Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Model: lowest end i3 version Upgraded: I swapped out the hard drive for 240GB SSD for $80. I recommend you do too. Product Explanation: Many people viewing this product may be confused as to what it is since it defies traditional labeling. Is it a console or a computer? To effectively answer that question one must understand a level of technical jargon that could deter many non tech-savvy buyers. The Alpha falls between two categories of devices that are closely related enough that explaining exactly where in the middle it falls leads many people to question it's overall usefullness as a device if they happen to already have a computer or console. Reason for Purchase: I bought this device because I had neither a windows computer nor a dedicated gaming machine, so the Alpha perfectly took care of both issues for me. The combination of small form factor, hardware specs, and price were the main factors that swayed me toward the Alpha. REVIEW: Upon opening the box it first hit me how small the Alpha was. After booting up the Alpha I had to set up a bunch of accounts which could be a hassle if you don't have a mouse/keyboard lying around. After initial usage I realized the hard drive was too slow and switched it out for an SSD which I would highly reccomend to anyone getting this product. After the hard drive swap the Alpha seems blazingly fast not just for boot up but for game loading times as well. As for performance the Alpha does well. Really well considering it's size, and whisper quiet too! Most steam games I've tried have run above 60 frames per second with graphics quality on high. Console gamers may be unfamiliar with tweaking the graphical settings of a game but generally the games will automatically choose settings that are appropriate for the hardware so even some more demanding games that can't run with quality settings set to max will still run without any appreciable difference. The most demanding game I've tested was Metro Last Light which seemed fine at first but then suffered from slow frame rates and jaggies after a few minutes of play, after some tweaking in the setting I found a "Physx" checkbox in the settings that when turned off made all the frame rate problems dissappear. Other than Metro all the games I've played have performed with no tweaking required. It should be noted, that most games I play are less graphically demanding indie games, so if you want to play all the latest and greatest most uber graphically demanding games I would not suggest getting this product. However, if you can get by with only maxing out graphics quality 75% of the time then you'll certainly find the Alpha to be respectable performance wise. When it comes to price the Alpha is actually a steal. You can do you're best to compete with the Alpha on the price/preformance scale by building you're own computer but you will probably fail and you will certainly fail at getting it at the form factor it is. As for console price comparisons I'd argue the Alpha is cheaper in the long run. You don't have to pay for online services on the Alpha and games are always on sale on steam. After 2 years you've already made your money back for sure. Final Words: If you're in the market for a small form factor windows computer that is powerful, well priced, and can play some games, look no further, this is your clear winner. Update: After using the Alpha for about 3 months now I can confirm that I still love it, it has performed flawlessly.