So far probably the only negative comment I have comes from the initial install/boot up of the computer. While booting up the computer would hang prior to starting the operating system.
After much research I came to the conclusion that it was trying to boot over the network. At that point I unplugged the ethernet cable from the back of the computer and powered the computer up. Problem solved. I was able to complete the boot process and work through the Windows 11 setup.
At first I was a little surprised there was no documentation with the computer describing this situation but then I took a closer look at the protective plastic wrap covering the computer in the box and realized it has directions on what to do in this situation. I'm a guy and guy's don't generally read directions so I guess it's my fault I got into this situation :) I guess the takeaway from this is to read all of the documentation no matter where you find it in the package or in my case on the floor where I initially threw the wrapping.
I did not want to create a Microsoft account as part of the Windows 11 setup so following steps that I found online and prior to reaching the point in the setup where you have to log into or create a Microsoft account I unplugged my router from the gateway so there was no internet net connection available. Setup continued and then completed and the computer has been running just fine ever since.
Other than the quirky differences between Windows 10 and Windows 11 which is no fault of the computer vendor things have gone very well. The computer is fast, quiet and hides nicely behind my monitor on its VESA mount. I have two monitors connected via HDMI and they have been working flawlessly.
I can't comment on the gaming features as I only watch videos, browse and do a lot of spreadsheet work on the computer. I also run Fusion 360 from time to time and it runs smoothly with no issues.
I'm giving this computer 5 stars and overall am very pleased with the purchase. If something changes I will come back and update the review.
12/6/2023 - Update
It's been 6 months and I have had zero issues with it. Very happy with the purchase. Only issue I'm having, if you can call it an issue, I can't seem to figure out how to keep it from going to sleep after a few hours of non use. I've googled for fixes but so far nothing seems to keep it from happening. I don't know if it's a windows 11 issue or a bios issue.
I like it enough that I'm considering getting a 2nd unit for my shop.
1/11/2024 - Update
The computer is still working flawlessly after a year+. There was one little nagging issue I've been dealing with since day one and that was when the computer was waking up or after a reboot. During the boot process it would hang with a message "start PXE over IPv4" with the mac address appended to the message. If the computer is connect wirelessly to the router it would hang at this point for a short while and then continue the boot. I eventually switched to a wired ethernet connection and the delay stretched out to almost 3 minutes before completing the boot process.
I finally took the time to research the issue and found that the bios needed to be set to Legacy Bios instead of UEFI Boot Mode. Once I made this change the computer now boots up in about 5 to 8 seconds. Needless to say I'm quite happy with this change.
The bottom line is this computer seems to be well made, reliable and fast. I would definitely buy again.
| Screen Resolution | 3840 x 2160 |
|---|---|
| Max Screen Resolution | 3840 x 2160 Pixels |
| Processor | 4.4 GHz amd_r_series |
| RAM | 32 GB |
| Hard Drive | 500 |
| Chipset Brand | AMD |
| Wireless Type | Bluetooth |
