Scan 3XS OC PC system review. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 SLI graphics

Final thoughts and rating

Scan's aim with the 3XS SLI 580 OC is to create a monster gaming PC that's designed to rip through games like a hot knife through butter. Equipped with two of NVIDIA's fastest-ever graphics cards in the form of twin GeForce GTX 580s in SLI, gaming performance is hugely impressive, offering near-double the performance of an already-fast single card. The system is begging to be paired up with a super-high-resolution monitor or, if really pushing the boat out, three stereoscopic screens for the ultimate 3D Vision setup.

Sensibly wrapped inside a Cooler Master HAF X chassis and supported by premium components wherever you look, the 3XS's premium credentials show through. Build quality is excellent and the system is relatively quiet for a genuinely high-end base unit.

If we were to change one aspect of the PC it would be the cooler, as the system gets rather toasty under load. Swapping out the Prolimatech Megahalems cooler for, say, a Corsair Hydro H70 may well pay dividends. Don't like Scan's suggested specifications? The online configurator enables you to change practically any component.

£2,549 is a serious amount of wedge to drop on a base unit, especially in times where manufacturers are focusing on the sub-£750 market. However, if you want a premium PC that's simply wicked-fast at gaming, with the potential for even more horsepower through a third GeForce GTX 580 or a trio of Radeon HD 6970s down the line, the Scan 3XS SLI 580 OC is, to trot out a cliché, an enthusiast PC built by enthusiasts for enthusiasts.

The Good

Stupendous gaming performance
Quality build
Online configurator provides almost limitless choice
Relatively quiet for a truly high-end rig

The Bad

CPU cooler is found wanting
Being picky, no overclocking on the GPUs

HEXUS Rating

Scan 3XS SLI 580 OC

HEXUS Awards

Scan 3XS SLI 580 OC

HEXUS Where2Buy

The Scan 3XS SLI 580 OC PC is available to purchase from SCAN.co.uk* at this link.

HEXUS Right2Reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.

*As always, UK-based HEXUS.community forum members will benefit from the SCAN2HEXUS Free Shipping initiative, which will save you a further few pounds plus also top-notch, priority customer service and technical support backed up by the SCANcare@HEXUS forum.

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Good review and great system - they've really put the money where it's needed IMHO, a very well balanced system in that respect.

I don't agree that a max CPU temp of 81 is a too high however - if it's stable and not going to rise any further then it's still got at least 17C before any throttling will kick in. If you're worried about room heating effects then having a better cooler won't help that (if anything it'll just make transferring of heat from the computer to the room even more efficient). So I think SCAN have got it spot on to be honest - keeping an air cooler on the CPU also helps surrounding components get some air and might aid overall stability.

I don't believe it's getting too hot; it's just a bit toasty.

The 81°C is fine and the system is completely stable. However, the ambient temperature is 20°C. My concern is what happens when it rises to nearer 30°C in the summer months?

This is not a criticism of the Scan system: it works just fine. I just think adding the better-performing Corsair Hydro H70 makes sense. The £25 upgrade should lower temps and not be as affected by the heat put out by the graphics cards.

Tarinder
I don't believe it's getting too hot; it's just a bit toasty.

The 81°C is fine and the system is completely stable. However, the ambient temperature is 20°C. My concern is what happens when it rises to nearer 30°C in the summer months?

This is not a criticism of the Scan system: it works just fine. I just think adding the better-performing Corsair Hydro H70 makes sense. The £25 upgrade should lower temps and not be as affected by the heat put out by the graphics cards.

Fair point - I can't see the case temperatures so don't know what the limiting factor is for heat extraction. Upgrading to water cooled GPUs would be a better solution if they are raising case temperatures significantly more than can be countered by case cooling, but that's probably a bit more expensive/adds complexity.

Of course, if one isn't concerned with round numbers then going for a marginally smaller overclock means you don't need anything like the volts on the 950. 3.8+ghz is usually reachable on stock voltage, at 3.6-3.7 you can actually undervolt fine.

If only my CCA wasn't going ot cost me £2000 :(

Tarinder
I don't believe it's getting too hot; it's just a bit toasty.

The 81°C is fine and the system is completely stable. However, the ambient temperature is 20°C. My concern is what happens when it rises to nearer 30°C in the summer months?

This is not a criticism of the Scan system: it works just fine. I just think adding the better-performing Corsair Hydro H70 makes sense. The £25 upgrade should lower temps and not be as affected by the heat put out by the graphics cards.

I would like to hope they test their PCs stability in a room @35 degrees to see if it works or not.

Not even hard to do, small room & temp controlled fan heater…