Maingear’s Pulse bears that title—which, by the way, may or may not be true—because of the obvious focus on energy efficiency. In a world naturally full of high-powered gaming rigs, the Pulse looks to stand apart by going green.
This small form factor PC is based on Nvidia’s ION platform that comes with an energy-efficient integrated GeForce 9300 graphics solution, plus enough space to fit in a GeForce 9800 GT ECO discrete graphics card for serious gaming. The 9800 GT ECO comes with 512MB or 1GB of memory and consumes 40% less power than a standard 9800 GT, giving this tiny rig enough gaming muscle while keeping the power draw down. The system also fits Intel’s 45nm Core 2 Duo or Quad processors to turn this tiny PC into a serious performer, and an 80+ Certified 300 Watt power supply that’s 80%+ efficient to save you on electricity bills.
It comes with storage options for hard drives up to 500GB, or an optional 160GB solid state drive for faster, more energy-efficient storage. The Pulse also includes an 802.11 b/g wireless connection and eSATA support for storage expansion. Built-in 7.1-channel audio gives it surround sound capabilities, while an optional Blu-ray drive and TV Tuner makes it good enough for the living room.
The Pulse is available with a base price of $799, and comes with Maingear’s Lifetime Labor and Phone Support, and is covered by a 14-month hardware warranty.
