Games targeted small form factor systems aren't as prevalent as they should be. Digital lifestyle PCs tend to hog the SFF limelight, but these systems make perfect one-stop, gaming optimised platforms that can afford to strip away superficial bells and whistles. FIC's Condor has answered the call this month, offering gamers an easy to upgrade system, wrapped up in a one of the most innovative cases we've seen.
The system consists of a 3GHz Pentium 4, a gig of RAM, and an X800 Pro - a neat set of games-oriented components. This unit is sold as a semi-barebones, meaning that it doesn't come with peripherals, such as mouse and monitor, which makes it suited to those after an upgrade rather than starting from scratch. There is one drawback, however, in that it doesn't come with an OS.
It's the case that sets this apart from other small form factor systems which, in a market dominated by Shuttle-inspired designs, it's heartening to see a SFF case that manages to innovate. It resembles a four-slice toaster in size and shape -- it's very sleek, with sharp silver and black lines. The DVD-RW is side mounted, and despite our best efforts, we didn't have any problems mounting discs.
But undoubtedly the coolest part about this system is the way it opens. A white toggle on the top of the unit slides forward and the whole case swings in half - a very elegant device reminiscent of Apple's aluminium G5 design. Inside, the case is 90 percent tool-less, according to the manufacturer, and all components are easily accessible making upgrades a snap. There are also two spare PCI slots and room for an extra 3.5" drive if needed.
Unsurprisingly given the system's specifications, the game performed very well in our gaming benchmarks. In Doom3, the system managed a very playable 71.3 fps in 1024 x 768 at High Detail, and adding four times anti-aliasing gave a still reasonable result of 42.1 fps. Upping the resolution to 1600 x 1200 still gave a very good result of 48.2 fps.
The 6600GT also handles the latest 3DMark05 tests well, giving 4524 marks in 1024 x 768 and 2928 at 1600 x 1200. These are impressive scores, which should give the system some legs over the next 12 months.
Given that the system is designed to be swung in half, cable management is of utmost importance so as to prevent damage to the internal components when opened and we're happy to report the Condor has been set up with sufficient care in this regard.
Another minor concern with this system is the relatively lowly specified power supply. At 200W it is way below the recommended 300W given by Intel for a Pentium 4 system. This shouldn't be too much of a problem unless you start loading up the system with peripheral devices or multiple drives. Upgrading the PSU would also be problematic as it's a slimline model -- ordinary PSU's won't fit in its place. That said, we had no issues with overheating or crashes during testing.
As far as ins and outs are concerned it has most bases covered: on the front it comes with two USB ports, a headphone jack and, unusually, an optical audio out; while on the rear it provides an extra four USB ports. Due to the low power it's not advisable to use all USB ports at once.
The promotional material makes much of the fact that it is a portable device and hence perfect for a LAN. It's a little too big for carrying under one arm, and if LAN portability is a requirement, a carry strap or handle wouldn't have gone astray.
Ultimately, if you're in the market for a small system which will handle the current crop of games, or simply want an easy-to-upgrade killer games machine, the FIC Condor is a good option.