Involvement in smaller, quieter gaming machines has steadily bloomed in contempo years. Ongoing industry improvements in efficiency and blueprint has fueled this movement, filling the market with capable gaming devices like tablets, media streamers and Steam Machines. Devices like these accept helped loosen the rigid notion of calculator games being for, well, but computers.

Unfortunately, most devices destined for the living room are leagues behind a dedicated gaming PC where it counts -- operation. With ultra loftier-res displays and gaming becoming commonplace, there'due south at present more pressure than ever to deliver beautiful graphics to any and every screen-enabled device. This is where Origin PC is stepping upwards with its Omega, an uncompromising SFF (small form factor) gaming automobile loaded with the best CPUs and GPUs available. No, the Omega isn't Roku-sized, simply its mini-ITX-based chassis may be just compact enough to fit on a shelf or within a chiffonier. Despite that, onlookers should still view the Omega as a stand-alone gaming PC offset and foremost. Fifty-fifty if you lot aren't sold on the whole living room gaming matter, this is a PC worthy of any gamer contemplating a smaller, better gaming system.

Origin PC Omega
Starts at $i,370, $3,400 as tested

  • Case: Silverstone RVZ01
  • Motherboard: Asus Mini ITX Z170i Pro Gaming
  • Libation: Frostbyte Asektek 120
  • CPU: Intel 6700K – Overclocked to a 4.7GHz
  • Power Supply: 600W Silverstone SFX Series
  • Video Bill of fare: 12GB NVIDIA GTX Titan X
  • Memory: 16GB Corsair LPX DDR 4 2666MHz
  • OS: Windows Habitation x
  • HDD 1 Bone: 512GB Sasmung SM951 PCIe M.two
  • HDD 2 Storage: 5TB Western Digital Red
  • Inputs: 1 x PS/ii, two x USB 3.1, half dozen x USB 3.0, 4 x USB ii.0
  • Optical Drive: 6X Slim Slot Load BLU-RAY Writer
  • Warranty: Lifetime 24/7 Based Support and Lifetime Complimentary Labor. one Year Role Replacement

Overview

Origin PC shipped our review unit in their usual wooden crate. First impressions matter and this is a good one. The crate may be an additional $five at checkout, but it's worth the added protection and novelty.

The Omega comes in a few shapes and sizes, all of which are based on Silverstone'due south great line of mini-ITX SFF cases. Staff of life box and set-top box form factors are amid the available choices, but our review unit is congenital on the slim desktop design of the Silverstone RVZ01 -- which is, by the way, is a TechSpot favorite. It measures 15 x 13.7 ten 4.one inches, making it compact but non stunningly small. Yes, these double-digit dimensions are a far cry from the cute Steam boxes which at present pepper electronics stores, but unlike those highly-embedded systems, the Omega hosts an assortment of high-terminate hardware suitable for gaming domination.

For starters, our Omega houses an overclocked Skylake Intel Cadre i7-6700K and a full-sized Geforce GTX Titan X graphics bill of fare. All of this brought to life past a modular 600W Silverstone PSU.

The parts selection is fairly premium and the overall build quality is high. Assembled with a Asus Z170i Pro Gaming motherboard, our review unit had plethora of USB inputs (ii x 3.one, 6 10 3.0 and 4 x 2.0). The integrated WiFi+Bluetooth chip came with an external directional antenna which is useful for any desktop PC. Buttons, indicator lights and unremarkably used ports are in sensible locations.

Additionally, Origin has included a sizeable 5TB HDD (Western Digital Red) and a 512MB Samsung M.2-based SSD. Note that the RVZ01 is capable of housing a diversity of storage options like a G.2-based SSD and up to 4 x two.v inch drives. Or, if preferred, you could also practise a K.2, 2 2.five inch drives plus a unmarried 3.five incher.

Despite the tight spaces, there is ample airflow and a 120mm sealed liquid cooler.

On the outside, nosotros have access to a plentiful assortment of ports and even a slot loading DVD-RW. The inclusion of an optical bulldoze should help quell flare-ups of astute onset user nostalgia.

