Kno’s post-hardware textbook platform has called the iPad its only tablet home for more than a year; it’s about to spread its wings. Starting with a bundled presence on the Galaxy Note 10.1, Kno is an option for K-12 and college students who’d rather go the Android route. While all the 3D, note-taking and navigation features remain the same, there’s an obvious selling point in supporting the S Pen (and hopefully other pens) to more directly put thoughts to virtual paper — or, let’s admit it, doodle in the margins. All of us, Android and otherwise, get a new Social Sharing component that lets us crib each other’s notes before the big exam. We’re still waiting on Kno for other Android devices as well as the already-promised Windows 7 support, but it’s hard not to appreciate at least a little more variety in our digital learning.
Okay, these might not be quite as elegant as, say, that 10-inch, high-res slate coming out of the famed Cupertino labs, but hey, folks working on construction sites (or doing other types of handy work) need to get some actual work done. Here’s where Motion Computing comes in. The outfit’s just taken the wraps off of its newest rugged tablet PCs, the F5t and C5t — both of which can be loaded with a choice of an i3, i5 or i7 third-gen Intel CPU, also known as Ivy Bridge. What’s more, the company’s also letting users pick between a 64 or 128GB solid-state drive, which can then be paired alongside 2 or 4GB of RAM. As you can imagine, this ruggedized duo isn’t exactly aimed at something like the Nexus 7 crowd, since the starting price point for the Windows 7 Pro couple starts off at around $2,240 ($2,236, to be exact) depending on configuration. Either way, you can give ’em both a better look after the break, thanks to a press shot gallery courtesy of their creator.
It’s time to get serious about touch-screen computers here in the summer before Window 8 is formally released – and Lenovo’s got your back with a massive all-in-one called the IdeaCentre A720. This 27-inch display-toting AIO works with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, an all-glass “frame-less” front, and an Intel Quad-core Core i7 CPU (Ivy Bridge) under the hood. And it folds flat so you can play touchscreen table hockey – what more could you want?
Hardware
Any review you see of this device – if you don’t run out and buy it right now, that is – will tell you that it’s quite gorgeous. Without appearing too similar to what the market has dubbed “Apple-esque”, this Lenovo machine carves out a new space for the manufacturer, prepping us for a future that’s very bright for sleek-looking and sleek-feeling computers. The display is, again, massive, you’ll be working with just the touchscreen on it’s own if you wish or with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard (included), and you only need to pop the power cord in to get started.
Hit the power button on the lower right of the display (behind the display, rather, as the outer rim angles inward) and the machine lights up with loveliness. You’ve got a 10-point touch-screen experience ahead of you with several light-up touch-sensitive buttons under the rim near the bottom of the screen as well. There you can brighten up or dim down your display, change sound levels, and adjust what’s on your screen with a touch in several other ways.
The bottom left of the machine has two HDMI ports, one in, one out. There you can connect with your smartphone – as most smartphones now have such a connection in one way or another, or you can push content out to a much more major-league HD display. In other words, you can make this computer the biggest wired remote control of all time!
You also have one USB 3.0 port on that side and three USB 2.0 ports on the back. Also on the back is your power port and Ethernet port as well. Then there’s your ability to adjust the display. The whole computer is massively heavy – ringing in at 11.6kg or 25.6 pounds. You’ll be able to view the display anywhere between 90 degrees straight up and down and 0 degrees (flat). Moving the display (as demonstrated in our hands-on video below) is extremely easy yet keeps the machine tight in place wherever you want to leave it.
The speaker grilles you’ve got up front of the base are part of this machine’s Dolby Home Theater v4 setup, and they sound rather nice. This machine presents one of those situations where you wont be needing additional side-speakers all around just to hear it across the room – you’re set! Along the right side of the base of the machine you’ve got a Blu-ray Disc slot where you’ll be able to read and burn Blu-ray disks as well as CDs and DVDs.
Also included in the review pack we’ve received is the optional TV tuner so we can pick up some sweet channels and make this an even more inclusive device. This package also includes an IR Windows Media Center remote control which has worked like a charm with the included receiver which you simply plug in to the machine and click away.
Up top on the front of the screen you’ve got a 720p HD webcam so you’ll be able to Skype the whole night through – and also make use of some brand new interactive Kinect-like games as well (you’ll see more of this in our hands-on video below as well.) Have a peek at some additional features inside this device in the following readout:
System – LENOVO Lenovo A720
Manufacturer
Lenovo
Product Type
Desktop
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Motherboard
LENOVO ChiefRiver
Processor
Intel Core i7-3610QM
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
2.29 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
8
Cores
4
L1 Instruction Cache
32.0 KB
L1 Data Cache
32.0 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
L3 Cache
6.00 MB
Memory
8.00 GB DDR3 SDRAM 799MHz
FSB
99.8 MHz
BIOS
LENOVO E5KT20AUS
Software
For graphics you’ve got a lovely NVIDIA GeForce GT630M 2GB discrete graphics which you’ll certainly need to love as there aren’t any options for switching when you pick up this machine. That said, we’ve had no problem working with any game that’s been thrown at the machine with Batman: Arkham City flowing like a charm and Diablo III having no graphics issues to speak of. Playing Batman with a wireless game pad and this massive display was an extra treat as the hardware lends itself to a pushed-back appearance. In other words, there’s nothing to distract from the fun.
Because this is a touchscreen-centric device, Lenovo has included a hub where you can play a set of games that work entirely with touch. You’ve got 10-finger touch sensitivity, which makes things rather interesting for the updated Pong they’ve got ready for you, and you can play the keyboard as well – the musical keyboard, that is. This system is demonstrated in the hands-on video we’ve got prepared for you right here, as it were.
You’ll see that not only does this computer make use of its touchscreen surface to make music and to play games, it’s ready to make use of the camera as well to play some interesting video games. The camera-centric games aren’t nearly as fine-tuned as the touchscreen games, which is why you won’t see them advertised as a feature on this system. They are there though, and they’re fun to work with. Windows 7 is here as well, and it’s clear that though this system is working with a perfectly legitimate set of extras (like a pull-out onscreen keyboard) to make your experience nice in the meantime, Lenovo has prepared this system for Windows 8 – that’s not an official statement from them, but it seems pretty clear when you’re working with the machine.
As for performance, you’ll find this machine working perfectly well for an all-in-one system, and with the quad-core i7 under the hood, you’re good to go for processing video and playing hardcore games at your leisure. Of course it’s no beastly custom-made gaming computer, but it’s really not meant to be. What you’ve got here is more an entertainment machine than a workhorse.
Benchmark Score – LENOVO Lenovo A720
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
10910
13347
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
20119
Memory
Memory performance
8240
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
8392
It would be nice to have a more vast collection of touch-friendly applications out there in the world of Windows 7 right this minute, but alas, someone has to go first with the hardware. You’ll find Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja – as well as the awesome two-finger version of space hockey – to be more than enough to play with until the new wave of touchscreen apps comes on later this year.
Wrap-Up
The Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 is a home run for Lenovo. You won’t find a better touchscreen PC for this price, not until Windows 8 makes touchscreen PCs a commodity. For now they’re still somewhat of a rarity – and this machine is one of the good ones. This machine is well worth the cash and ready to be your school or home-friendly all-in-one computer right this minute. You’ll find this all-in-one monster available online right now for right around $1849 straight from Lenovo.
Chrome turned 21 last week, and in that new version, Google’s made playing Flash videos in its browser even safer… for Windows users, anyway. This latest release puts Adobe’s Flash Player plug-in for Windows in a sandbox, much as Chrome 20 did for Linux. This sandbox is “as strong” as Chrome’s extremely robust native version — even in Windows XP — which means that Flash-borne malware can’t hurt Microsofties. Securing the Flash Player plug-in is the result of two years of work, and was made possible by a new plug-in architecture Google co-developed with Adobe. In addition to the security benefits, the architecture has also brought performance improvements by way of a 20 percent decrease in Flash crashes and GPU acceleration for smoother scrolling and faster Flash rendering. And, while the immediate good news is for Windows users, Google has assured us that a port for OS X is in the works, and it hopes to ship that Mac version soon.
The photo and video editors available on Windows 7 have always been somewhat basic, but Microsoft has today decided to revamp what’s available to users. Windows Photo Gallery and Movie Maker have both been updated for Windows 7 and Windows 8, offering a wealth of new functionality. Movie Maker sees the biggest change, offering some video tweaks that should help you get the most out of your smartphone or camera footage.
The big addition is a Video Stabilization option. If you’re filmed significant amounts of video on your smartphone, you know that things can get a little bit too shaky if you’re moving around or can’t keep a steady hand. The new stabilization tool in Movie Maker automatically corrects the jitters, and you can fine tune it to your specific footage with “low”, “high”, and “auto” settings.
A Music option has also been added that allows to insert tracks from your own collection or the internet. Microsoft notes that anything from your own library might be stripped from YouTube if it falls foul of copyright infringement, so the company has added several free music database such as AudioMicro and the Free Music Archive that lets you find suitable music for your video. Text effects have also been added to Movie Maker, so you can add outlines or enhance text to make it stand out.
Photo Gallery, meanwhile, adds a new Auto Collage option. That takes your available photos and intelligently pieces them together for the best results. When you’re done with your movies and photos, you can publish them straight to Vimeo thanks to a new partnership. It’s an interesting move from Microsoft, and one that Apple made with the release of Mountain Lion as well with the addition of a Vimeo sharing option.
Many advertisers weren’t thrilled when Microsoft proclaimed that ‘do not track’ would be the default for Internet Explorer 10 on Windows 8, but that reaction hasn’t made the folks in Redmond flinch. Brendon Lynch, the company’s Chief Privacy Officer, announced that the ‘do not track’ default is already baked into the code of the October-bound operating system that has been released to manufacturers. Upon booting Windows 8 for the first time, users will be greeted with a choice between “Express Settings” or “Customize,” the former of which has “do not track” enabled. IE 10 on Windows 7 will receive a similar treatment, with a “prominent notice” about the setting being switched on appearing alongside a link to additional information. Despite Microsoft’s efforts, it’s possible that advertisers could ignore the web browser setting if they feel their negotiations have been for naught. Considering the response to Microsoft’s initial default announcement, we suspect this won’t be the last development in the saga.
Kno’s tablet textbooks have only ever been available to the college crowd; the younger among us have typically had to get a comprehensive digital education from either the tablet maker’s own solution, like Apple’s iBooks 2, or less-than-integrated options. A new deal for K-12 books is giving the students, if not necessarily the teachers, a fresh alternative. Parents can now rent books for home studying at prices under $10 per title. They’re not state-specific books, but their Common Core roots will keep learners on the same (virtual) page as classmates while adding Kno’s usual 3D, links, notes and videos. Just to sweeten the pot further, Kno says its current catalog centers around a pact with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt — a publisher that hasn’t offered K-12 books on any tablet platform until now, according to Kno. The initial focus is on iPad, web and Windows 7 readers, although Android-loving parents looking for that at-home edge will have to wait until sometime “soon” to leap in.
Lenovo has launched its latest line of IdeaPads, and they’re targeted directly at the mainstream consumer. The Lenovo IdeaPad U410 comes with an eye-catching colored aluminum chassis – we received one in Sapphire Blue, but the U410 is also available in Graphite Grey and Ruby Red – but is this laptop all about looks, or does it have the power under the hood to still get stuff done? Read on to find out.
Hardware
Lenovo’s new IdeaPad line comes with a variety of hardware that’s meant to appeal with a broad range of consumers. The model we received is equipped with an Intel Core i5-3317U clocked at 1.7 Ghz, but other models that make use of a Core i3 or a Core i7 are available as well. Complete with Intel’s freshly-launched Ivy Bridge microarchitecture, the Core i5 will be able to handle most anything the mainstream consumer will need to do with the U410, and when coupled with the 8 gigs of RAM that comes installed, you have a laptop that’s capable of running surprisingly fast.
The HDD/SSD hybrid setup does its part to keep things moving along at a fast pace, allowing for shorter boot and wake up times than you’re probably used to with other laptops. The model we received came with a 500GB HDD, but the U410 has options up to 1TB. It also comes with a 32GB SSD, which is definitely appreciated, but a setup like this really shines when more software has been installed. It’s pretty fast out of the box, but the key is that it will be faster than most other laptops after being weighed down by additional installs.
The glossy 14.1-inch LCD screen nice, but it can be rather reflective. It’s capable of resolutions up to the laptop-friendly 1366×768 and features and adjustable brightness setting, so as long as you’re fine with no support for 1080p, you’ll probably find the screen to be satisfactory. Here’s something that came as a bit of a surprise: the 2.0 stereo speakers on this bad boy (complete with Dolby certification) actually give pretty good sound quality. Obviously, they may not be as good as the speakers you use on your desktop or that expensive pair of headphones you have lying around, but they’re not too bad when compared to other laptop speakers.
In many ways, the U410 is nearly identical to the IdeaPad U400, which we saw earlier this year [see our full review of the IdeaPad U400 here]. For instance, there aren’t any noticeable differences between the keyboards found on both. The chiclet-style keys of the U400 return with the U410, and overall there aren’t any complaints about the keyboard – the layout and the feel of the keys makes for a pleasant typing experience. There aren’t any major complaints about the track pad either, though there are times where it proves to be a bit too sensitive. Usually this isn’t a problem, but occasionally you’ll end up clicking something you didn’t mean to click. It’s a rare event, but it can be pretty frustrating when it happens.
Sadly, the U410’s 59Wh battery doesn’t quite meet expectations. Lenovo says that it provides up to 9 hours of productive use, but in reality, you can expect around 6 hours of battery life. When using programs that are more labor-intensive or running the screen at max brightness, that 6-hour time frame will likely decrease even more. Thankfully, the battery doesn’t take too terribly long to fully charge, as you can expect a charging time that’s in the area of an hour-and-a-half.
The IdeaPad comes equipped with Intel GMA HD 4000 graphics, but there’s also a NVIDIA GeFore 610M 1GB card there to pick up the slack. This setup takes advantage of NVIDIA’s Optimus technology, which switches between the two when you need a boost in graphics power. You’re not working with the best around, but mainstream consumers don’t need the best; they need functional. This setup is definitely functional, as it will undoubtedly be able to meet the needs of most, and it also works to keep prices competitive.
On the outside, we’ve got a full HDMI port, an Ethernet port, two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 jacks, a headphone jack, a 2-in-1 card slot that supports SD and MMC, and a microphone. The whole unit is about 0.8” thick and weighs in just south of 4.2 pounds, so while this isn’t the lightest laptop we’ve seen, it’s still very portable. More importantly, it feels quite sturdy, so with the IdeaPad U410, you’re getting a laptop that doesn’t feel like it will shatter if you look at it the wrong way.
Software
Surprisingly enough, the IdeaPad U410 doesn’t come with a ton of software pre-installed, and you might actually end up using what it does come installed with. Google Chrome is installed right from the get go, so you won’t ever need to touch Internet Explorer if you don’t want to. Like every other PC running Windows 7 (Home Premium 64-bit in this case ) out of the box, Microsoft Office Starter 2010 comes standard, but you’ll need to shell out additional cash if you want access to the full Office 2010 suite.
Lenovo YouCam lets you put 1-megapixel integrated camera to work, allowing you to capture and edit pictures and video, along with granting the ability to record what’s happening on your desktop. The app is easy to use and easy to learn, so it shouldn’t be too hard for most consumers to just pick it up and go. The camera isn’t just meant for recording, however, as the U410 also comes with VeriFace 4.0 installed. Using VeriFace and the VeriFace password manager, users can set up facial recognition for all of their various Internet logins, which helps to add an extra layer of security in the event that your IdeaPad gets stolen by one of the more unfavorable people walking this planet.
Dolby Home Theater v4 is onboard with the IdeaPad U410, giving users full control over the computer’s audio settings. Remember how we told you earlier that the IdeaPad’s speakers aren’t too bad as far as laptop speakers go? Dolby Home Theater lets you do more with them, allowing you to set up different profiles for audio, video, and games, along with more specific profiles should the need arise. It’s a handy little program, and those who take their audio quality seriously will probably appreciate the fact that it’s around.
System – LENOVO IdeaPad U410
Manufacturer
Lenovo
Product Type
Notebook
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Motherboard
LENOVO Lenovo
Processor
Intel Core i5-3317U
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
1.70 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
4
Cores
2
L1 Instruction Cache
32.0 KB
L1 Data Cache
32.0 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
L3 Cache
3.00 MB
Memory
8.00 GB DDR3 SDRAM 799MHz
FSB
99.8 MHz
BIOS
LENOVO 65CN15WW
Other than those programs, the IdeaPad U410 comes with a trial version of Absolute Data Protect, the standard McAfee security center (in this case we’re working with McAfee Emerald 11.0), Adobe Reader X, and OneKey Recovery, which will help you backup your data and restore the system if anything ever goes awry. The fact that the IdeaPad U410 doesn’t come bogged down with a lot of pre-installed software is a big plus, and Lenovo earns extra points for including some programs that are actually worthwhile.
Wrap-Up
Okay, so the technophiles of the world probably won’t find much to get excited about with the IdeaPad U410, but this laptop will prove to be a good value for those who are more concerned with functionality than amazing specs. There are a few flaws, such as the shorter-than-expected battery life, but for the most part, average consumers who want a quality laptop will find a lot to love about the IdeaPad U410. The laptop’s Geekbench results reflect this – it definitely isn’t anywhere near the best, but it’s a solid computer that will meet the needs of most mainstream computers.
Benchmark Score – LENOVO IdeaPad U410
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
5336
7377
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
9615
Memory
Memory performance
7040
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
7362
Additionally, you’re paying a fair price for what you’re getting. Prices range depending on what you want under the hood, but the model we received – which is by no means a slouch – has a price tag of $799. That’ll prove to be a pretty attractive price for most consumers, and with the IdeaPad U410, Lenovo has a laptop that will have no problem gaining the mainstream crowd’s attention.
As cool as the Lytro camera’s post-picture taking focusing technology is, it’s hard to overlook some of the product’s shortcomings — not the least of which is the fact that the company only offered a Mac solution when the device launched earlier this year. Lytro has finally addressed that oversight, with the release of a desktop application for Windows. To use it, your system will need to be running Windows 7 with 2GB of RAM and at least an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU (you can find the full list of minimum specs in the source link below). To celebrate the launch, Lytro’s offering up free shipping on camera orders this week. Also new are the Lytro tripod mount and USB wall charger accessories.
Today SlashGear has a real treat for those of you looking for no less than a top of the line gaming tower. This is the AVADirect Quiet Gaming PC build we’ve got here is a lovely combination of white plastic, metal, massive amounts of power, and processing so quiet it’s scary. This is without a doubt the most impressive PC I personally have reviewed for SlashGear, and with the custom build we’ve got waiting for you in this hands-on look, I fully expect you’re going to be scrambling to break your piggy bank to count up to $2019.16 USD to buy your own. Check it out!
Case
This case is massive, gigantic, and certainly not made for hauling around to LAN parties – there’s no handles here, folks. Instead this machine is made to remain stationary, made with so many fans and air ducts that it’ll never, ever get hot (it might, but we’ve not seen it yet), and it’s clean. This machine looks fabulous, with a classy white combination of plastic and metal parts and safety bumpers all around so there’s no clunks or clanks when you’re opening or shutting doors.
The front of the machine has a flat aluminum shape to it with a couple of peek-holes you’ll be able to see in the hands-on look at the machine in the video above. This front panel is a door which reveals your DVD drive, memory card ports, and whatever else you want to attach in the racks on racks on racks available throughout the front of the machine. This machine comes with room for so much customizability right out of the box it’s absurd.
The back of this AVADirect tower has a massive collection of ports which you’ll read about below and will be able to see in the hands-on video above. It’s all very neatly arranged, and up on top of the tower you’ve got a few more for good measure. The bottom of this case has that unique boost not just for your visual pleasure, but so air can move through the machine top to bottom. The bottom is open so air can travel through the case downward, upward, out the back, and out the front as well – there are fans behind that door up front and there’s a dust catch you can remove and clean underneath as well!
You’ve also got two distinctive sides to this machine, with the right side having a small area for cords to rest in, keeping them clear of the other side which is the deep home for all of your massive bits of next-level gear. For those of you that love lights, you’ll find a few well-placed green LEDs sitting down deep in the guts, blinking like it’s no big deal, while a couple of white lights shine up front through those crevices mentioned above so you know the machine has been turned on. Again – if you didn’t have a monitor plugged in to show you that the beast was turning on, you might never know it for how silent it is – that’s what the lights are for.
Sound Levels
With this build you’ll find a total of seven fans, eight if you count the one attached to the 3rd Gen Intel Core i7 hardware. With that many fans you might expect quite a bit of rustling to be going on inside this box, but no. You have to get up within a foot of this device to hear it make a sound – it’s that quiet. This device has SPCR Certification for quietness. This means that it must run under 20dBA at idle as well as under 27dBA under maximum load. Check out more about SPCR Certified PCs to get an in-depth idea of what this means for your own gaming room. Don’t expect to be lulled asleep by the hum of this machine – there really isn’t any.
