Speed-Demon PCs
Two loaded systems using AMD's fastest processor show just how swift (and expensive) PCs can get. But should you buy all the frills?
Hot-rod desktops from Polywell (left) and Falcon Northwest.
AMD's fastest processor ever to undergo our series of tests--the 2.4-GHz Athlon 64 FX-53--is now powering pricey gaming PCs packed full of goodies such as gigabytes of memory, high-end graphics cards, and superfast hard drives. But the hottest configuration doesn't always mean the best value.
We tested two towers: Polywell's $3499 Poly900NF3-FX53, which racked up a blazing PC WorldBench 4 score of 146--the highest we've recorded so far--and Falcon Northwest's $4746 Mach V, which earned a not-too-shabby 143. The highest performance score we had seen previously was 144, from a system equipped with a 2.2-GHz Athlon 64 FX-51 CPU.
Both of these shipping systems team the FX-53 chip with 1GB of DDR400 memory, a swift Serial ATA RAID hard-drive setup, and a graphics board based on NVidia's GeForce FX 5950 Ultra chip. But while these ultrafast rigs should leave performance fans drooling, I'd advise savvy buyers to tweak either configuration a bit before they buy.
For instance, Polywell's system shipped with two superfast (10,000-rpm) 74GB hard drives from Western Digital. That feature added about $400 to the system's cost, but it accounted for most of the very small performance difference between the two PCs. On the other hand, the Falcon's more-standard 120GB 7200-rpm Hitachi drives cost less and store significantly more data.
Buy Low, Save Dough
Even though the NVidia GeForce FX 5950 Ultra-based board is (at this writing) the company's fastest offering, it's probably not the best option for graphics right now.
Based on our graphics tests, which show ATI's comparably priced Radeon 9800 XT currently holding a performance lead in most high-end gaming benchmarks, I'd recommend ATI's recent graphics boards as better buys. What's more, either of these PCs is capable of running today's games at high frame rates with only a midrange graphics board. The next generation of high-end graphics cards is just around the corner, so it seems sensible to make do with a less ex-pensive board until the next wave of graphics-intensive games like Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 finally hits the market.
I thought the Mach V's 19-inch NEC LCD monitor and great-sounding Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 surround set were better than the Polywell's equipment. The LCD was a bit sluggish on fast first-person shooter games, but its brightness and overall picture quality put to shame the Polywell system's surprisingly dim 19-inch AOC CRT monitor. For speakers, the Polywell offers Creative's less-impressive Inspire T7700 7.1 set.
Other premium parts inside these monster gaming boxes are virtually identical. Both have integrated 10/100 LAN ports. Both include Creative's Sound Blaster Audigy 2 sound card. Both offer two optical drives, although the Mach V pairs its Plextor DVD burner with a standard DVD-ROM drive instead of with a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, as the 900NF3-FX53 does its Sony DVD burner. The Polywell system also comes with a TV-tuner card.
As for the outside, whereas Falcon's system uses an understated brushed-aluminum case, Polywell uses its "monster gaming tower" case--a black steel model presenting a demonic-looking plastic front bezel featuring sinister red lights and a somewhat flimsy chrome door that covers the front-mounted USB 2.0 and FireWire ports.
The 900NF3-FX53's tower does have some impressive design features, including tool-less access to drives and add-in cards. In addition, the PC sports front and rear mounting points for large 120mm fans, which move more air than the 90mm fans found on most systems. Unfortunately, though, in practice the hard-drive mountings inside the Polywell block a lot of the airflow from the front of the case, and the routing of power and data cables further impedes cooling. In contrast, every cable inside the Falcon is tucked neatly against the side of the case or routed out of the way.
Either PC represents a solid choice for gamers; a few configuration tweaks would make each near-perfect. Falcon's Mach 5 is more expensive, but its better case, monitor, and speakers--not to mention its interior organization and premium components--almost justify its stiff price premium. Overall, however, the speedy Polywell Poly900NF3-FX53 is probably the better value.
Falcon Northwest Mach V FX-53
Gaming powerhouse with well-chosen components is overpriced. Price when reviewed: $4746 Current prices (if available)
Polywell Poly900NF3-FX53
Loaded tower with so-so case is the fastest we've ever tested. Price when reviewed: $3499 Current prices (if available)