Domicile Entertainment Use

For purposes of airflow, the RVZ01 must stand vertically. This makes our configuration ill-suited for nearly home theatre setups (i.east. not low profile). Additionally, our review unit of measurement didn't ship with a remote control nor a gamepad, and so my conclusion was this: treat our Omega purely as a gaming PC, non as a game console or HTPC.

However, Origin does annunciate the Omega as having "the power of a desktop for your home theatre". While I think this claim is indisputable, it is maybe somewhat self-evident; the Omega performs like a desktop because information technology is a desktop. This is true regardless of what case you selection. If you're going to plop one of in your living room though, opt for the Silverstone GD05 or GD09 to maximize its HTPCness.

Although footprint-friendly with its mini-ITX SFF design, the Omega (regardless of case) is notwithstanding considerably larger than your typical streaming appliance, game panel or even dwelling theatre device. True, size doesn't necessarily preclude it from living room employ. After all, it'south a fairly compact gaming PC measuring 15 x xiii.vii x iv.1 inches. Likewise true, there are chassis options which seem generally admissible for such use (Silverstone GD05, GD09) . At its middle though, the Omega is clearly a gaming PC. How you choose to wield its power is entirely up to you.

Considering the organisation is Windows-based, your home entertainment experience will only be as skillful as Windows 10 allows. Yous don't take to search hard to find the struggles and triumphs of using Windows in this way, but there's little reason y'all couldn't plow an Omega into a powerful console-similar device by way of Steam'southward Big Film Fashion, Plex or diverse other softwares. Information technology's doable, but again, this is non unique to the Omega.

Interestingly, Origin's product folio direct compares the Omega to the Alienware Blastoff, a diminutive PC at just 1/6th the book. Instead, I suggest comparing it against Alienware's X51 R3. Our Omega configuration still smokes even the best equipped X51 R3, but at least it would be doing then within its own size course.

Value, Configuration, Upgrades

With a web price of roughly $3,400, I'chiliad acutely enlightened of the fact that our configuration won't be in-budget for anybody. Of class, our build packs the very all-time possible CPU and GPU; a Skylake Intel Cadre i7-6700K and a beastly 12GB Geforce GTX Titan Ten. The base price starts at about $1370 and from there, the sky'south the limit. Our $3400 build also includes generous storage options (512GB Samsung M.2 SSD, 5TB WD Red HDD). If you yet remember this is pricey, keep in mind that high-end SFF solutions always come up at additional cost.

While value is often more the sum of something'southward parts, I still meet adding parts up as a good do to create a signal of reference. A mental tear-down of our Omega configuration revealed a retail component cost of nearly $3000 based on prices institute at Newegg. Comparing apples strictly to apples, the asking price doesn't seem abusive. Is it cheaper to build your ain? Absolutely! And you can cut all the corners you want to relieve even more. However, while the overlap between gamers and organisation builders is meaning, not every gamer wants to coil their own PC nor does every gamer desire to spend the time necessary to attain this level of fit and finish. Having a arrangement built for y'all, exist it past Origin or anyone else, tin can be an attractive alternative. Having some disposable income helps, likewise.

As typical with any Origin machine, the Omega is remarkably customizable. The base configuration is reasonably attainable at just $1370 (Intel Core i5-6500, 8GB RAM, Geforce GTX 650, 120GB SSD -or- 1TB HDD). Many gamers though will want to opt for beefier graphics and storage. For reference, a solid mid-range config (i5-6500, Radeon R9 390, 512GB SSD) will run closer to $1850. Tricked out with the best and most cool options similar multiple 2TB SSDs, the Omega can easily top $5000. Naturally, applying some self restraint while building your Omega is appropriate.

When compared to similarly equipped systems from a couple of well-known bazaar builders (due east.grand. Maingear Drift , Falcon Northwest Tiki), the Omega proved to be a "all-time value" when matching components every bit closely as possible. Major OEM Alienware offers their own similarly-sized organisation besides, the X51 R3. However, the X51'south graphics options are limited to a modest Geforce GTX 960. I went ahead and configured a comparable Omega anyhow (i5-6600K, GTX 960, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD). Interestingly, the Alienware was simply about $150 cheaper. That'south really a pretty small departure when you consider Origin is using top-shelf parts -- no mysteries here.

