How we test
| System name | Scan 3XS Cyclone PC | Scan 3XS SLI 480 OC PC | HEXUS high-end enthusiast system (Q2 2009) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7 920 @ 4.0GHz | Intel Core i7 920 @ 4.0GHz | Intel Core i7 930 @ 4.0GHz |
| Cooler | Prolimatech Megahalems Super 6 | Prolimatech Megahalems Super 6 | Thermalright TRUE |
| Motherboard | ASUS P6X58D-E | ASUS P6TD Deluxe | ASUS P6X58D Premium |
| Memory | Corsair 6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3 | Corsair DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3 | Corsair DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3 |
| Memory timings and speed | 9-9-9-24-2T
@ 1,600MHz |
8-8-8-20-1T
@ 1,600MHz |
8-8-8-20-1T @ 1,600MHz |
| Graphics card(s) | GeForce GTX 480 OC and watercooled | 2 x ASUS GeForce GTX 480 | 2 x Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 |
| Graphics driver | ForceWare 257.15 | ForceWare 197.17 | Catalyst 10.3 |
| Disk drive(s) | 1TB WD Caviar Black | Corsair
Nova V128 SSD 2 x 1TB Samsung F3 in RAID1 |
Corsair
Nova V128 SSD 1TB Seagate 7200.12 |
| Optical drive(s) | Sony 24x DVD-RW | LG GGW-H20L Blu-ray/HD DVD writer | Pioneer BDR-205BK Blu-ray writer |
| Chassis and PSU | Cooler Master CM 690 II and Corsair HX650W | SilverStone Temjin TJ09 and Corsair HX1,000W | Corsair Obsidian 700D and Corsair HX1,000W |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit | Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit |
| Warranty | Two years, 1st year onside, 2nd year RTB | Two years; 1st year on-site and 2nd labour and extended parts | None |
| Notable extras | Overclocked CPU, overclocked GPU (core) | Overclocked CPU, twin GeForce GTX 480s | Radeon-oriented system |
| Base unit price, including VAT | £1,646, including VAT | £2,749, including VAT | £2,200,
including VAT (no
warranty) |
| Benchmarks | HEXUS.PiFast calculation
to 10m places CINEBENCH R11.5 multi-CPU, 64-bit Bibble v5.02 image-processing benchmark - 200 photos x264 HD v3.0 media-encoding benchmark - both passes noted DiRT 2 v1.1, London map - ultra quality - custom benchmark Battlefield: Bad Company 2 v523648 - FRAPS-recorded benchmark Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - FRAPS-recorded benchmark Power-draw, heat, and noise tests |
|---|
Notes
Used purely for benchmark comparison, we tested a near-£3K Scan system featuring dual GeForce GTX 480s a short while ago. We've also thrown in a dual-GPU Radeon-based system that we knocked up in the labs.Performance will be fast on all machines, seeing as they all use a 4GHz-clocked Core i7 and are kitted out with tasty graphics.
