Glow Lounge Glow Sugo B HTPC

Conclusions

So how does the Glow Lounge system rate compared to other machines we've looked at?

Performance: With a dual-core Athlon 64 X2 at the helm, even an entry-level 3800+, the Sugo B was no slouch in our benchmarks. Not surprisingly, it compared pretty favourably with our reference system, which has a very similar core specification. For general MCE usage, it won’t miss a beat during any activity you’d care to throw at it.

Specification: You can’t fault most of the components in this system. The Glow Lounge has managed to produce a powerful PC which doesn’t make a powerful noise to go with it. In fact, the Sugo B feels too good just to be a PVR. So this leads us to our main criticism - the choice of graphics card, which may be quiet but limits the system’s possible uses, given it's otherwise awesome spec.

Form factor: Despite the Sugo SG01’s good looks, the upright chassis might not fit everyone’s living room taste. This is very obviously a PC, unlike Quiet PC’s D.Vine. So here again the design seems more suitable as a hybrid, acting as both mainstream PC when required as well as a PVR. Then you’d have more reason to make use of its decent expansion potential.

Value: You always pay a premium when you buy a Media Center system from a specialist such as the Glow Lounge. Exactly the same logic applies here as with bespoke gaming PCs. This is a beautifully built, well thought out PC, but you definitely pay a lot for the privilege.

Final thoughts

We can’t help but feel that the Glow Lounge Glow Sugo SG01 falls between stools slightly. It’s a carefully designed, powerful PC – but almost too powerful to be relegated to PVR duties in the lounge. On the other hand, although the passively cooled Nvidia GeForce 6600 graphics ensures the system remains whisper quiet, this wastes its potential to double as a kick-ass gaming rig. We’d prefer it with a graphics upgrade such as a GeForce 6800GS or 7800GT, or ATi Radeon X1000 series to take advantage of Avivo. Then it would make a great all-rounder, albeit an expensive one.