Meet The Eclipse, Digital Storm's New SFF Gaming Machine

[exfileme]

This PC packs a full-size graphics card and a desktop-class Intel processor.

Meet The Eclipse, Digital Storm's New SFF Gaming Machine : Read more

 

[Robert Ostrowski]

its supposed to plug into a tv.
looks like the Silverstone raven itx case. not a bad little system.

 

[2Be_or_Not2Be]

its supposed to plug into a tv.
looks like the Silverstone raven itx case. not a bad little system.

Other than the red color, it seems like it is the Raven RVZ01 from SilverStone. Guess we know who Digital Storm is buying from with this little system!

 

[TechyInAZ]

You can buy that case easily, i would just do my own DIY with that case.

 

[alextheblue]

"This small form factor PC looks console-like in appearance and packs plenty of power that should make the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 shed a tear."

Not so much in the base $700 configuration. The 260X is somewhat bandwidth limited and the two-thread Pentium needs to be overclocked heavily to really shine... which would be easier if it was in a slightly larger case with better cooling.

Once you get up to the $900 mark it starts to look more impressive, but at that point it's three times the price of an XB1 (particularly once you factor in a controller and the free game).

 

[falchard]

For something called 'Eclipse' the color choice is dumb. We often equate gaming equipment with Red and Black, but in this case I don't find it appropriate.

 

[Tiberio Ferreira]

Will it support Steam OS?

 

[mcjeeba]

lol. My RVZ01, in my entertainment center, has had a 4570 and 780 in it for a year. My next-gen console.

 

[Ninjawithagun]

@ mgilbert

"A GTX970 and no DisplayPort? Forget using it with a UHD monitor..."

You seem a bit confused. Let me help! The motherboard does not have a DisplayPort connector. All GTX970s come with a DisplayPort connector. So yes, this system equipped with a GTX970 will support any UHD monitor. Whether or not playable frame rates @ 4K can be achieved using a single GTX970 is another issue altogether...

 

[Haravikk]

Not too interesting IMO; when it comes to Steam Machines and the like I'm not really bothered by models that are made entirely from components I could just get myself, a manufacturer should have the resources to do something more innovative than be a glorified boutique vendor, as they can get bespoke components made to do something different.

 

[jessterman21]

$900 for a $600 PC? Mmm no.

The base configs for these Steamboxes need to be i3 + GTX 750Ti or R9 265 for $500 to make any sense.

 

[Bloodklot]

Aren't you still having to install games like a PC? And do maintenance on the OS like a PC? Aren't you still playing off a monitor? How is this anything like a console? I don't understand these types of machines, you're either a PC or a console. I thought all the PC makers were the elitists that frowned upon consoles and here they are trying to make one. At least with the PS4 you can install games while you play right out of the package. I see this machine sitting where PC used to sit... on your desktop. Just because you're using a sixaxis controller doesn't make it a console LOL! I love my pc when I want to play certain games and use the console for more of the exclusives and when I just want the ease of playing instantly. Just a couple of guys making a PC in a console enclosure isn't going to be successful. Console makers have put decades of research into the user-ability of their machines.

 

[dovah-chan]

It's about getting as much power in as small as space possible while maintaining quiet noise levels and appropriate temperatures.

These are the principles of those who are learned in the art of the ITX form factor.

 

[mgilbert]

@ mgilbert

"A GTX970 and no DisplayPort? Forget using it with a UHD monitor..."

You seem a bit confused. Let me help! The motherboard does not have a DisplayPort connector. All GTX970s come with a DisplayPort connector. So yes, this system equipped with a GTX970 will support any UHD monitor. Whether or not playable frame rates @ 4K can be achieved using a single GTX970 is another issue altogether...

You are correct. For some reason, probably the small size, I was thinking the video chip was on the motherboard. If it has a video card, which it obviously does, that card would have a DisplayPort 1.2 output. And according to the Tom's Hardware charts, the GTX 970 will do a reasonable job of playing modern games at UHD on medium settings. I play some older games at UHD with ultimate settings, with no issues whatsoever on a GTX750Ti, but I have to play modern games at HD, which is not an issue, as they look fantastic at HD anyway. But I'll probably get a 970 when the price comes down.

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

A GTX970 and no DisplayPort? Forget using it with a UHD monitor...

Even without DP, GTX 970 supports HDMI 2.0, which can output UHD at 60 Hz.

Will it support Steam OS?

SteamOS is nothing but a fork of Debian. Provided that you are using a recent enough kernel (at least 3.11 is required for proper Haswell support) and compatible graphics drivers from AMD/nVIDIA (depending on the GPU), any Linux distribution should work just fine.

It's about getting as much power in as small as space possible while maintaining quiet noise levels and appropriate temperatures.

Correct, but I fear I have to agree with Bloodklot and Haravikk. Steam machines present little interest for most PC gamers due to their low value for money and won't convert any console users no matter how hard they try, because the most used console users' excuse I hear nowadays is that they don't want to leave the platform all their friends play on. Even if they get over their laziness (can't call refusing to "deal with OS, drivers and hassle" on a modern OS nothing else but lazy) and pony up the extra cash, they'll still be annoyed because all their friends bought the next CoD for their Xbox. PC gaming is for people with a different mindset - those who are not bound by what their friends prefer and not afraid to learn new things and improve their gaming experience through them. Steam machines do nothing to change that.

 

[toothchatter]

The 970 has a displayport on it so it will support uhd, but with a single 970, dont expect any good framerates at that rez. Even with the hdmi spec of 2.0, i havent been able to get my 980's to output at 60Hz to my 4k monitor. Overall a really nice product though.