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...
Inside Intel's Next Unit of Computing (DC3217BY)
Back at IDF Intel gave us a hands on demo of its Next Unit of Computing (NUC), a custom form factor motherboard that fits into an Intel-supplied 4" x...
93 by Anand Lal Shimpi on 11/9/2012DigitalStorm Bolt Gaming System Review: It's Little But It's Fierce
Since I've started reviewing boutique desktops I've been of the opinion that while they're not strictly for enthusiasts, the enthusiast market is one that boutiques can tap into by...
19 by Dustin Sklavos on 10/24/2012Alienware M18x R2 Notebook Review: NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680M in SLI
Around the launch of the Alienware M17x R3, Alienware essentially bifurcated its high end notebook offerings into single-GPU (the M17x R3) and dual-GPU (the M18x). The M17x R3 was...
50 by Dustin Sklavos on 9/28/2012Lenovo IdeaCentre A7 All-in-One Review: Starting to Get The Balance Right
As we mentioned in our recent review of Dell's enterprise-class all-in-one, the OptiPlex 9010 All-in-One, balancing the needs of an all-in-one system and making it feel like a solid...
33 by Dustin Sklavos on 9/26/2012Alienware M17x R4 Notebook Review: Ivy Bridge and the GeForce GTX 680M
Alienware recently updated their Bronze Editor's Choice award-winning M17x R4 gaming notebook to include Intel's Ivy Bridge processors and optional AMD Radeon HD 7900M series graphics or NVIDIA's new...
61 by Dustin Sklavos on 9/21/2012Dell OptiPlex 9010 All-in-One Review: Dell's All-in-One Goes Enterprise
The all-in-one market is a tough nut to crack, both for the vendors and in many ways for the press as well. Apple sidestepped the landmine entirely by simply...
21 by Dustin Sklavos on 9/19/2012AVADirect Quiet Gaming PC System Review Part II: Can Ivy Bridge and Kepler Make Up the Difference?
The last time we reviewed AVADirect's Quiet Gaming PC was in January. I was mostly pleased with it, but it went awry in the places that boutique systems often...
17 by Dustin Sklavos on 8/27/2012Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tiny System Review: Pint-Sized Power
It's hard not to notice the direction computing is going, both in the enterprise and at home. Notebooks are getting thinner and lighter, tablets are taking off, and on...
62 by Dustin Sklavos on 8/17/2012Dell Precision T1650 Workstation Review: Ivy Bridge Xeons Bring Performance
This year has seen a revitalized Dell aggressively attacking HP on the enterprise workstation front. While HP has been content to recycle last year's models, Dell has made substantial...
38 by Dustin Sklavos on 7/31/2012Origin Chronos Review: The Ultimate LAN Box?
BitFenix's Prodigy enclosure, despite a couple of rough spots, emerged as a one-of-a-kind design and a substantial success for the company. BitFenix brought a remarkably flexible Mini-ITX enclosure to...
32 by Dustin Sklavos on 7/27/2012HP Phoenix h9-1120t System Review: HP's Gaming Desktop Round Two with Tahiti and Ivy Bridge
Less than four months ago we had in for review HP's entry to the gaming desktop market, the Phoenix. We found that it was a compelling product that served...
33 by Dustin Sklavos on 6/19/2012HP Updates Workstations with Ivy Bridge
In a move sure to come as a surprise to approximately no one, HP is updating several members of their workstation lineup with new Ivy Bridge-based processors, including Ivy...
3 by Dustin Sklavos on 6/4/2012Dell XPS One 27 Review: The Premium All-in-One
The last time we reviewed an all-in-one from Dell, our impressions were decidedly less than favorable. Dell delivered a polished software experience, but the Inspiron One 2320 we saw...
69 by Dustin Sklavos on 5/29/2012Logic Supply LGX AG150 Fanless System Review: Cedar Trail or Cedar Trial?
Every so often we have a vendor come to us with a unique product, something that may or may not have an immediately evident purpose, or may not be...
46 by Dustin Sklavos on 5/28/2012Replacing my HTPC with a mini ITX System
Free time is hard to come by these days. Since the beginning of the year I've hit Vegas, Barcelona, Santa Clara, New York, Santa Clara (again), Austin, Seattle, Chicago...
56 by Anand Lal Shimpi on 5/24/2012HP Z420 Workstation Review: Competition Heats Up
Recently we had a chance to review Dell's Precision T3600, and we found it impressive. A company that seemed content to be an also-ran in the enterprise desktop space...
35 by Dustin Sklavos on 5/21/2012V3 Gaming PC Avenger Review: A New Challenger Appears
We've had a few boutiques come through here, but what V3 Gaming PC wanted to approach us with was something different than we're used to seeing. Many of the...
32 by Dustin Sklavos on 5/16/2012Dell Reveals Ivy Bridge for XPS and Vostro Desktops, Inspiron Laptops
In the continuing deluge of Intel 3rd Generation Core i-Series product announcements, Dell has released details on their XPS and Vostro desktops, along with their Inspiron laptops. For now...
18 by Jarred Walton on 5/2/2012iBUYPOWER Erebus GT Review: Ivy Bridge and NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680 in SLI
It was only a month-and-a-half ago that we were able to test the iBUYPOWER Erebus GT, a boutique desktop with a custom water-cooling loop at a very compelling price...
64 by Dustin Sklavos on 4/27/2012Dell Precision T3600 Review: Dell's New Enterprise
As far as enterprise-class workstations go, we're at the point now where there are fundamentally two major competitors: an entrenched HP, and a very hungry Dell. We've had a...
26 by Dustin Sklavos on 4/23/2012