Braebo Computers ‘Titan’ AMD Gaming System Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing

For an entry-level to mid range gaming system, we really don’t want to be paying over the odds for a pre-built system and at £700, the Titan is right on the money. We get a high-end motherboard that would serve as a great platform for a number of years and the framework is in place for future upgrades should the need arise. To sweeten the deal Braebo also offer the system as a complete setup with a 22″ LED backlit monitor from AOC and a Microsoft basics mouse and keyboard for an all in price of £799. Granted the keyboard and mouse are not exactly anything to shout about, but for someone who is getting their first gaming system, it is enough to get them up and running for the moment.

Overview

Considering all the high performance systems that I’ve had in to play with to date, it is nice and refreshing to see what is out there to buy when we look towards the other end of the performance scale. Granted we are not quite at the rock bottom end of the scale with a basic setup, but we are standing in the region that I would like to see for an entry-to-mid level gaming system. To be honest when I got this system out of its box and had a look at the specification of what I had to play around with, I was a little confused as to why a high-end gaming motherboard was selected as opposed to one of Gigabyte’s mid-range A88X motherboards such as the D3H, which in itself is a perfectly adequate motherboard for gaming with.  This confusion was easier to understand when you look at the value memory, small 64GB SSD and stock heatsink that is placed on the cooler. Downgrading the motherboard a step or two and spending a little extra on say a heatsink would to me be a more worthwhile investment instead. The Titan is what it is though and to be honest, if you are looking to have this as your main system for a number of years to come, then the Gi Sniper motherboard is going to be a solid platform for you to upgrade with and game on with no worries on it getting too out of date.

Looking at the performance I have to say that I am a little impressed. Having not played with the latest generation of graphics cards in too much detail I was not too sure on what to make of the R9 270, having only played with a 280 and above up to this point. I have to say though that I am pleasantly surprised and for any first time gamer, this card is going to do itself justice and would serve well for a couple of years to come. Being an entry-level card means that it is cheaper to buy and thus means that the prospect of going into a Crossfire setup is more cost-effective and would also be a suitable way to prolong the need to upgrade components in the future.

The Titan is not without its woes though and there are one or two little alterations that would not go a miss. Firstly it would be a good idea to install a secondary chassis fan into the front of the Asgard 381 chassis; whilst the single rear fan is capable of pulling air through the case, a push-pull setup would be more of a benefit. Secondly is the aforementioned upgrade to the CPU cooler. Secondly something more than a Microsoft basics peripheral set would make the upgrade option to the complete package a little more desirable. Don’t get me wrong it is more than enough to get you up and running, but to the potential buyer, having a brand name such as Logitech there instead of Microsoft may just sweeten the deal a little more and lead to a few more upgrade packs being selected.

Other little areas that I would like to highlight, albeit not a fault of Braebo, is the power LED on the chassis. Who oh why it has to be that bright I do not know, it doesn’t need to light up the whole room when your system is on, a lower intensity is more preferred, so Xigmatec this is one for you. Also I will point out that whilst you are getting the faster speeds that are associated with SSDs in this system, by the time the drive is formatted, you’ve got Windows and a few core programs such as a web browser, office applications, social communication programs etc installed, there is not a lot of space left to play with. Once again this is not Braebo’s fault as you are not going to get a much bigger drive for a system at this price point, unless you want to downgrade other components. So whilst you do get an SSD in the spec please don’t complain when you’ve not got a lot of space left to install you 15GB+ games onto.

As a whole Braebo’s Titan is not a bad example of what you can get in the entry-to-mid range price bracket for a pre-built system. Whilst there are some pro and cons to consider, as a starter platform fo a desktop gaming system you do get a good amount of performance for your money and it will give you an upgradeable platform to work in later years,

Pros

• Ideal system for a first time desktop gamer
• 3 year RTB warranty
• Good level of performance for the money
• Good upgrade platform in the later years

Cons

• Not overly known in the UK market
• Small SSD will fill up very quickly
• Bright power LED on chassis is distracting

“When you’re a relatively new face to the market as a system integrator, getting your name out there is not going to be easy and therefore finding a gap in the market is more of a challenge. Braebo Computers believe they have found just the right angle to attack the market with by heading for the entry-to-mid level user base and the Titan is just one of the systems that they have to offer. With a reasonably balance specification and a manageable price to suit, the Titan is ready to hit the market and take on the big names in a well heated battle.”

Thanks to Gigabyte & Braebo Computers for providing this review sample.