Computer System Reviews

This article contains the links for September’s £700 system build. The review follows, any changes from last month will be reflected in the table and in the relevant paragraphs!

Full Computer Specification:

Component Specification:

Processor - Intel Quad Core Q6600 2.4GHz S775:

The oldie but a goody. Intel’s old Quad Core the Q6600 still has a lot to give. Although stock clocked at 2.4Ghz, this will easily overclock near to 3.0Ghz without any problems.

Motherboard - Gigabyte S775 Intel P45 DDR2:

Perfect motherboard for the budding enthusiast. Can support DDR2 RAM up to speeds of 1200Mhz, has a 1600Mhz FSB, supports crossfire and also has two pci-e 2.0 x16 ports meaning that each card gets the full amount of bandwidth. Also perfect for overclocking, as the bios has everything you need for tweaking.

Graphics Card - Gigabyte Radeon 4870 512MB:

Staying the same as last months, just from a different vendor. This version has 512Mb of gDDR5, which is clocked at a blazing fast 3.6Ghz and has a core speed of 750Mhz.

RAM - OCZ Technology 2×1GB PC2-6400 DDR2 (x2):

This memory is rated at CAS latency of 4-4-4-15, and at a speed of 800Mhz. This is from OCZ’s platinum range, their highest rated memory range. As such it comes with very low timing, good reliability and very good potential overclocking ability. With this build 4Gb of total system memory is included.

HDD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.1 500GB:

500GB is a fairly standard amount of space nowadays, however it is still a lot of space, that is many thousands of songs and documents as well as some movies and games. Comes with 32MB of cache.

Power Supply - OCZ Technology StealthXStream 600W :

OCZ’s philosophy with this PSU is silence and efficiency. So with 600W we have enough power in order to deal with this system’s configuration. It has four +12V rails, each with a maximum of 18 Amps, so you will definitely get all the continuous power you need. All the cables are fully sleeved also.

Case - Antec Nine Hundred:

Antec’s premier gaming case bar one. Though this has everything you will need. Plenty of space in this case, but Antec have really made sure this case can deliver in the cooling column. The power supply is mounted at the bottom, providing better air flow. There are 4 fans already installed, the ‘big boy’ 200mm case fan up top, the 120mm rear fan and two 120mm fans at the front of the case, also has placement for two extra fans as well.

DVD Drive - Optiarc (Sony/NEC) 20X DVD+/RW/12X:

Fairly cheap DVD drive, though will write DVD’s at a 20x speed.

Cpu Cooler - Zalman Heatpipe CPU cooler with quiet 110mm blue LED fan:

A big cooler, but well worth it. The cooling it provides is quite ridiculous, with reports saying it can take off at least 10 degrees of your operating temperature. Watch out whilst installing however, as the edge of fins are meant to be quite sharp.

Sound Card - Creative SoundBlaster Audigy SE 7.1 :

Definately not a professional card, but for about £15 this card will provide you with much clarity than your onboard sound can manage.

Case Fan - Antec PRO 120mm DBB Fan :

Cheap 120mm fan, perfect for placing a hot spot in your case to get some airflow going.

Conclusion:

Not much difference in regards to last months, apart from the P45 motherboard, which has featured heavily in this months reviews and the only addition being the case fan as there was some money going spare at the end.