AVADirect Compact Gaming PC: Small Case, Big System
by Dustin Sklavos on October 4, 2011 2:00 AM ESTConclusion: Great Engineering, Change the Configuration
While our last review of an AVADirect desktop was the Nano Gaming Cube, which seemed to be practically bursting at the seams with hardware, the Lian Li enclosure used for the Compact Gaming PC we have in house seems far better suited to the tasks at hand. AVADirect's engineers were able to put together a smart, clean design and rise to the challenge of cooling such a monstrous machine to the best of their ability.
As the end buyer you can benefit from that without having to make so many sacrifices, though. The smart consumer will make two major changes to the build: go for a substantially cheaper Sandy Bridge-based system with an overclocked i7-2600K, and at most get a pair of GeForce GTX 580s in SLI. While AVADirect is willing to back up a configuration like this with a three year warranty, why even tempt fate? Four GPUs is overkill. Our own testing has revealed that two GTX 580s are going to get the job done just fine on their own, even in 5760x1200 surround gaming.
We're also dealing with a system where price clearly isn't an issue: the build we have in house is a show pony, the kind of halo product that a consumer can look at and go "well if they can handle something that extravagant, imagine what they can do with a more modest build."
Honestly I don't have any major complaints that can be linked directly to AVADirect; none of the upgrade prices seemed particularly unreasonable, although the red Lian Li case is no longer offered (much to my chagrin). I do take issue with the buying experience in one area, though: too many options. AVADirect'll let you build just about any computer you want, but the overwhelming selection makes me long for the more direct configurations of War Factory or the vetted component choices of Puget Systems. If you know exactly what you want but you can't be bothered to build it yourself, AVADirect's choices are great, but for casual buyers there's not much point in listing 150+ different memory configurations.
With all that said, if you're looking for a good boutique build with fair prices and strong customer service (the hallmark of buying boutique), it's hard to go too wrong with AVADirect...just make sure you pick the right parts. And isn't that what customer service is there for?
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Alroys - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
The I7-990X has 6 cores, not 4 as stated in the specs.Taft12 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
For added confusion, AMD has a chipset called 990X (that you would probably pair with a 6-core CPU, natch!)dragonsqrrl - Thursday, October 6, 2011 - link
...it's 990FXDustin Sklavos - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
You'd think I'd've caught that since I actually have a 990X. Fixed!Menty - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
"AVADirect opts to set the top front fan as an intake and the bottom as an exhaust."Really, I don't understand why they did this. Surely this just creates a circular air pattern that cools, at most, the HDD cage? At the very least the bottom fan should have been the intake to try to force some air between the 6990s, and I can't help but feel this may have been a factor in the high GPU temps.
Nice review though, and a scary amount of hardware crammed into such a small case o.O.
marc1000 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
i agree. in such a small case, it could be better to put as much cool air in as possible. with the bottom fan as intake too, it would force more cool air to the gpus, and the gpus would be the exhaust of the case.that is what i believe makes the 990x so cool: direct cold air intake over the cpu heatsink. this is a great idea.
livingplasma - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
The 6990 has it's fan in the center and exhausts hot air from both ends, with the front bottom fan as intake there would be no direct path for it to exit and the GPU's would probably heat up even more than it did since it'd just be recirculating the hot air back to the GPU and PSU. The front top fan as intake was probably to cool at least the HDD and balance intake/exhaust airflow since a side intake fan could not be added, though maybe if you're handy enough a case bottom intake could be cut.marvdmartian - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
VERY pink, isn't it? Of course, this being "Breast Cancer Awareness Month", I guess that's appropriate (though not nearly as much fun as volunteering to squish a boob!).Oh, and the price point. I guess I just don't understand the passion of gamers to spend whatever's necessary for "the best system". $5000?? What is this, the early 90's again, when a ho-hum system would run you $1500+???
TinyRK - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
"AVADirect's engineers were able to put together a smart, clean design..."So they can assemble a computer, but that doesn't make them engineers. OR are they actual engineers? You know, with a college-diploma and stuff? And if yes, in what?
ggathagan - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
If you're older than 12, you are surely aware of the fact that the use of the term engineer has not been limited to those with genuine engineering degrees for quite some time.Blame the PC movement, the artifical self esteem movement or any number of marketing/management fads, but it is what it is.
Garbagemen have been "Sanitation Engineers" for quite some time now.
Why this is germane to the review escapes me, but at least you got to demonstrate your superior intellect, right?