ASRock's High-End Vision 3D HTPC Reviewed

We reviewed the performance of the Vision 3D from the standpoint of a HTPC, and it has turned out to be the best SFF HTPC we have ever reviewed, hands down. For anyone in the market for a high end HTPC with a small form factor and low power consumption, the Vision 3D is the perfect choice. Its feature set makes it one of the most future proof PCs to have ever graced our doors.

Within a span of two years, ASRock has managed to get in three different systems catering to the entry level, mainstream (mid-range) and high end small form factor HTPC space respectively. The competition in this space is heating up, with the Dell Zino 410 HTPC slated to ship around the same time as the Vision 3D. However, by catering to consumers on the leading edge (3D Blu-Ray and HDMI 1.4a), ASRock is able to justify the premium pricing that they are demanding for the Vision 3D.

3D technology is yet to become mainstream for many of us at AnandTech, and we are secretly hoping that glasses-free 3D tech comes in before the present tech is able to go mainstream. However, the marketing push by nVidia and other consumer electronic companies, it looks like the present 3D technology is here to stay. But, this is again a story for another article on another day. So, let us wrap up this review with the pros and cons of the Vision 3D:

Pros

• Quantum leap in gaming performance and very small power penalty (under normal usage) over the mid-range Core 100
• The three USB 3.0 ports get maximum performance out of external hard disks
• Perfect 3D Blu-Ray playback with HD audio bitstreaming and GPU MVC decode acceleration using bundled PowerDVD OEM version
• Improved HTPC metrics when compared with the Core 100 or Ion based nettops
• Customers without fancy A/V receivers still get the advantage of the THX Studio Pro certification
• Powerful and stable 300 Mbps Wireless-N networking capable of streaming high bitrate videos.
• Improved industrial design makes sure that the unit blends well in most A/V setups.
• Bundled MCE remote has good build quality can control almost all media playback programs
• Easy overclocking for both CPU and GPU from within Windows
• Perfect wake-up from sleep / shutdown using the MCE remote (No different from using a dedicated media streamer like the WDTV Live)

Cons

• HM55 chipset limitations doesn't allow for full performance from USB 3.0 ports when using external SSDs, and the 3rd USB 3.0 port is an overkill for a SFF HTPC
• No PCI-E expansion slots inside, ruling out the possibility of an internal TV tuner
• Windows 7 OS is not bundled
• Premium pricing ($999 definitely places it beyond the impulse buy category)

We would have liked to present the Vision 3D with one of our first awards in the HTPC space. Unfortunately, the absence of any meaningful competition in the SFF HTPC space for the features enabled by this unit makes it a difficult proposition. That said, we continue to be impressed by ASRock's rapid strides in the industry and look forward to more exciting products from them in the coming months.