The focus for Steam Machine gaming rigs has been on low-powered and quietly air-cooled mini PCs. Digital Storm bucks this trend with the upgradable Bolt II: a liquid-cooled PC gaming rig that can play games from Linux-based SteamOS and Microsoft Windows.
Instead of producing a tiny air-cooled Steam Machine that simply meets the requirements of SteamOS, Digital Storm has its new small form factor (SFF) desktop on steroids, the Bolt II.
The Bolt II is a full-bore PC gaming rig with SteamOS and Windows pre-installed for a living room game rig that plays games from the Steam Machine store and more traditional Windows game sources. The idea is that you'll have a game rig that's capable of "playing any title on [a gamer's] new 4K display" according to Rajeev Kuruppu, director of product development at Digital Storm.
The Bolt II comes in a SFF desktop chassis and includes a 240mm radiator to liquid cool the overclocked processor. Cool air is pulled from below the system, passed over the radiator and graphics cards, then exhausted out the top, similar to other high-end gaming rigs.
Digital Storm built the Bolt II to be easily upgradable using a removable compartment-based chassis for graphics, storage, and the cooling system changes. Bolt II isn't meant to compete with game consoles or mini PCs simply running SteamOS. It's meant to compete with other mid- to high-end gaming rigs, while adding SteamOS play as a bonus.
The Digital Storm Bolt II will be available later in January starting at $1,899 USD.
