2014-01-22, 17:04
The short: buy it.
I bought a system almost exactly like this one:
Gateway DX Series Intel Core i3 6GB DDR3 1TB HDD Capacity Desktop PC Windows 8 64-Bit DX4870-UB2B (DT.GEEAA.002)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...22144849:s
Mine only had 4 GB memory, and was $299 on ebay.
I can't be happier. I was using an Acer Revo 3700 with a 525 atom, and this thing *flies* compares to it. XBMC is seamless with no lag at all. Searching through new content is quick. ITunes is very fast with close to 70,000 tracks. I planned to upgrade to 8 gig memory, but I'm not sure why: this thing is snappy.
Sure, I don't love Windows 8, but it's not horrible. The learning curve wasn't as steep as I thought. The included blu-ray drive works perfect.
While I like the idea of a small form system such as the Revo or the Raspberry Pi, I won't be going back. This thing isn't that big. It sits in a closet and slings stuff throughout the house. My computer serves as a main hub for my entertainment center, which includes 1500 movies and 5000 episodes on close to 8 TB via a separate USB 4-bay enclosure, and I need some horsepower to process it all.
Best upgrade I've done in a while.
I bought a system almost exactly like this one:
Gateway DX Series Intel Core i3 6GB DDR3 1TB HDD Capacity Desktop PC Windows 8 64-Bit DX4870-UB2B (DT.GEEAA.002)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...22144849:s
Mine only had 4 GB memory, and was $299 on ebay.
I can't be happier. I was using an Acer Revo 3700 with a 525 atom, and this thing *flies* compares to it. XBMC is seamless with no lag at all. Searching through new content is quick. ITunes is very fast with close to 70,000 tracks. I planned to upgrade to 8 gig memory, but I'm not sure why: this thing is snappy.
Sure, I don't love Windows 8, but it's not horrible. The learning curve wasn't as steep as I thought. The included blu-ray drive works perfect.
While I like the idea of a small form system such as the Revo or the Raspberry Pi, I won't be going back. This thing isn't that big. It sits in a closet and slings stuff throughout the house. My computer serves as a main hub for my entertainment center, which includes 1500 movies and 5000 episodes on close to 8 TB via a separate USB 4-bay enclosure, and I need some horsepower to process it all.
Best upgrade I've done in a while.