If there'due south i catch, it has to be the inability to install ii graphics cards. Origin'due south mini-ITX offerings, namely the Gigabyte Z170N and Asus Z170i Pro, only have one PCIe slot and so you'll always be stuck with a single GPU. Of course, wanting (needing?) more than one Titan is a first-world problem if I've always heard one. But for most gamers, a single 12GB GTX Titan X will do only fine; information technology's a hell of a carte capable of chewing through any game at 1080p regardless of quality settings. 4K gaming is less sure, but aye, very doable on a fully loaded Omega. Most games will run without compromise, only expect the toughest titles (eastward.g. Crysis 3, Witcher 3) to require some slight downward adjustments to maintain their sugariness spots.

Despite its smallish dimensions, the Omega isn't difficult to work on. CPU, GPU and SFX PSU upgrades are all possible, but the need to upgrade these items is probable years away. The almost mutual DIY upgrades, similar adding RAM or an SSD, are as well the easiest to perform. The PCIe riser menu and expansion bay shroud may have you thinking "umm, what did I get myself into", but only one infinitesimal and a few screws later, they are out. In one case removed, all of the Omega'south innards will be exposed to your whims. It's worth mentioning that without SLI/Crossfire, GPU upgrades hateful replacing the graphics card entirely versus the option of adding a second.

Gaming Performance, Benchmarks

Origin armed our review configuration with Intel's Core i7-6700K (Skylake) and Nvidia's Geforce GTX Titan Ten. Absolutely, Skylake'south release was less exciting than we hoped (meet our i7-6700K review) but its efficiency tweaks are welcome to small platforms similar the Omega. Meanwhile, the Geforce GTX Titan 10, a $1000 graphics bill of fare aimed at the gaming elite, proved its mettle in an before review as i of the fastest GPUs nosotros've seen. Knowing this, expectations are the Omega will be a stellar performer.

Exam Score
3DMark Burn Strike Ultra

4901
3DMark Burn Strike Extreme

9010
3DMark Fire Strike

15887
3DMark SkyDiver

13280
3DMark Cloudgate 12916
PCMark Home (Accelerated) 5746
PCMark Creative (Accelerated) 8333
PCMark Work (Accelerated) 5538

Other than size, the real departure between the Omega and a larger gaming rig is the impossibility SLI or Crossfire. Express by one PCIe slot (mini-ITX limitation), SFX PSU and physical constraints, one graphics card is as practiced as it gets. Aside from this, the Omega performs like any single-GPU machine several times its size.

Near three years afterwards, Crysis three (2013) remains a very demanding PC game to run. Nether its highest possible settings, Crysis three ran beautifully at 1080p (1920 10 1080). At WQHD (2560 x 1440) Crysis 3 ran well, staying above 50 FPS. Our Omega finally started to bead sweat after exposing information technology to Crysis 3 in ultrawide (3440 x 1440) but still mustered a respectable 40-45 FPS. 4K gaming is clearly possible here, but today's most demanding titles volition require some modest tweaking to accomplish smooth gameplay.

Game Avg FPS Settings
Crysis three

75

1920x1080, Very High, TXAA (high)
Crysis iii

40

3440x1440, Very High, TXAA (low)
Crysis iii

60

3440x1440, High, TXAA (depression)
Warhammer: Vermintide

73

3440x1440, Farthermost, TXAA
Sleeping Dogs

36

3440x1440, Extreme, TXAA (high) + FXAA (high)
Sleeping Dogs

120

3440x1440, Extreme, FXAA (normal)
Sleeping Dogs

81

1920x1080, Farthermost, TXAA (high)
Witcher iii

34

3440x1440, Graphics (Ultra), Postprocessing (High), AA on
Witcher 3

50

3440x1440, Graphics (Loftier), Postprocessing (Medium), AA on
Witcher iii

46

1920x1080, Graphics (Ultra), Postprocessing (Loftier), AA on
Witcher 3 77 1920x1080, Graphics (High), Postprocessing (Medium), AA on
Bioshock Infinite 86 3440x1440, Ultra, AA on

In its full visual glory, Witcher 3 (2015) proved challenging fifty-fifty at even 1920 ten 1080. Stepping down postprocessing from high to medium made a significant difference though, raising framerates almost 50 per centum. Naturally, UQHD (3440 x 1440) was even more challenging. At max settings, Witcher 3 averaged less than 30 FPS in some areas at UQHD. Once once more though, lowering postprocessing from high to medium was a huge comeback, raising the average closer to far more playable l FPS. For gamers attempting Witcher at 4K, be sure to punch down some of its visual decadence for better frame rates.

