AIO DRN-STN Review: A Gaming All-In-One With A 120 Hz Display

[Crashman]

The AIO Drone Station is a combination chassis and 120 Hz FHD display, ready to take your choice of ATX motherboard, CPU, graphics cards, storage, and power supply. We'd stop short of calling it portable, but appreciate the appeal of a fast all-in-one PC.

AIO DRN-STN Review: A Gaming All-In-One With A 120 Hz Display : Read more

 

[blackmagnum]

What does this retro looking gaming box have over an established gaming notebook say an Alienware or Asus? Thanks for the choice though.

 

[Crashman]

What does this retro looking gaming box have over an established gaming notebook say an Alienware or Asus? Thanks for the choice though.

Up to 20x the graphics power and 2x the CPU performance? I guess it depends on what you plan to do with all that extra space.

I also didn't get a chance to note in the article that "Full Sized" power supply means PS/2 form factor (and extended versions thereof). ATX power standard does not include a form factor, because form factors designate "form". This is, in spite of what Yahoo Answers might tell you. So "Full ATX" is a misnomer concerning power supplies.

 

[Xsolarise]

This is just a stupid and ugly..

 

[bloody llama]

The internal case appears to be made by NZXT. The 3.5" rails and the PCI toolless latch are exactly the same as my NZXT case from 2005.

 

[Crashman]

The internal case appears to be made by NZXT. The 3.5" rails and the PCI toolless latch are exactly the same as my NZXT case from 2005.

NZXT doesn't manufacture its own cases though, or at least it didn't in 2005

 

[The_Trutherizer]

I'd give it 2 foldout screens for eyefinity.

 

[Marcopolo123]

reminds me of fallout

 

[Nossy]

wow,..$700 for a case, and people are complaining about a $700 video card? WTF are people smoking these days?

 

[Au_equus]

Is it oversimplification to say that the system looks like a monitor and a case held together by a shroud? I agree with Trutherizer, especially at that price, but, to go a little bit further, it needs a docking station for a keyboard and mouse.

 

[huilun02]

Because hauling what seems to be a CRT monitor makes you a more popular guy.

 

[eriko]

Quote:What does this retro looking gaming box have over an established gaming notebook say an Alienware or Asus? Thanks for the choice though.Up to 20x the graphics power and 2x the CPU performance? I guess it depends on what you plan to do with all that extra space.I also didn't get a chance to note in the article that "Full Sized" power supply means PS/2 form factor (and extended versions thereof). ATX power standard does not include a form factor, because form factors designate "form". This is, in spite of what Yahoo Answers might tell you. So "Full ATX" is a misnomer concerning power supplies.> I seriously doubt 20x graphics and 2x cpu power.I saw no 3dMark11 numbers, just that they were intending to test it.My M18xR2, can get 11,500 3DMark11.I have dual RAID 250GB Evo's, i7 Extreme @ 4.6GHz, 16GB RAM CAS9 @25,500GB/s throughput, and I too can upgrade my GPUs also, unlike some laptops.32lbs?Mine is 11.8lbs. Good luck with your carry-on at the check-in desk.

 

[rolli59]

I really do not see this selling well or have a market segment.

 

[mikeangs2004]

Is a built-in TV tuner necessary? The other PCI-E slots could be for SB-ZxR.

 

[Xavier Corraya]

Honestly I liked the design!

 

[razzb3d]

What does this retro looking gaming box have over an established gaming notebook say an Alienware or Asus? Thanks for the choice though.

The fact that you can stick desktop parts in it, and build a high end PC at half the price of an alienware or asus gaming notebook? Use your brain for a second... the best alienware notebook comes with an 18" screen, one or two GTX 780m cards (witch are about half the power of a desktop GTX 780) and are NOT easily upgradeable. Notebook graphics and CPUs are 2-4 times more expensive then desktop counterparts, and half the performance. Also, I personally find laptop gaming very uncomfortable. Screens are too small, keyboard is too close to the screen, screen is too low, I have to keep looking down witch is very uncomfortable after a few hours... I've been waiting for something like this for a while now. Sure, they could have made it smaller... a micro-ATX or even micro-ITX mainboard would have been enough... a built in closed loop water cooling system for the CPU, and a PCI-E riser for the GPU would have made it a lot more compact.

 

[razzb3d]

I also love the retro military/industrial design. I just wish some manufacturer would come up with a standardized AIO enclosure with a 24 or 27" screen, small form factor mainboard, closed loop watercooler for the CPU, GPU mountable next to the maiboard using a riser card, and a battery that would provide about 1 hour of usage in windows desktop for a 300-450w cfg. Basically, I want a laptop with no keyboard or touchpad that I can upgrade using widely available desktop parts... The only portability I need is the ability to carry the thing with me and easily set it up at a hotel or a friends house, without the hassle of carrying two separate units (display and computer) + cables...

 

[CaptainTom]

Make it half as thick and WAYYYYY more attractive, and I could see this being an awesome option...

 

[coolitic]

I thought they stopped making such low color panels.

 

[chargeit]

Yea, no thanks. Thing looks like it belongs in some bad 1990's sci-fi movie.

 

[Christopher Shaffer]

Same panel as the VG248QE? So it can use a G-Sync module, then. Which would be great if I wanted flawless gaming in what looks like a giant Panasonic Toughbook. This would be great for gaming in the back of a HUM-V.

 

[RedJaron]

I like the idea, but I think it needs to be refined a lot. The double casing panels may help with noise, but just add a lot of weight ( and apparently don't help with rigidity much. ) Something like this doesn't need the traditional case layout. Why not take something like the HAF XB, stand it on its edge, and attach a decent display panel to it? Such a thing shouldn't be too hard and should be no more than $400.

And Tom, I agree with your audio measuring method. Test the thing how it would be actually used, not according to some abstract rules.

 

[lowguppy]

They put a monitor and a normal PC case in a box and think they can charge a $750 premium? Do you know how I safely transport my 24" monitor? In the original box it came in. I really wanted to post a picture of a PC and a monitor box in another cardboard box, but I guess you can't put pics in article comments.

The whole point of an all in one is to take up less space. This takes up more space than bolting a VESA mounting kit to an existing ATX case. A lot of mini PCs are being shipped with VESA mounting holes built in now. This is an overpriced and utterly pointless piece of hardware. If you want to spend $750 on a custom PC case talk to me, I'll build something unique and personal for that price that is more functional and more portable.

 

[Crashman]

They put a monitor and a normal PC case in a box and think they can charge a $750 premium? Do you know how I safely transport my 24" monitor? In the original box it came in. I really wanted to post a picture of a PC and a monitor box in another cardboard box, but I guess you can't put pics in article comments.

The whole point of an all in one is to take up less space. This takes up more space than bolting a VESA mounting kit to an existing ATX case. A lot of mini PCs are being shipped with VESA mounting holes built in now. This is an overpriced and utterly pointless piece of hardware. If you want to spend $750 on a custom PC case talk to me, I'll build something unique and personal for that price that is more functional and more portable.

It appears the firm is trying to cover the cost of expensive tooling at low volume.

 

[Christopher Shaffer]

Actually, you know what would make this even more cool? Put the gaming controls on the front. Then they can have the world's first all-in-one ATX gaming PC hand-held with a 24" screen. Maybe they can sell it with one of those chest-carry style harnesses like they use for babies converted to support a full-sized PC. Add a cup holder, battery pack that holds a car battery and tripod so you don't fall over and it's complete!

Seriously, though I think this was made for bored drone operators. It even has the sun visor.

It'll be great for [absolutely no situation ever].