We’ve long maintained that no alt-in-one
could ever satisfy people primary desktop computing needs because design
limitations Lead to compromises that impact gaming. To accommodate the space
constraints and cooling concerns of these compact systems, AiO designers
typically rely on mobile CPUs and GPUs that lack the horsepower needed for
maximum performance in games.
Maingear
Alpha 24 Super Stock
Maingear challenges that assumption: The
Alpha 24 Super Stock is outfitted with a desktop CPU (a 3.56Hz Intel Core
i7-3770K), a desktop GPU (Nvidia’s top shelf GeForce GTX 680). and 16GB of
DDR3/1600 memory. Should any of those components cease to float your boat over
time, you can upgrade them. We suppose that goes for the 24-inch two-point
touchscreen, too, since you could plop a new and larger display in front of or
next to the Alpha.
The first thing you notice about the Alpha
is its bulk: It’s a throwback to the early days of all-in-ones. Lenovo’s
IdeaCentre A720 looks heroin chic by contrast, measuring less than 1-inch
thick. Maingear’s Alpha looks ready to burst out of its 3.75-inch enclosure.
And Maingear took maximum advantage of the Alpha’s big-boned architecture,
packing in extra features such as a bay at the top of the chassis that can
accommodate a removable SATA hard drive. Unless you intend to rely on the cloud
or NAS for storage, however, you’ll want to take immediate advantage of that
bay. The only permanent storage inside this beast is a 480GB Corsair Force GT
SSO.
Maingear’s decision to use a desktop CPU
and GPU didn’t just increase the Alpha’s cooling needs, it also boosted the
machine’s power requirement. Unpacking a second box, we were stunned to
discover not one, but three large power bricks, helpfully imprinted as System
Power 1 of 3, GPU Power 2 of 3, and GPU Power 3 of 3.
The
only permanent storage inside this beast is a 480GB Corsair Force GT SSO.
The presence of those desktop components
enabled the Alpha to tear through our Metro 2033 benchmark like a silver- back
at a banana plantation, scoring a cool 117 frames per second, compared to the
anemic 29fps score that the otherwise excellent Asus ET2701 delivered (that all-in-one
is built around an Intel Core i7-3770S and a discrete Nvidia GTX GT64OM).
We did hit a snag during testing, though.
The Alpha failed to run 3DMark 11 and nothing we could do would correct it. We
sent the box back to Maingear and the replacement also gave us a problem. After
much head-scratching, the problem was solved: Make sure you have the power
bricks fully plugged in. D’oh
The
MAINGEAR ALPHA 24 Super Stock all-in-one
The Maingear Alpha 24 Super Stock is by far
the fastest all-in-one we’ve Laid our hands on, but we’d like it even more if
it sported a 27-inch display or if its 24 inch panel were based on IPS or PLS
technology rather than TN.
For hardcore gamers and other PC
enthusiasts Looking for a primary PC, this is the only all-in-one worth considering.
But that display is its Achilles’ heel.
