performance and power efficiency lessens with each advance AMD and Intel make to their respective processor technologies. In this vein, Zotac sent us its ZBOX ID89 Plus. This little system hardly takes up any space, yet it packs an Intel Core i5 3470T dual-core processor clocked at 2.9GHz (3.6GHz Turbo), 4GB of DDR3-1600 RAM, half a terabyte of HDD-based storage, and a plethora of complementary parts and features...
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If you're a proponent of the desktop, don't worry, the sky isn't falling on your form factor. Yes, we've read the same reports you have, the ones pointing out how traditional PC sales are shrinking in the wake of a mobile revolution that has consumers turning to tablets and smartphones for surfing the web and logging into Facebook. There's no denying mobile is sexy right now, but when it comes to getting work done and playing games with more depth than Angry Birds, desktops haven't lost their swagger. Desktops are evolving, however, and getting smaller and less intrusive. Zotac is a company that's been at the forefront of this evolution by offering up a constantly-expanding line of small form...
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Zotac has been making ultra-small form factor systems for quite a while now. You can check out a number of our reviews of various ZBox systems and you’ll notice that most of the systems have been built around low-power platforms like AMD’s E-Series APUs or Intel’s Atom processors. With its latest generations of mini-PC’s, however, Zotac has been able to crank things up a few notches. With some recently released ZBoxes, Zotac has managed to squeeze in Intel Core-series processors, which put the diminutive systems into an entirely different performance category. The latest Zotac ZBox to hit the lab is the ZBox Nano ID65 Plus. Despite its relatively tiny 5”-square form...
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Zotac has been making ultra-small form factor systems for quite a while now. You can check out a number of our reviews of various ZBox systems right here. If you read those previous reviews, you’ll notice that most of the systems have been built around low-power platforms like AMD’s E-Series APUs or Intel’s Atom processors. With its latest generations of mini-PC’s, however, Zotac has been able to crank things up a few notches. With some recently released ZBoxes, Zotac has managed to squeeze in Intel Core-series processors, which put the diminutive systems into an entirely different performance category. The latest Zotac ZBox to hit the lab is the ZBox Nano ID65...
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