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Processor: 3GHz Pentium D 925 Memory: 1GB DDR2 Storage: 250GB hard drive Optical Drives: 20x double-layer DVD±RW Monitor: None Graphics: nVidia GeForce 7300 LE (256MB) Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium |
Systemax Venture S925 Desktop Computer Review | |||||||
Reviewed by: Matthew Murray Review Date: August 2007 | |||||||
To hit its low price, Systemax powers the $499.95 Venture S925 with a 3GHz Intel Pentium D 925 processor. That chip is a bit lower-end than other budget CPUs in both Intel's and AMD's lines, and it doesn't have quite the same speed (or cool-running) properties of chips in Intel's popular Core 2 Duo series. But if you don't mind not having the latest-and-greatest processor, the Venture S925 holds its own well enough. In fact, it surpassed other under-$500 desktops we've recently tested in our Futuremark PCMark05 benchmark test, turning in a score of 3,839. That's a slight improvement over other budget desktops, and the eMachines T5230 performed just a little bit better. On our other tests, the Systemax PC's results were more or less in keeping with those of comparable budget systems. If you just need a PC for everyday work, such as Office applications and Web surfing, the Venture S925 will serve you fine. You'll want to play out any serious gaming aspirations you might have elsewhere, though. The PC's nVidia GeForce 7300 LE graphics card doesn't generate much in the way of playable frame rates in 3D titles. Other components include 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250GB hard drive, a 20x DVD±RW drive, and a nine-format flash-card reader. You also get a pair of speakers, and a Logitech keyboard and mouse. The operating system, as is now apparently de rigueur for budget desktops, is Windows Vista Home Premium. Inside, upgraders will find one free RAM slot, two free PCI 2.2 slots, and one free PCI Express x1 slot, as well as front-accessible 5.25- and 3.5-inch drive bays (one of each) and room in the internal 3.5-inch cage for two more hard drives. For protection, Systemax includes a standard one-year limited warranty, and a full one-year subscription to CA AntiVirus, something you don't see with many desktops, even higher-priced ones. It's a security program that protects your computer while remaining as unobtrusive as possible, which makes it an excellent companion for the equally unassuming Venture S925. Discuss this product in our desktops forum. Direct Price: $499.95 Systemax, 888-682-7236 www.systemaxpc.com ABS Ultimate X8 Stealth Extreme Desktop Computer |
Processor: 2.66GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6700 (overclocked to 3.2GHz) Memory: 4GB DDR2 Storage: 150GB hard drive Optical Drives: Double-layer DVD±RW Monitor: None Graphics: nVidia GeForce 8800 Ultra (768MB) Operating System: Windows Vista Ultimate |
ABS Ultimate X8 Stealth Extreme Desktop Computer Review | |
Reviewed by: Bill O'Brien Review Date: June 2007 | |
You can't fault ABS for building on a known success, and that may explain why its Ultimate X8 Stealth Extreme looks so familiar. It's the same Gigabyte monster tower case we've seen already (all 21x8x22.5 inches of it), with the same Gigabyte water-cooling system (adding 6 more inches to the case's depth) plumbed into the box to help everything chill. A few changes, however, should pique your interest—as should the price. Our $3,774 test model isn't the fastest PC you can configure, but it does deliver lots of bang for the buck. Unchanged (but always worth noting) is the company's attention to cable routing. Inside, you'll see some unavoidable clutter because of the coolant hoses, but that's a minor condition that affects only a small section near the rear of the graphics card. All of the electrical lines are wrapped, shielded, and routed out of the way. As a result, interior access is excellent. Also, the computer runs almost whisper-quiet. One other deviation from the last ABS system we reviewed is the Ultimate X8 Stealth Extreme's single nVidia GeForce 8800 Ultra card, instead of a dual-card 8800 GTX Scalable Link Interface (SLI) pairing. The 8800 Ultra is clocked slightly faster than the GTX, and it's eminently overclockable. Its clock-speed increases, plus some internal streamlining, theoretically make the 8800 Ultra a better version of the 8800 GTX. It's also more expensive—by a few hundred dollars—and that might explain why ABS is using only one. Keeping the price reasonable could also explain the inclusion of only a single 10,000rpm Western Digital 150GB Raptor drive instead of a pair in a RAID configuration. But there's no arguing with the 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 processor (overclocked to 3.2GHz) and 4GB of DDR2 memory. The only question is whether or not it makes the grade. We'll spare you the suspense: It does. The Ultimate X8 Stealth Extreme's 11,345 score on Futuremark's 3DMark06 at 1,280x1,024 resolution doesn't rival the 15,000- or 16,000-point scores we've peeled from high-end gaming systems, but the price of this PC is below even ABS's own $4,500 gaming computers and well-removed from the $6,000 gaming boxes offered by some boutique PC makers. Our test game F.E.A.R. (also at 1,280x1,024) ran at an average of 175 frames per second (fps). Also, our Windows Media Encoder test took less than 5 minutes, and our iTunes encoding test just over 3 minutes. These are great numbers for what is essentially an entry-level performance PC with an attitude. Of course, you can always add more of almost anything. The 1,100-watt Tagan power supply has oodles of spare amps on tap for expansion. The case can host four more front-accessible 5.25-inch drives and four more internal 3.5-inch hard drives; there's also case space for both a 3.5-inch floppy drive and a card reader. Two PCI slots are unoccupied, but expect to have difficulty accessing them if you add a second 8800 Ultra. The eVGA 122-CK-NF68-A1 motherboard has more external connectivity options than you can shake a memory stick at. The PC has six rear-panel USB ports, plus onboard connectors for four more. Two of these USB connectors are extended to the case's front panel, along with the standard mic and headphone ports and a spare FireWire port to complement the one you'll find on the rear panel. Eight-channel audio, S/PDIF output, and dual Gigabit Ethernet ports round out the list. The Ultimate X8 Stealth Extreme is neither the least-expensive nor the highest-performance computer we've seen from ABS. However, it's one of the company's best price-for-performance offerings. Special Deal:![]() Apple 21.5" iMac Desktop Computer, 3.6GHz Core i5 Dual-Core, 4GB (2x2GB) RAM, 1TB 7200rpm Hard Drive, 8x SuperDrive DVD Burner, SDXC Card Slot, ATI Radeon HD 5670 512MB Graphics, 21.5" LED Backlit 16:9 Widescreen Display, iSight Camera, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, 802.11n Airport Extreme Wi-Fi, Wireless Keyboard & Magic Mouse, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard iMac iMac 21.5" iMac Desktop Computer |