![]() ![]() Once that’s off it becomes apparent that the hardware fits to exact specifications. Upon removing the shell from the SBX we were greeted with a similar cover, one that takes an additional three screws to remove. This is not a computer you can easily customize. Audi was so confident in the car it encased the entire engine in a solid piece of plastic, a physical barrier to entry do-it-yourself mechanics found difficult to crack. Sleek on the outside and respectably powerful to boot, the A4 was sold as something both enthusiasts and the average consumer would be able to enjoy with equal abandon. To sum up what I felt while opening up the SBX I’m going to fall back on an analogy of the car I got when I turned 18, an Audi A4. This, like the noise we encountered during setup, is likely not a widespread issue, but it’s disconcerting to see such problems arise. Despite three different driver rollbacks, updates, and reinstallations, the included Wi-Fi card could never hold its connection for more than five minutes without a tidal wave of lag pouring in, which at best would cost us a lost life or two, and at worst (and much more frequently) cause us to get booted from the game altogether. However, things became worse when we attempted to take the computer online for a little multiplayer mayhem. Two more USB ports are located on the right side of the SBX for easy access, and although you’ll find the standard red/green/pink outlets are present for any of your usual audio needs we preferred the fiber optic connection, which provided a rich blend of texture in 5.1 surround sound through our audio receiver. These sit atop two USB 3.0 ports and an Ethernet jack in case the Wi-Fi in your house (or the machine itself, as we later discovered) is not reliable enough for intense multiplayer gaming. Video output is handled by the R7 250 and includes the typical VGA, DVI, and HDMI outputs. The SBX does a good job of scraping together the ports it needs but doesn’t go above and beyond. That’s slightly bigger than a PlayStation 4 and about the same size as the Xbox One. ![]() ![]() The box itself measures 12” across, 12” long, and 3” deep. Its sandblasted shell has a gritty but satisfying veneer across the system’s entire matte black surface. When left on its side, though, the SBX feels solid. This may have been due to components being dislodged in shipping, but it was disconcerting. The company’s copy claims the SBX can handle vertical use without issue, but we encountered a terrifying noise when the machine was turned to any position other than horizontal. One problem we noticed during initial setup is that the computer couldn’t be used while standing in an upright position. The machine oozes a sense of style that pulsates from its core in the form of vibrant LEDs. Built to satiate the desires of both the basement-bound gamer and the rest of their family upstairs, the machine oozes a sense of style that pulsates from its core in a vibrant display of playful rainbow patterns which, according to iBuyPower, will be fully programmable once they release a companion app sometime later this month. If there’s anywhere the SBX undeniably shines it’s from the vibrant, multi-colored LEDs that split the box right down the middle from nose to aft. Does the SBX make consoles obsolete, or is it just another in a long line of mediocre PC/console hybrids? Beautifully balanced It packs an AMD quad-core processor and a Radeon R7 250X, a pair of components that theoretically might be on par with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The iBuyPower SBX is just the latest machine to attempt that elusive ideal. The idea behind these new boxes is (supposed to be) simple reduce the cost of entry to PC gaming and reward the customer’s desire to shift away from traditional consoles in a way that feels familiar, yet new. Since then, however, Valve has continually disappointed us with a slew of buggy updates, a mediocre game library and a UI that still feels months, if not years away from its full release. In the fervor of excitement over the possibility of big profits dozens of custom PC manufacturers rushed to get their machines ready for the incoming onslaught of the Steam faithful. This is what we get for depending on Valve to release a product on schedule.įirst announced back in September of last year, Steam OS was on track to take the console industry by storm, closing the gulf that has existed between mid-range gaming PCs and their living room equivalents for too long.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |