DigitalStorm Slade Pro Workstation PC Review
by Dustin Sklavos on April 23, 2014 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- desktops
- Xeon
- Quadro
- DigitalStorm
- Workstation
- Octalcore
I've already aired my grievances earlier regarding DigitalStorm's choice of components for the Slade Pro. The mishmash of a consumer level motherboard and memory with a Xeon that accounts for nearly half the system's price tag rubs me the wrong way and feels like a bit of a waste; if you're going to spend that much on a CPU, it should be bolstered not by a high end consumer board or high end consumer memory, but by a full on workstation board and ECC memory.
Actual fit and finish of the build is very solid. DigitalStoorm gives you room to grow, and the rear-mounted push-pull closed loop liquid cooler ensures that heat gets properly exhausted out of the case. Meanwhile, the 80W NVIDIA Quadro K4000 doesn't spit out much in the way of heat. This is more or less an ideal use of a silent case; minimal fan noise that's brought well below 30dB by the case itself. At the very least, where noise is concerned, DigitalStorm is in the ballpark of the big boys and even faring a bit better.
Cabling is fairly neat and makes ample use of the channels in the enclosure.
Power consumption is also extremely low, with the bulk of it going to the CPU.
Idle and load power are both excellent. The DigitalStorm Slade Pro isn't just a quiet workstation, it's an efficient one as well. Keep these power characteristics in mind when you flip back to the last page; consistently low power consumption, consistently high performance.
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Katline - Wednesday, April 30, 2014 - link
Just got the Nexus wireless charger from Amazon and they are going absolutely crazy with the discounts with these brands. If you don't have a promo code, you can use this one: http://amzn.to/1iyFZfq - before they take it down.cadman777 - Thursday, March 26, 2015 - link
I bought a 'custom workstation' from Digital Storm, and had problems w/it from day-1. Due to my heavy work-load, I could not afford the down-time, which is why I contracted w/DS to build my machine. But after 2 years of headaches and problems, the computer finally quit working while troubleshooting w/their 'techs'. Turns-out, they selected uncertified RAM and never set the values properly in the BIOS. Plus, they stuffed an eATX m/b into an ATX case, and jacked-up the ESATA connectors/cables @ the edge of the m/b against the recess in the case. Also, it took an EVGA (the m/b mfgr) tech to figure out what was wrong w/the build. So, besides the wrong RAM, and a too small case, their builders and tech were incompetent. As for 'Warranty Support': They gave me the run-around time after time until I took matters into my own hands and figured out how to fix the problem. After $1000 out-of-pocket, and over 100 hours of tech 'troubleshooting' between the 2 companies, plus 6 months of broken work computer, I'm all the worse for the wear. Would I recommend DS? Nope. Would I buy from DS again? You're kidding me, right? I learned that if you want the job done right, DO IT YOURSELF. As far as Digital Storm is concerned: BUYER BEWARE! Cheers ... Chris