Introduction and design
The tech industry's battle for the living room hasn't turned into the white-hot race we once thought it would be, but rather a slowly-escalating cold war. Apple, Google, Valve and Microsoft have laid attempts to claim this space, but so far no one superpower has emerged with a must-own box.
Instead there's plenty of room for smaller players, like Maingear, to test the tides of war by fielding devices like the Spark, its micro gaming PC. And while the Spark has some points in its favor, it's also a good thing for Maingear that it doesn't have much competition.
A high point, for instance, is that it's adorably tiny. You won't have any trouble finding space for it on your shelf. But with that small form factor comes compromise – the Spark is not the gaming behemoth that you're looking for.
Small compromises
The Spark is basically the opposite of one of its competitor in the living room PC space, the Digital Storm Bolt II. Both are meant to be uncomplicated additions to your entertainment set-up that will sit beneath your TV, around the cable box and maybe a game console or two.
But the Spark is much smaller, with less than five inches on its largest side, and much less expensive – the version I tested out runs around $899 (about £550, AU$1,030). And that's without extras, like controllers, keyboard and mouse, optical drive and more.
As far as the Spark's aesthetics go, you'll likely either love them or hate them. While many of its specs are customizable, there's currently only one chassis, and it's covered in jarring red plastic highlights. These might look cheap to some, but to others this adds a welcome flair of personality. The Spark's also plastered with logos and symbols which, again, might or might not bother you.
Luckily, all of its ports, including the four USB 3.0 inputs (two on the front, two on the back) and a front-mounted 3.5mm headphone jack, are easy to access. It'd be surprising if they weren't, considering how small this little red cube is. But they're properly spaced apart, which is all you can ask for.
Specifications and performance
The Maingear Spark has the form factor down pat. But the last thing you want is to spend a grand on a new gaming rig only to have to worry whether it's going to be able to run the latest and greatest games.
Unfortunately, that's exactly what will happen with the Spark. Even with the best possible specs, this micro-PC just doesn't have what it takes to chew through gaming's red meat. Here are the full details on the version sent to TechRadar:
Spec sheet
- Processor: 2GHz AMD A8-5557M APU (quad-core, up to 3.1GHz Turbo)
- Graphics: AMD Radeon R9 M275X, AMD Radeon HD 8550G
- Memory: 8GB Corsair DDR3 (1600Mhz)
- Storage: 128GB mSATA SSD (500MB/s read); 500GB 2.5-inch HDD (7,200 rpm)
- Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64‐bit)
- Ports: 4x USB 3.0, HDMI, mini DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm audio port
- Size: 2.34 x 4.5 x 4.23 inches (H x W x D)
- Warranty: 1-year comprehensive with lifetime "Angelic Service" labor and phone support
The only thing that could have been better in this rig, given its form factor, is the RAM, which can be upgraded to 16GB. On the other end of the spectrum, there's also a 4GB option for less money. Though, since the Spark is already lacking in the processing department, I'd advise against it.
There are several other hard drive options as well, including larger solid state drives and bigger mechanical drives that, if you decide to go with them, raise the cost of the system significantly. While you can't go wrong with a full terabyte, 500GB for a computer with a gaming focus is probably more than enough for most folks.
That said, having the SSD is a boon, making simple procedures like booting up super fast. You're also given two options for an external optical drive but, in this day and age, it's not necessary to have one. Having an ethernet port should be sufficient. Speaking of ports, considering the Spark is marketed as a living room PC, an optical audio-out would've been appreciated.
Sadly, there's no wiggle room on the AMD processor and Radeon graphics. For the most part, the standard components get the job done, but it never hurts to offer more power, particularly with how fast gaming tech is marching forward these days.
Performance
You can order a whole bunch of other extras along with your Maingear Spark, from a wireless Xbox 360 controller to a webcam. But when all is said and done, it's the Spark's performance that really matters. And whether this is the gaming rig for you depends on how much you expect from it.
If you want a rig that's future-proofed to last years with nary a hiccup, then you should probably invest the extra cash and go with something like the Digital Storm Bolt II. While the Spark can play plenty of current blockbusters, it stutters when the settings are turned up. Sometimes the machine can't hang even with settings all the way down – with certain games.
Benchmarks
- 3DMark: Ice Storm: 40,853; Cloud Gate: 5,083; Fire Strike: 2,301
- Cinebench Graphics: 35.04 fps, CPU: 146 points
- PCMark 8 (Home Test): 1,874 points
- BioShock Infinite (1080p, Ultra): 31 fps; (1080p, Low): 92 fps
- Metro: Last Light (1080p, Ultra): 8 fps; (1080p, Low): 25 fps
Seeing 8 frames per second on Metro is painful, though granted, it's a really, really taxing game. Thankfully, the Spark runs BioShock Infinite, another triple-A title released just last year, at a buttery smooth 30 fps on Ultra. (Be forewarned: In order to get those kinds of results, expect the Spark to sputter along loudly as it tries to keep up and stay cool inside.)
But even at the lowest settings, Metro was simply too slow to enjoy. With that in mind, how are games that come out next year going to perform? What about the year after that?
And the performance issues aren't relegated just to Metro, or even to the most high-end games. Indie platformer Lifeless Planet suffered frame rate drops unless the graphics were turned all the way down. And the just-released Gauntlet – by no means a pretty game, though one with lots of characters on-screen at once – slowed to a crawl every few minutes.
Verdict
Much of this review has been focused on gaming, and the Maingear Spark – as a living room PC – is capable of more than that. Besides its gaming capabilities, it's great to have a Windows machine hooked up to your huge, wall-mounted TV and piped into your nice speakers, for playing Spotify, watching media, showing relatives your Facebook albums, and just browsing the web.
Naturally, the Spark has no trouble with these simple tasks. And, in addition to that, Windows 8.1 – if you opt for it, Windows 7 is available as well – actually makes for a decent big-screen operating system.
The big-tile layout looks great and performs well on a huge screen that's not directly in front of your face, though normal text can sometimes appear too small. Whatever you do, though, take a pass on the chintzy Logitech G105 keyboard that Maingear offers along with the Spark.
We liked
The Spark's tiny form factor is a huge point in its favor. And its shiny, slashed red finish, though garish, gives it a certain edge. As it stands, it's a straightforward gaming PC, with few frills and little bloatware.
When it came time to perform, most of the games I tested ran just fine – even if I had to turn the settings down first. And at just under $1,000, Maingear nailed the pricing of this product.
We disliked
The Spark slowed to a crawl when faced with intense games like Metro: Last Light and, to a lesser extent, other games like Gauntlet and Lifeless Planet. Annoyingly, it also tends to get pretty loud. And, because it's packed into an insanely small form factor, it's not exactly future-proof either.
For the design snobs out there, if you don't want a flashy red box sitting among all your matte black living room appliances then you're going to have a problem with the Spark. I'll just say that the Spark is loud in more ways than one.
Final verdict
If you don't always need to play the latest blockbuster releases with the settings cranked up high, then the Maingear Spark could very well fill your set-top PC needs. But, for this machine's PC gamer audience, that scenario is probably a rare one.
The future of this product, however, is bleak. Deciding to invest is essentially signing up for future disappointment, as more and more games outpace the Spark's power.
If a potent living room gaming PC is what you seek, you'll have to spend more or build something yourself. Otherwise, stick with a set-top box for media streaming, or an Xbox One for an affordable cross between the Windows experience and a capable gaming box.
from www.techradar.com
