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FINALLY! A real iMac replacement for gaming - Maingear Alpha 24 AIO

G

gagaliya

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 24, 2010
466
394
For us gamers who also want a clean setup, before today, there simply aren't ANY alternative AIO that can come even close to iMac's graphic capabilities for gaming. That is the ONLY reason for me to wait and pick iMac over any other AIO.

But now finally there is a real alternative to iMac that completely blows it out of the water. It may not have an apple on it, but the hardware destroys anything apple will release as the next iMac.

Here's the custom spec i am looking at for $2750, it can be configured for much cheaper if you dont pick all top end hardware.

- 24" 1080P FullHD LED Backlit Display - Two-Point Optical Touch
- Intel® Core™ i7 3770 3.4GHz/3.8GHz Turbo 8MB L3 Cache HD 4000
- 16GB Corsair DDR3-1333 SODIMMs (2x8GB)
-NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 680 2GB GDDR5 w/PhysX
- HDD1: 256GB Crucial® M4 mSATA SSD [500MB/s Reads]
- HDD2: 256GB Crucial® M4 SATA 6G (w/TRIM) [500MB/s Reads]
- 6x Blu-ray Burner/8x Super Multi Combo
....etc....

You sac 27" screen to 24" (which to me is perfectly fine), but in return you gain a top end DESKTOP graphic card, 2x SSD in raid0, etc.. This machine will be order of magnitude faster than any new iMac and still hundreds of $$ cheaper while still being a true all in one.

So happy! apple can now suck it!

maingear-alpha-24-gaming-all-in-one-desktop-pc-computer.jpg
 
You could build an amazing desktop and still have a 27" 2560x1440 monitor for that price. I wonder how it will handle the thermals.
 
Fugly?Maybe but at least it exists,more than 500 days and no 2012 Imacs.
I saw it yesterday and its great.
http://www.maingear.com/custom/desktops/alpha24/techspecs.php
Just wrote them and they replied me that the
entry level can accomodate later the GTX 680:D.
I did order a Led Cinema Display and Classic MacBookPro,
the perfect trio:D,this because Imac are nowhere to be seen
because " I've is just Cook'd Itoys For-stall".
Now i'm wondering,
hackintosh chance?.
 
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I gave up iMac and got a gaming PC and this is still too fugly to buy.

And this is expensive and the monitor is just 24 and not Apple quality.

Better to build your own PC or just normal pc hardware and not all in one. More bang for your buck.
 
theSeb said:
You could build an amazing desktop and still have a 27" 2560x1440 monitor for that price. I wonder how it will handle the thermals.
Click to expand...

talk about completely missing the point of ALL-IN-ONE. Who doesnt know you can build a very powerful desktop for much cheaper?

the point here is there is now finally a true AIO using desktop hardware that is not 2x, or 3x or 4x but many many times more powerful than any new iMac that will eventually coming out, yet with a cheaper price. While still being a real AIO clean setup with no extra wires etc...

The aesthetic obviously isnt as slick as the iMac, few products can ever match apple's look. But i wouldnt call it ugly, it's just a regular looking AIO.

It's what they managed to fit under the hood, that's truly revolutionary and finally providing us gamers who desires a clean setup with a very nice alternative to the iMac monopoly.

----------
david19801 said:
I gave up iMac and got a gaming PC and this is still too fugly to buy.

And this is expensive and the monitor is just 24 and not Apple quality.

Better to build your own PC or just normal pc hardware and not all in one. More bang for your buck.
Click to expand...

man you guys all seem to not understand the difference between an AIO vs a desktop.

just fail...
 
gagaliya said:
The aesthetic obviously isnt as slick as the iMac, few products can ever match apple's look. But i wouldnt call it ugly, it's just a regular looking AIO.

It's what they managed to fit under the hood, that's truly revolutionary and finally providing us gamers who desires a clean setup with a very nice alternative to the iMac
Click to expand...

no its ugly, not regular looking. Reminds me of Acer's design philosophy circa 2006. Its not revolutionary,they just stuffed regular components behind mediocre (and useless touch) panel with no regard to aesthetics. Also its plastic,its gonna have problems with heat dissipation (or have loud fans),thats just my estimate though.

Also I dont see that "clean setup" that you keep mentioning, this computer looks like exact opposite. Do gamers really want/need AIO?

If you want to talk about alternatives that are worth mentioning go look at HP Z1, that machine is amazing.

Sorry to ruin your party but I hate that computer since the time you brought it up.
 
gagaliya said:
graphic card....
Click to expand...

Ok but you can upgrade it for whatever you want. And I do know that it'd end up costing more than iMac but Z1 is already more expensive. Its the only machine that I can think of that matches design and performance of 27" iMac.
 
comatory said:
Ok but you can upgrade it for whatever you want. And I do know that it'd end up costing more than iMac but Z1 is already more expensive. Its the only machine that I can think of that matches design and performance of 27" iMac.
Click to expand...

please tell me how you upgrade the graphic card, none of the retail graphic card will fit in that tiny narrow slot, also it only has a 400watt power supply without any connectors for the retail graphic card.
 
