The V3 Gaming PC Move 3DS ($1199 direct) is a small form factor (SFF) gaming desktop that's been tricked-out with Intel's latest Sandy Bridge processor and discrete graphics. Though, some will mourn the lack of expandability, those with limited desk space or intent to make this desktop a part of their home entertainment/ gaming room will welcome its compact dimensions.
Design & Features
At 6.93 by 8.74 by 10.87 inches (HWD), the V3 Move 3DS's design can be summed up as a little black box. Compared with its SFF gaming peers, like the Polywell MiniBox X5800x-3D ($2,099 street, 3 stars) a 9.12-by 7.12-by 9.25-inch (HWD) cube and AVADirect Nano Cube ($1,999 direct, 3.5 stars) 7- by 9- by 11.5-inch (HWD) desktop, the V3 Move 3DS seems to be a little more compact—but not by much. Metal grates leave the desktop well ventilated on all sides, but don't make for the most appealing design. Through the grate on the face of the desktop, you can see a blue lit fan to help light up your dark-night gaming sessions.
The front of the V3 Move 3DS sports a few easy access ports: Two USB 2.0 and audio jacks. There's also a DVD drive. On the back of the desktop are a slew of connectivity options, including 4 USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, eSATA, PS2 (for old mice and keyboards), SPDF-out, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI, mini-HDMI, two DVI (analog), and DVI (digital). There is 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, but it's in the form of two adapters. You'll have to screw in two antennas with your hands, which may cause more wire clutter than you'd like. However, most gamers won't even use these as a hard line connection is always more reliable than a wireless one. Our review unit came with a 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive, which should be enough to store all your media files—even if you're an avid video downloader. The Cyberpower Gamer Dragon ($1,099 direct, 4.5 stars), on the other hand, also features a 1TB drive, but throws in a Blu-ray drive for $100 less, though; it does come in a bigger chassis. There's no keyboard or mouse that come packaged with the V3 Move, but then again, it's rare to see a boutique PC builder to bundle peripherals in, unless you pay for the option.
Bloatware is a regular problem among consumer systems, but since the V3 Move 3DS comes from a custom boutique desktop builder it comes bloatware free. The desktop also comes with a 3-year parts and lifetime labor warranty, coupled with 24/7 e-mail support and 11:30AM-8:30PM PT Monday-Friday telephone support.
Performance
In terms of multimedia creation, the V3 Move 3DS was able to encode a video on our Handbrake benchmark test in 1 minute 31 seconds and move through our Photoshop CS5 test in 3:07, which involved timing how long it took the desktop to process creating image effects. The Polywell MiniBox continued to fall behind, taking 2:05 on Handbrake and 4:07 on Photoshop CS5.
The V3 Move 3DS took the stage on our 3DMark Vantage test (65,989), besting the AVADirect Nano (47,376) and Polywell MiniBox (31,840). However, its Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti graphics card was not enough to best these two desktops in Crysis (88fps), as the AVADirect Nano's ATI Radeon HD 5870 was able to average 8 frames better and the Polywell MiniBox's Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 was only 3 frames behind, which in real-world standards isn't a huge difference. When it came down to our DirectX 11 game, Lost Planet 2, the V3's more advanced GPU was able to garner 120.5fps whereas the Polywell Mini Box fell behind with only 82fps.
The V3 Gaming PC Move 3DS's price for parts and performance is very good, at $800 less than the AVADirect Nano and $900 less than the Polywell Mini Box. The desktop's small size helps it fit right into an entertainment setup or a cluttered desk, adding to its value. Even seasoned LAN warriors can surely appreciate its compact nature combined with fast components. If you're looking for a small system with a fair price tag, I highly recommend the V3 Move 3DS. But for $100 less you can get 1TB of storage, a Blu-ray player, and expansion room with our Editors' Choice Cyberpower Gamer Dragon.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS
COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the V3 Gaming PC Move 3DS with several other desktops side by side.
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