Hands-on: Vizio’s updated All-in-One PCs add touch, AMD … and that’s about it

Keeping the same sleek style, Vizio adds touch and AMD processors to its all-in-one desktops.

In addition to Vizio’s new Thin and Light laptops that we checked out today at CES, the company also showed off its new desktops: the Vizio All-in-One Touch PC in both 24-inch and 27-inch models. These all-in-one models aren’t entirely new. Like many of the other laptop and desktop releases we’ve seen at CES, these guys were announced in October during the Windows 8 launch. However, they did not have touch at the time, but Vizio is adding touch to the name and the display – which we’re assuming means a higher price as well. 

The interesting thing about Vizio’s releases at CES is that they come in both Intel and AMD flavors. The 24-inch AiO is available with an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, or a quad-core AMD processor, whereas the 27-inch model is only available with an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor.

Both sizes offer a beautiful 1080p HD LED touchscreen display with 10-finger gesture capability. If you’re still not swayed by the promises of touch, Vizio also includes a touchpad. We know some PC users prefer a regular mouse to a touchpad, but since the touchpad is included in the box, buying a separate mouse isn’t a huge deal. We’re also slightly concerned about the keyboard, which appears to be quite similar to the Vizio CT14-A4 laptop’s keyboard that we reviewed back in December. With that model, we noticed a lot of dropped letters, and we’re hoping that’s not the case with that of the AiO. 

Vizio also includes a 2.1 audio system with a standalone subwoofer and SRS Premium Sound HD. We didn’t get a chance to test out the sound when we saw the AiO Touch, but we’re looking forward to seeing how the subwoofer enhances it when we get it in for review. We liked that the subwoofer also acts as the power brick, combining two things in one. All three peripherals – the keyboard, trackpad, and subwoofer – are included in the AiO Touch’s package, as is a remote control. 

As you can see from the photo above, this all-in-one desktop has a sleek design. All of the hardware rests in the base of the computer. Even though we’ve seen this design already from Vizio, we still think it’s rather attractive. It definitely isn’t the type of computer you want to shove in the corner. The monitor rests on an aluminum stand that allows it to pivot for different viewing angles. The AiO Touch has two HDMI inputs, meaning you can use this with your Xbox  and other entertainment devices. Along with the remote control, you can use the AiO Touch as a dedicated monitor for your entertainment needs. It also has your standard 3.5-millimeter headphone/mic port, a gigabit Ethernet port, an SD card reader, and eSATA. 

We were impressed to hear that the AMD version has discrete graphics (AMD Radeon HD 8750A). Combined with the two HDMI inputs, this could be a decent option for a budget gaming desktop. The Intel model also feature a 32GB solid-state drive, which is used to to increase speed by caching the operating system and frequently used files. With 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive, this is one powerful machine.

Though we may not be crazy about the keyboard and trackpad that come with the AiO Touch, at first glance, we like what we see. This is one sleek looking machine, and we’re interested to see how the Vizio AiO Touch compares to other 27-inch all-in-ones we’ve reviewed like the Dell XPS One 27 and the 27-inch iMac. Vizio plans to release these in mid-February, but we’re still in the dark on pricing. Stay tuned for a full review.