The thing I always find interesting about threads like this is that these machines are very different in terms of user experience overall - they do not run OS X.

Sure, if you want a windows system, there are plenty of options including this one but most people here are Mac users and this is a site devoted to all things Apple, including Macs.

I don't know how posts about various windows boxes are relevant really. It is common knowledge you can buy cheaper hardware. The problem is, it won't be a Macintosh and it won't be running OS X, at least not legally.

The system noted above is a lot more expensive than my 27" 2011 iMac which already runs the games I like to play (Blizzard games and others) just fine. And when I am not gaming I really appreciate using a Macintosh computer. I had my fill of windows and I doubt I'll ever go back to it.
 
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Dirtyharry50 said:
The thing I always find interesting about threads like this is that these machines are very different in terms of user experience overall - they do not run OS X.

Sure, if you want a windows system, there are plenty of options including this one but most people here are Mac users and this is a site devoted to all things Apple, including Macs.

I don't know how posts about various windows boxes are relevant really. It is common knowledge you can buy cheaper hardware. The problem is, it won't be a Macintosh and it won't be running OS X, at least not legally.

The system noted above is a lot more expensive than my 27" 2011 iMac which already runs the games I like to play (Blizzard games and others) just fine. And when I am not gaming I really appreciate using a Macintosh computer. I had my fill of windows and I doubt I'll ever go back to it.
Click to expand...

There is no other AIO besides the iMac and the one i just posted that comes even close in term of graphic hardware.

I could careless if it's osx or windows, i just want a good graphic card in an AIO. Please list out just 1 or 2 of the "plenty of options" you mentioned that has good graphic card in an AIO.
 
That thing is more like a screen slapped to the side of a small form factor pc. Sure it's two wires less than in a pc box...screen power and dvi. Does it run hot? Noisy?

I find the design terrible, but I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :)

I'd rather get the (upcoming) iMac, for the sake of OS experience, Logic Pro, design, and not upsetting my wife with a hideous lump of black plastic. :D
 
If you don't like it then don't buy it,its simple.
The worst is that you cannot compare but 2011 Imac,which is a really gorgeous machine but its outdated and overpriced while this ,fuglyness apart,its 1399 and its upgradable..with a GTX680.
Don't understand which mobo is that they say its a Gigabyte H61 Solo 24
but i didn't find nothing with that name,
just these
Is it this
GA-H61N-USB3 (rev. 1.0),GA-H61M-DS2H (rev. 2.1)
or a is it modded one?Can you find which firmware its running?I mean,the link?

----------
Magitius said:
That thing is more like a screen slapped to the side of a small form factor pc. Sure it's two wires less than in a pc box...screen power and dvi. Does it run hot? Noisy?

I find the design terrible, but I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. :)

I'd rather get the (upcoming) iMac, for the sake of OS experience, Logic Pro, design, and not upsetting my wife with a hideous lump of black plastic. :D
Click to expand...

Yes ,me too,if only Apple choose to bite the bullet and upgrades.Till here all remains silent.
 
gagaliya said:
talk about completely missing the point of ALL-IN-ONE. Who doesnt know you can build a very powerful desktop for much cheaper?

the point here is there is now finally a true AIO using desktop hardware that is not 2x, or 3x or 4x but many many times more powerful than any new iMac that will eventually coming out, yet with a cheaper price. While still being a real AIO clean setup with no extra wires etc...

The aesthetic obviously isnt as slick as the iMac, few products can ever match apple's look. But i wouldnt call it ugly, it's just a regular looking AIO.

It's what they managed to fit under the hood, that's truly revolutionary and finally providing us gamers who desires a clean setup with a very nice alternative to the iMac monopoly.

----------



man you guys all seem to not understand the difference between an AIO vs a desktop.

just fail...
Click to expand...

How did you work out that this is many more times more powerful than the 2011 iMac? I hate to break it to you, but it's not. The graphics card is faster, but the CPU is not, since the iMac also uses desktop CPUs

Now, the point that I was subtly making is quite simple. What are common complaints about the current iMac?

1. It's not upgradeable
2. It uses a mobile GPU
3. Thermals
4. Screen related issues
5. It's expensive

If you're going to go windows, then surely it makes the most sense to get something that can address all of these issues? Instead you're showing us practically the same thing, expect this has a really cheap 1920x1080 24" screen (no thanks) and it has a more powerful desktop GPU. So it addresses point 2 and fails at everything else.

So what is the point here? It's still expensive. It's still going to have problems with thermals. Good luck with the cooling in such a small space. They've basically taken a mini-ITX case, squeezed everything into it and then attached a screen at the front. A case this small is going to have serious problems trying to keep that CPU and GPU cool.

