Pros & Cons
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- Overclocked Intel Core i7 quad-core processor.
- Potent EVGA GeForce GTX Titan Black graphics.
- Sweet paint job customizations.
- Compact design with a rock-solid stone base.
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- No cover on CMOS reset button.
- No room for upgrades.
Falcon Northwest Tiki (2014) Specs
| All-in-One Screen Type | 0 |
| Graphics Card | eVGA GeForce GTX Titan Black |
| Operating System | Windows 8.1 |
| Optical Drive | DVD+/-RW (Plus Minus) |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-4770K |
| Processor Speed | 3.5 |
| RAM (as Tested) | 16 |
The 2014 Falcon Northwest Tiki ($4,395, as tested) is a small-form-factor (SFF) gaming desktop with a premium price tag and the performance to justify the expense. Kitted out with an overclocked Intel Core i7 quad-core processor and a potent EVGA GeForce GTX Titan Black graphics card, the pint-sized Tiki packs a punch, and gets a slightly updated look with one of Falcon's custom paint jobs.
Editors' Note: This version of the Falcon Northwest Tiki has been replaced. Read the review of the current Falcon Northwest Tiki.
Design and Features
Our review unit came with a bright cobalt-blue, auto-style paint job. There are several colors to choose from—any color of car paint is fair game—and you can even get it customized to match the side of your van, though it costs a pretty penny. And be extra careful with that paint job, as it will scratch just like a car door when banged against something, and even small abrasions can royally screw up the clear coat during the first few weeks you have it, since it takes a few weeks to cure.
View All Like the previous Tiki iteration—the
Falcon Northwest Tiki (2012)—the small system is meant to stand upright, and has a heavy granite base to provide sure footing. Measuring just 14 by 4 by 14 inches (HWD), the compact chassis is unchanged from the design used in the last Tiki model we reviewed in 2012. Instead of placing the power button, optical drive, and a small selection of ports on the front of the tower, as they normally would be located, the Tiki has these features installed on the top of the tower. Located toward the front of the machine, the ports and slot-loading optical drive are easily accessible to the user, and even more convenient if the PC is set in a lower position, such as under a desk.
The side panel of the chassis is secured with thumb screws, giving you tool-free access to the internal components. Be careful opening that panel, however, because there is a radiator mounted to it, connected to an Asetek 120MM sealed liquid cooling system for the CPU. The cooler is hooked up to an Asus Z78I Deluxe motherboard, outfitted with an overclocked Intel Core i7-4770K processor and 16GB of RAM—two slots filled with 8GB each of 1866MHz DDR3 memory. There's not a lot of interior room to add much in the way of upgrades, but there are three unused SATA ports, if you can find space for a drive or two. On a riser card above the motherboard is an EVGA GeForce GTX Titan Black GPU. Artfully crammed into the small case is an 8x DVD+-RW drive, along with two 1TB Corsair M550 SSDs, striped in RAID 0. It's all powered by a 450W power supply.
Final Thoughts
Falcon Northwest Tiki (2014)
The Falcon Northwest Tiki is a premium-priced gaming desktop with a compact chassis that offers powerful gaming performance.