Systems

Intel's Meteor Lake series of processors was launched in September 2023 with a focus on mobile platforms. Multiple mini-PC vendors have utilized these processors to market offerings in the SFF / UCFF desktop market. ACEMAGIC is an Asian manufacturer with products in multiple categories including micro-PCs, UCFF (ultra-compact form-factor) and SFF (small form-factor) PCs, and notebooks. They were one of the first to market with Meteor Lake-based desktop systems. The ACEMAGIC F2A 125H is the entry-level version of the F2A line, equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor. It is a bit larger than the traditional NUCs, slotting it in the SFF category. However, that allows for the processor to be operated at 65W (compared to the 28 - 40W adopted in the...

HP TouchSmart 610: For Business or Pleasure

As much as it might pain some of us to hear it, Apple's iMac really did essentially legitimize the all-in-one as an alternative to the typical desktop-and-monitor combination. There...

21 by Dustin Sklavos on 11/2/2011

iBuyPower Professional Series: Reversal of Fortune

When it comes to buying a pre-built desktop for the average consumer or gamer, about the only thing the big box manufacturers really have going for them is price...

21 by Dustin Sklavos on 10/21/2011

AVADirect Compact Gaming PC: Small Case, Big System

It's easy to build a powerful desktop if you take a big, beefy enclosure like SilverStone's FT-02 or the Thermaltake Level 10 GT and just fill it with the...

17 by Dustin Sklavos on 10/4/2011

HP Compaq 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim: The Littlest Desktop

If you've been following along for a while, it should be pretty clear that around here, we're fans of doing a little computing. Awkward turns of phrase notwithstanding, we...

42 by Dustin Sklavos on 9/29/2011

HP Z210 SFF Workstation: Serious Power in Cramped Quarters

We're taking our second excursion into enterprise-class desktop territory with the kind of machine that should be of interest both to IT management and enthusiasts alike: HP's Z210 SFF...

26 by Dustin Sklavos on 8/29/2011

HP Releases HP Pro 3400 Series for Business

HP has released HP Pro 3400 Series desktops today. They are aimed for business users and HP markets them as microtowers (seems to be mid-tower Micro-ATXs). HP Pro 3400 Series Model XZ937UT XZ938UT XZ939UT XZ940UT Processor Intel...

6 by Kristian Vättö on 8/29/2011

Zotac ZBOX: Brazos Goes HTPC

The ultimate goal of any HTPC is to handle any media content you might desire, all while consuming very little power and generating no noise. Package all of that...

37 by Andrew Van Til on 6/9/2011

WarFactory Sentinel: Gaming on a Grand

Getting the monster gaming machines from boutiques in house for testing is often at least interesting if for no other reason than to see just how fast a computer...

37 by Dustin Sklavos on 6/8/2011

CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme FTW: Performance at Any Cost

It's time for another break from the Computex 2011 coverage, this time with an extreme system review. There seems to be an interesting cottage industry between custom desktop boutiques in...

32 by Dustin Sklavos on 6/1/2011

DigitalStorm Enix: Phenomenal Cosmic Power, Itty Bitty Living Space

Just recently we had a chance to lay hands on SilverStone's FT03 enclosure, and it was impressive enough to earn a Bronze Editors' Choice award. It wasn't the quietest...

33 by Dustin Sklavos on 5/12/2011

Dell Precision T1600: Workstation Class

We've spent a lot of time dissecting boutique gaming desktops, but there's another class of hardware that we only rarely get to discuss. Today that changes with the first...

29 by Dustin Sklavos on 5/2/2011

HP's New Workstations, Plus More DreamColor Offerings

When HP invited me to attend a press reception for their new mobile workstations, I was understandably confused. I'd just been out to San Francisco to see the new...

30 by Dustin Sklavos on 4/13/2011

Puget Systems Obsidian: Solid as a Rock

Today's review unit marks our third from Puget Systems in recent history. Thus far they've all been remarkable builds and this one proves to be no exception. Designed expressly...

28 by Dustin Sklavos on 4/7/2011

Puget Systems Deluge Mini: The Art of Custom

The last time we checked in with Puget Systems, we came away impressed with their Serenity SPCR Edition. It wasn't the fastest machine we've ever tested, but it was...

26 by Dustin Sklavos on 4/5/2011

Origin's Genesis: Flagship Bling

Now that we've been getting a fairly steady influx of desktop machines from boutiques, Origin PC is stepping into the ring by sending us their go-to flagship model, the...

39 by Dustin Sklavos on 4/2/2011

iBUYPOWER LAN Warrior II: NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 590 in a Small Shell

The last time we checked in with iBUYPOWER we reviewed the behemoth that is the iBUYPOWER Paladin XLC, a massive hunk of machine that was generally a solid value...

27 by Dustin Sklavos on 3/29/2011

Budget System Builder’s Guide February 2011

With the recent launch of Sandy Bridge, we had hoped to put together some Buyers' Guides covering the changes in the market. Unfortunately, with the recall/bug of the 6-series...

58 by Zach Throckmorton on 2/14/2011

Puget Systems Serenity SPCR Edition: Blissful Silence

We've had the opportunity to look at a few custom builds from different boutiques so far. While most have generally been well-rounded builds using cherry picked off-the-shelf parts and...

139 by Dustin Sklavos on 2/10/2011

HP's Spring Collection: TouchSmart 610 and New dv6/dv7 Laptops

Just in time for the Sandy Bridge recall, HP held a press conference updating their desktop and notebook lines. In some ways it's just business as usual, but there...

15 by Dustin Sklavos on 2/9/2011

CyberPowerPC's Gamer Xtreme 4000: Now with Sandy Bridge

Intel's Sandy Bridge processor architecture is upon us, and with it a freshly minted gaming PC courtesy of CyberPowerPC: the Gamer Xtreme 4000. If you read Anand's preview of...

42 by Dustin Sklavos on 1/4/2011

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