In general, the Steiger Dynamics ERA offers exceptional performance with the Intel i7 9700K proving more than adequate for traditional workloads, home theater applications, and of course gaming. Add in the two SSDs, one for the OS and another for storage, and you have a system that not only delivers in terms of performance, but also feels responsive no matter what your task as you won't be waiting on a traditional HDD. My only real gripe is that while performance is excellent, the system can be excessively noisy when pushed to the limit. However, that limitation is only struck with such tasks as rendering, folding, or extremely intense gaming, at which point the graphics card and its blower-style cooler becomes the primary source of noise. When pushed to the limit, our test system hit a noise level of 48 dBA; meanwhile, during intense gaming, noise levels hit 46 dBA. Under light to moderate loads, the system stays very quiet with the noise level fluctuating between 36-40 dBA at a distance of 1 foot/30 cm.

The ERA II chassis, while stunning with its brushed aluminium exterior, rocks a professional look and is well built, too. Fit and finish are just unbelievable, and to keep it looking nice, Steiger Dynamics even includes a set of white gloves, which is a nice touch. Sadly, it does have a few drawbacks, the first of which is that the bottom vents only have 3/16" or 4.76 mm of space for bringing air in. The other is that the standard 2.5" storage drive location is a bit challenging to fully access as it takes the removal of a number of wires and the optical drive; even then, it requires further disassembly before finally being able to remove the drive. It would be nice to see a more user-friendly option for storage drive access in future builds.

With that said, while the system is still a fantastic offering using off the shelf parts, which means there are at least no worries about any proprietary solutions, enthusiasts looking to save a buck can obviously build a similar system for less. Taking a quick look online, we ended up with a system with the same specifications and a different PSU and chassis (still a slim HTPC case) for around $2400. However, this doesn't include any extra software. That said, if you are willing to do things on your own, there are savings to be had. But then again, if you prefer building your own systems, the Steiger Dynamics ERA is likely not something you would be interested in to begin with. Therefore, while it can be done for less, some enthusiasts who enjoy the same things we all do also prefer a plug and play solution, and that is what Steiger Dynamics delivers.

My only other thoughts come down to the audio codec which is a Realtek ALC 892. Its quite old and nowhere near as good as whats available on the market today. Thus I can see where some users will not be happy with it. However, considering this system is meant for a home theater environment Steiger Dynamics does recommend using a proper receiver in order to get the best experience possible. I can't fault them for that since this system is targeted at a very specific market and if your willing to shell out $3200 for it you likely have good equipment to pair with it.

Overall, the ERA HTPC as configured is a robust system for consumers who want to be able to do it all and cost is of no concern. So if you want the full home cinema experience with Blu-ray playback while also maxing out the latest games, or plan to go all in with VR, you might want to give the Steiger Dynamics ERA a good look.