As I said, if you want to spend this kind of money, you can get a nice monitor and a computer that won't overheat.

I would rather not have this on my desk

MG-solo24-side2.jpg
 
It looks so ugly, if you have a nice desk or maybe a nice interior it will ruin your interior. At least buy a BTO with the specs you want or need. Hide the system and use a beatiful screen.

Just my 2 cents. But it looks like a cheap, old aio. Clients would run away when they see this, even your work is really good.:confused:
 
What is this? Not only does it look unattractive, but the RAM used are previous generation speeds, there is no USB 3.0, and the native resolution is too small for my needs. The only thing incredible about this machine is sporting a full size desktop GTX 680.
 
Dirtyharry50 said:
The thing I always find interesting about threads like this is that these machines are very different in terms of user experience overall - they do not run OS X.

Sure, if you want a windows system, there are plenty of options including this one but most people here are Mac users and this is a site devoted to all things Apple, including Macs.

I don't know how posts about various windows boxes are relevant really. It is common knowledge you can buy cheaper hardware. The problem is, it won't be a Macintosh and it won't be running OS X, at least not legally.

The system noted above is a lot more expensive than my 27" 2011 iMac which already runs the games I like to play (Blizzard games and others) just fine. And when I am not gaming I really appreciate using a Macintosh computer. I had my fill of windows and I doubt I'll ever go back to it.
Click to expand...

Once bootcamp ,vmWare fusion and parallels came into the mac picture your way of thinking is not as true as it once was. Apple is now losing bootcamp users in droves. Windows 7 is good as mountain lion is some areas of use. So if you are like me a one time mac pro triple boot user (Windows 7, Lion, Snow) you want a powerful gpu. you go to an iMac and it is not an option. you go to mac mini no go. you need the mac pro hex core with a hack gtx 670. Cost 3k plus and your screen cost close to 4k.

I have a 46 inch led sony I have a powerful pc attached to it and I have a mac mini with vmWare fusion. So I have the best of both worlds and at 8 feet my 46 inch screen is a retina screen. Nice big speakers big sub etc. Cost for 2 computers and tv under 3k. Cost for a hex core mac pro over 3k. I tell every all mac user to expand your mind and add windows 7 to your mac via bootcamp, vmware, parrellels.
 
PKWY said:
It looks so ugly, if you have a nice desk or maybe a nice interior it will ruin your interior. At least buy a BTO with the specs you want or need. Hide the system and use a beatiful screen.

Just my 2 cents. But it looks like a cheap, old aio. Clients would run away when they see this, even your work is really good.:confused:
Click to expand...

Really?I need to find an ugly desk then and maybe a very beautiful blonde sitted beside.
 
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Surely the power of that GTX 680 graphics card is wasted in a system that only has a 1080P monitor? My brother's PC has a cheaper Radeon 7850 and an older i5 processor, and even that can handle most games at 1080P with very high settings.

If you're going to have a card as expensive and powerful as a GTX 680, you'd surely want a 2560 x 1440 monitor to take advantage of it? Otherwise you're paying for power that you're not really putting to use.
 
EJG1980 said:
Surely the power of that GTX 680 graphics card is wasted in a system that only has a 1080P monitor? My brother's PC has a cheaper Radeon 7850 and an older i5 processor, and even that can handle most games at 1080P with very high settings.

If you're going to have a card as expensive and powerful as a GTX 680, you'd surely want a 2560 x 1440 monitor to take advantage of it? Otherwise you're paying for power that you're not really putting to use.
Click to expand...

Well, it depends. There are some youngsters on this forum that claim they can see the difference between 60 frames per second and 120 frames per second and apparently anything below 120 frames per second is unplayable for them.

The 680 can do around 100 FPS in BF3 under 1920x1080 with ultra quality so maybe that is the target market?
 
What is display quality ? Is it IPS panel ? Could not find anything about it on their website. For professional work I do need IPS panel.
 
gagaliya said:
There is no other AIO besides the iMac and the one i just posted that comes even close in term of graphic hardware.

I could careless if it's osx or windows, i just want a good graphic card in an AIO. Please list out just 1 or 2 of the "plenty of options" you mentioned that has good graphic card in an AIO.
Click to expand...

The thing you're missing is that a lot of us DO care if it runs OS X.

My iMac is my main workstation doing 3D and graphic work, it's nice to be able to run in Parallels or Boot Camp but my first priority is being able to run OS X, not Windows.

I've got thousands of dollars in software that runs on the Mac, not the PC, so making a PC my main computer simply isn't an option. I get that if you're a gamer and want a fast GPU that a Mac isn't the best choice, but unless an AIO is running OS X (preferably legally for me) it just won't work for a lot of iMac users.
 
People don't buy iMacs because they want a clean setup. They buy iMacs because they want OSX on a clean setup.
 
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