Aging favorites like Tomb Raider (2013), Bioshock Infinite (2013), Sleeping Dogs (2012) and more recently, Warhammer: Vermintide - The End Times (2015), were no match for Origin's killer combo of i7-6700K and Titan 10. Bioshock, for example, routinely topped 120 FPS in even the busiest of areas. Even with older games, be mindful of your anti-aliasing settings as you approach 4K. Loftier resolutions brand anti-aliasing that much more than taxing. Sleeping Dogs, for instance, ran beautifully. The moment I set anti-aliasing quality to "extreme" (FXAA + SSAA) though, information technology performed worse than Witcher 3.

Power Consumption, Heat and Noise

Despite the crowded internals, the arranged liquid cooling arrangement proved effective. Our review unit shipped with an Origin (Asetek) Frostbyte 120 liquid cooler. This sealed unit features a fairly compact radiator design mounted entry-side with a single, high quality 120mm Scythe fan. Additionally, two 120mm fans were installed on the opposing side. At that place is a meaning corporeality of airflow, just the ratio of dissonance to airflow definitely remained on the placidity side. While nether light use, our Omega stayed quiet. Under full load, fan whirring was audible but not surprisingly loud. Fan sounds were gratis of "annoying" characteristics like whine, vibration and precipitous changes. I should add together that fan aggressiveness can be easily adjusted using an included utility with user definable presets.

Under synthetic testing (and total load), temperatures remained under 76 degrees celsius with fans set to their most aggressive setting. During gameplay, temperatures were far more variable just significantly libation overall. The Frostbyte 120 is a competent low-profile cooler having responded well to bolts of action and keeping temperatures consistently reasonable without the need for a ridiculously loud fan.

With its GPU and CPU under full attack, our review unit topped out at a good for you 475 watts under max load. During more organic gaming sessions, ability consumption typically hovered between 350-400 watts. Silverstone has a pretty skilful reputation for offering quality power supplies, so the included 600 watt PSU should be just enough to handle your highest-stop config. If the minimal headroom makes you anxious though, customers can opt for a 700W PSU.

Equally Skillful As Mini-ITX Gaming Gets

With the Omega, it seems that Origin PC has struck a harmonious balance of operation, cooling, noise and features in this size grade. Personally, I've been rocking mini-ITX machines for several years now. With some confidence, I tin can say the Omega is a worthy contribution to the crusade. It'south a high-quality machine with performance rivaling that of larger systems. If y'all're looking for a compact gaming selection, there'southward very petty not to like hither -- this is as good every bit mini-ITX gaming gets.

In terms of value, Origin'south system is pricey compared to building your own, but not outrageously so if you compare exact parts. If you're attack having a PC built for you lot, the Omega is actually on the cheaper side of its market, the world of high-end custom SFF offerings. Past high-finish, I'm referring to top-end, desktop-class graphics cards and i7 CPUs. Even mid-range builds volition set you back $1700-$1900 though, then buyers should carefully weigh their needs and options.

If this system has any shortcomings, it'south the lack of SLI or Crossfire. Omega inherits the space, slot and ability constraints of SFF and mini-ITX, and so this was a necessary sacrifice. Pocket-size systems tend to limit cooling and storage options also, simply the Omega fares pretty well with upwardly to 4 drives (5 if y'all count M.2) and an effective liquid cooling solution.

Pros: Fastest possible components in size form, 4K gaming at loftier/ultra settings possible, competitive market price, premium parts selection and build quality.

Cons: No SLI/crossfire, RVZ01 case not well-suited for uses outside of desktop utilize, compact but could be smaller.