No ordinary all-in-one PC, ASUS's latest EeeTop features 3D graphics and a Core i7 CPU, but is it a good investment at the price?
With the 3D invasion taking over countless products it’s almost surprising it hasn’t reached the AIO PC market until now. While it looks normal from the outside, the ASUS ET2400XVT features full on 3D capabilities.
Of course the XVT is not just all about 3D. It packs an Intel Core i7 740QM CPU and 4GB of 1,333MHz DDR3. You also get an NVIDIA GTX460M GPU with 1.5GB of RAM plus a 1TB HDD. The 23.6in screen has a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate and as mentioned is 3D capable. You also get a Blu-ray player, webcam, TV tuner and wireless keyboard and mouse.
General performance is very good, with the ASUS pulling a 6,324 PCMark Vantage score. The GTX460M is not the most powerful GPU but can handle some moderate gaming. Under the performance setting, the ASUS scored P7126 in 3DMark Vantage and 77 FPS in Left 4 Dead 2 with all settings on high.
To test the 3D capabilities we used Batman: Arkham Asylum. You only get a single pair of 3D glasses with the XVT but you can buy another pair for around $200. The 3D is good, with little crosstalk between views and only a small drop in performance. Still, the ASUS is not a hardcore gaming PC so the extra functionality is a bit of a waste. The touch screen is not at all useful for gaming, though it’s responsive enough for general OS navigation.
You do get a Digital TV tuner but the XVT wouldn’t be our top choice for kicking back and watching the latest episode of The Big Bang Theory. Surprisingly the sound is semi decent, especially for use with less demanding applications such as video chat.
Annoyingly, the Australian pricing is $2,899 - compared to the US$1,899 – and considering the Aussie dollar is hovering around parity at the moment it’s ridiculous that we should have to pay $1,000 more to own one down under.
While technically competent, the ASUS is expensive and only really worth it if you want some sort of 3D capable wall mounted touch controlled interface.
Available from ASUS, retailing for $2,899.
APC rating: 6/10