Final Thoughts
When you think about it iBUYPOWER has done something really great with the Revolt. Normally through iBUYPOWER you would custom configure a system and have them build it for you. These were generally tower systems build with products you yourself could go to Fry’s or order online and buy through Newegg. So while their custom gaming systems are badass anyone could really build the same thing if they wanted to. That is where iBUYPOWER changed things with the Revolt. They are using their own custom case and motherboard. This allows them to have the small form factor and pack off of the great features into the Revolt. This step by iBUYPOWER could turn them from a custom configuration shop to a real player against the likes of Alienware and others.
Gamers have been wanting to move into the living room for some time now and the Revolt is the step in that direction. Just a little bit larger than an Xbox 360 the Revolt can easily fit in your home theater and is not going to look out of place either. iBUYPOWER has conveniently placed USB and audio ports on the front of the unit so you can easily connect your controllers and headset. The size of the unit also makes it extremely easy to take with you to LAN parties or even over to a friends house. Looking at the size of the unit you wouldn’t think that it is watercooled, but it is! iBUYPOWER is using NZXT’s Kraken X40 all-in-one liquid cooling system to cool the CPU. Even though the system is being liquid cooled it is quite audible when gaming or doing any other intensive task. If you are gaming with headphones on you won’t notice it as much, but if you are trying to concentrate on something the sound could get a little annoying.
We have seen small form factor PC’s in the past that claimed to be gaming system’s, but they were not even close. They could play some Steam games, but that was about it. The Revolt is a true gaming system packing in an Intel i7-3770K processor and GeForce GTX 670 graphics card. That combination teamed with the 8GB of DDR3 and 120GB solid state drive will be able to handle pretty much any game out there and many new titles to come. This also can also handle things like encoding video and editing photos without a single problem.
You can custom configure your Revolt on iBUYPOWER’s website although they do have a few predefined setups. Here are those along with some competing systems.
Revolt R320 (i3-3220, Intel Graphics, 4GB DDR3): $499
Revolt R550 (i5-3350P, GTX650, 4GB DDR3): $649
Revolt R570 (i5-3570K, GTX 660, 4GB DDR3): $899
Alienware X51 (i7-3770, GTX660, 8GB DDR3): $1304.10
Revolt (Our System) (i7-3770K, GTX 670, 8GB DDR3): $1399
Digital Storm Bolt (i7-3770K, GTX 670, 8GB DDR3): $1813
As you can see the Revolt stands up pretty well against the competition when it comes to price. The slightly lower priced Alienware X51 only has the i7-3770 processor not the i7-3770K and you also are getting a GTX 660 rather than a GTX670. The same configuration on the Digital Storm Bolt costs much more and is not watercooled. The lower cost Revolt systems are pretty stripped down, I would suggest custom configuring your own.
For fun I decided to see what the max system I could configure on iBUYPOWER’s site was. The system came out to $2993 and included an i7-3770K 20% overclocked, GeForce GTX Titan (oh yeah you can get one in this system!), 16GB of DDR3, a 480GB SSD and 1TB hard drive.
When it comes down to it iBUYPOWER really has done a great job on the Revolt. It really is a big step for them and they have executed it pretty well. Out of the competing systems I think the Revolt looks the best and when it comes to price right now they really cannot be beat. If you want a real compact gaming system the iBUYPOWER Revolt delivers! Overall ThinkComputers gives the iBUYPOWER Revolt Gaming System a 9 out of 10 score and our Recommended Award!
Pros:
– Sleek compact design
– Liquid cooled
– Lots of customization options
– Competitive pricing
– Great performance
Cons:
– The system can get quite loud
