CyberPowerPC Syber Vapor I Review - PAGE 1

When I first heard about the Steam OS from Valve, I was quite skeptical about the whole concept. To me it seemed more of a waste of good hardware more than anything else. Looking at the actual big picture (pun intended) of PC gaming and computer usage in general, it's not a secret that Windows OS still reigns king. However, Valve managed to sell the idea to most major system manufacturers and so the "Steam Machines" were born, at least on paper. These Linux OS based gaming systems were supposed to launch last summer, however due to a long wait on the design of the actual Steam controller, everything was delayed and there are still no products on the market at time of writing.

It may come as no surprise then that many of Valve's partners eventually decided to push the readily available hardware to the market featuring Windows OS instead. If I was a manufacturer with ready to ship systems and a good opportunity to sell it, I would do exactly what CyberPowerPC did with its SYBER VAPOR line of products featured in today's review. Meaning: install Windows 8.1, bundle a great accessories package, and market the lot as the ideal companion for a HD TV. Steam still plays a major part in this transition since its Big Picture mode provides an optimal interface when displayed on large TV screens. Keeping in mind that the vast majority of PC gamers still use Windows, this seems to me like a good way to make the best out of a form factor intended to be part of the living room in the first place.

In this review I will be looking at the VAPOR I variant of the SYBER lineup. Built around the Intel Core i3-4160 processor and the ASRock H81M-ITX/WiFi Mini-ITX motherboard, the system at hand is geared toward 1080p gaming and include the NVIDIA Maxwell-based MSI GeForce GTX 750 Ti. It also offers a sleek case design and great connectivity features. Let's take a look at the latest PC "gaming console" from CyberPowerPC and see if it has enough power to earn a permanent spot in the living room entertainment ecosystem.

Specifications:

Information courtesy of CyberPowerPC @ http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/SYBER_VAPOR_I