Custom Build
This monster has a set of specifications that I do not hesitate to say are a dream for our modern age of gaming. In addition to the massive amount of ports you get on the top and back of this machine, prepping you for any and all display, 3rd party connection, and memory card situations, you’ve got processing and graphics power that’ll blow your socks off. You’ll notice at this point that I’m having trouble finding much that I do not like about this system, and for that I apologize – I’m a sucker for fantastically constructed machines.
• NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 670 950MHz, 2GB GDDR5 5000MHz, PCIe x16 SLI, 2x DVI + HDMI + DP, OEM • OCZ, 120GB Vertex 3 SSD, MLC SandForce SF-2281, 550/500 MB/s, 2.5-Inch, SATA 6 Gb/s, Retail • Western Digital 1.5TB WD Caviar® Green™ (WD15EARX), SATA 6 Gb/s, IntelliPower™, 64MB Cache • SONY AD-7280S Black 24x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner, SATA, OEM • SABRENT CRW-UINB Black 65-in-1 Card Reader/Writer Drive, 3.5″ Bay, Internal USB • CUSTOM WIRING, Standard Wiring with Precision Cable Routing and Tie-Down • Smart Drive NEO Standard Silent Hard Disk Drive Enclosure, 5.25″ • Lamptron Deluxe Black Shakeproof PSU Gasket Silencer • Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition w/ SP1, OEM • Silver Warranty Package (3 Year Limited Parts, 3 Year Labor Warranty)
This build will cost you, again, a total of $2,019.16 in all, and if you’re wondering how much it cost to ship from the AVADirect facilities in Twinsberg, Ohio to where this review is taking place in Saint Paul, Minnesota here it is: $58.23. Not so devastating a shipping cost at all. Especially considering how well it was packaged – they even stuffed the inside of the unit with padding to assure nothing wiggled loose!
Benchmark Results and Performance
Have a peek at our standard test results here picked up by GeekBench. You’ll find that nowhere in our history of Desktop Reviews will you find a more powerful system, and of course the Laptop Reviews don’t stand a chance either.
Benchmark Score – System manufacturer System Product Name
Section
Description
Score
Total Score
Windows x86 (64-bit) – Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
Integer
Processor integer performance
15912
19077
Floating Point
Processor floating point performance
29323
Memory
Memory performance
10950
Stream
Memory bandwidth performance
10551
We tested out Batman: Arkham City and we tested out Portal 2, Skyrim and Crysis 2, we played some HD videos and we rocked out a couple monitors at a time – and there’s nothing, no waiting time, everything is swift – it’s like this machine was made for the future. Have a peek at some more of the inner bits of the machine here as well:
System – System manufacturer System Product Name
Manufacturer
AVADirect
Product Type
Desktop
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
Motherboard
ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. P8Z77-V LX
Processor
Intel Core i7-3770K
Processor ID
GenuineIntel Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9
Processor Frequency
3.50 GHz
Processors
1
Threads
8
Cores
4
L1 Instruction Cache
32.0 KB
L1 Data Cache
32.0 KB
L2 Cache
256 KB
L3 Cache
8.00 MB
Memory
16.0 GB DDR3 SDRAM 934MHz
FSB
100 MHz
BIOS
American Megatrends Inc. 0610
The Bottom Line
This machine is well worth the cash you’re going to pay for it. For the couple thousand dollars you’re going to drop on this exact build you still couldn’t get the least expensive Mac Pro, and I dare you to find a more well put together PC for this kind of cash. This custom-made conglomeration of top-tier gamer-friendly parts makes me want to forget about factory built machines entirely. There’s just no going back after this.
If you’re not all about having the best of the best or have no use for processing and graphics power that’s going to blow you away with even the most heavy games on the market, this build is not worth the cash. You can pick up the standard build of this machine – with the silence, the case, and slightly lower power than what we’ve got here for $1107.51 from AVADirect too – that’s probably going to be good enough for most gamers out there on its own.
If however you want the most powerful, silent, and aesthetically pleasing gaming PC on the market, this is it. You can grab it from AVADirect’s online store today – and don’t forget to customize!
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
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