Specs and discussion
| Scan 3XS Cyclone | |
|---|---|
| Chassis | Cooler Master CM 690 II Advanced mid-tower |
| Processor | Intel Core i7 920 (2.66GHz, 1MB L2 cache, 8MB L3 Cache) @ 4.0GHz (20 x 200MHz BCLK) |
| Cooler | Prolimatech Megahalems Super 6 |
| Mainboard | ASUS P6X58D-E, X58, LGA1366 |
| Memory | 6GB (3 x 2GB) Corsair DOMINATOR DDR3-1,600 @ 9-9-9-24 |
| Hard disk(s) | 1TB Western Digital Caviar Black |
| Display | None, optional extra |
| Graphics hardware | Watercooled
and pre-overclocked GeForce GTX 480, 1,536MB (852MHz/3,700MHz) |
| Optical drive 1 | Sony 24x DVD-RW |
| Optical drive 2 | None, optional extra |
| Sound hardware | Onboard sound from ASUS motherboard |
| Speakers | None, optional extra |
| Modem | None |
| Networking hardware | 10/100/1000, Marvell
88E8056 PCI-E |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit |
| PSU | Corsair HX650W |
| Input devices | None, optional extras |
| Additional software | Microsoft Office 2007 60-day trail, CyberLink PowerDVD 9 |
| Notable items | Pre-overclocked CPU, Pre-overclocked GPU |
| Included warranty | Two years; first year on-site and second year return to base |
| Price | £1,646.84, including VAT |
| Shipping | Free for HEXUS.community members* |
Discussion
A custom-cooled NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 will set you back some £500 alone - more once the radiator and pump are taken into account - so Scan chooses a mid-priced, mid-sized Cooler Master CM 690 II Advanced chassis as the base. It's significantly smaller than the likes of the SilverStone Temjin or Corsair Obsidian 700D/800D. This means that integration of components will be key.The CPU horsepower is provided by the ever-useful Core i7 920, overclocked here to 4GHz, cooled by a Prolimatech Megahalems heatsink, and sat on top of a premium X58 motherboard from ASUS. The components are very much Scan favourites.
In keeping with an overall budget of £1,650, Scan has made cuts in obvious places; there's no SSD goodness, no discrete soundcard, and the aforementioned chassis is rather run of the mill. What's of greater concern is the 650W Corsair PSU, which seems rather underpowered from an upgrade point of view, especially with a pre-overclocked GTX 480 in situ. There's no budget for a Blu-ray drive, either, if that matters to you. As usual, Scan provides a comprehensive configurator if the pre-chosen components don't tickle your PC fancy.
The system takes a total of four days to build and qualify from the point that engineers begin assembly, according to Scan, and the company employs a 10-step process that includes a 24-hour stress-test (48 hours if overclocked) and a number of quality control checks. Assembly is an ongoing business, naturally, and it's possible to have a system despatched within a couple of days of ordering.
