DigitalStorm BlackOps: Almost Too Fast
by Dustin Sklavos on December 29, 2010 12:45 AM ESTConclusion: Defining Excess
When dealing with a desktop like the DigitalStorm BlackOps, it's tough to figure out what kinds of conclusions to draw. Do you judge it based on the price? Well, the price is steep and probably past the point of reason for most users. So you judge it based on performance, right? Except the performance is generally commensurate with the price, with the real issue being whether or not anyone needs that much performance.
Given that I've been surviving fine with a single AMD Radeon HD 5870 gaming at 1920x1200, and this solution is capable of being more than twice as fast, you start dealing with benchmark results that border on being academic. With the BlackOps you can max everything out and then some. You really need much more than a WUXGA display before GTX 580 SLI becomes necessary; a 30" LCD or two would be just about right.
The complaints I'm left with are mostly the same as they've been with the other boutique desktops we've seen: lazy overclocking and corners cut. At least with the BlackOps the corners cut are mild ones, as the system is still perfectly stable and it's hard to cheap out too much when it comes to a 1.2 kilowatt power supply. DigitalStorm is willing to back the whole thing up with a three year standard warranty and lifetime tech support, too, so at least there's some peace of mind to be had there.
But the lazy overclocking remains an issue, and the fact that this tower doesn't idle the processor means it's always going to be drawing more power and generating more heat than it really needs to. That heat is bound to be a liability for some users, too, because while the case does a great job of keeping the components cool, all of that hot air is getting expelled into the surrounding environment. Bay area winters don't exactly redefine "cold," but the fact that I didn't have to run the heater while I was testing the BlackOps really should tell you something.
Of course, the flipside is that the tower is blisteringly fast. In many ways you really are getting what you pay for with the BlackOps, even if it may be far more than you thought you needed, and I can't stress enough how much I appreciate seeing a boutique build in such a nice case. Really this tower is going to be for users that are running either multiple monitors, 3D Vision, or both. If you think you can make use of all that power, DigitalStorm's tower becomes pretty easy to recommend.
The final catch is a familiar refrain by now: Sandy Bridge is right around the corner. The full scoop is coming up next week, so there's no point in jumping on a Bloomfield build today. Sandy Bridge may be more of a replacement for socket 1156 as opposed to the X58 and socket 1366, but outside of the hex-core Gulftown processors socket 1366 is nearing the end of the road as well. If you like the idea of the BlackOps Assassin, we recommend waiting for the inevitable Sandy Bridge variant that should show up in early 2011. Hopefully DigitalStorm will put a bit more finesse into overclocking that setup, and the unlocked K-series CPUs should be just the ticket.
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Shinobi_III - Wednesday, December 29, 2010 - link
3600 bucks and you only get one SSD drive, one hard drive, a measly 6gb ram from a complete crap brand, noname DVD burner and one low end built in sound card?I don't mind built in sound, but there are better brands. Like Analog Devices.
transmitthis - Wednesday, December 29, 2010 - link
I was drawn in by the nice image of a good looking system with 3 GPU's and dedicated Water Cooling...But that's not what you reviewed at all, how about using a lead image that more closely reflects the article?
As for the system, well its always going to be FTL with these bespoke systems, esp with the audience you have here Jarred
JarredWalton - Wednesday, December 29, 2010 - link
Dustin didn't have a good 300x198 size picture that I could use for the top image, so I went to the DigitalStorm site and grabbed their picture of the BlackOps Assassin. Sorry if the actual system doesn't match up to that picture, but I figured that looked better than a taken-in-his-apartment photo. :-)Deleted - Wednesday, December 29, 2010 - link
Even considering the convenience tax of a prebuilt and pre-overclocked computer, There is simply no justification for this price tag. If you were to go to Newegg.com and buy every piece here without combos, you would "only" pay around $2,700, including the OS. That leaves plenty of room for a pair of ZR24w or VG236H monitors.And this is without even mentioning the fact that every single item on this thing (except for the CPU and memory) is overpriced and underperforming. Even the case, which is the best air cooling case on the market, is crippled. They removed the AP181 fans, which are arguably the best case fans in existence, and replaced them with those cheap-looking red fans. It even looks like the dust filters are missing, although they may have just been removed for the photo.
I could make a faster rig than this, with a better overclock and three high quality monitors, for a little bit less, and it would take less than half a day of actual work. I guess I should go into business.
mlambert890 - Wednesday, January 5, 2011 - link
Exactly... Not being a smart ass, but all of the "I can build this for HALF!!!!!!!" crowd should do it, go into business and show how it's done. Put the money where the mouth is.softdrinkviking - Wednesday, December 29, 2010 - link
this build could run you like ~2600 out of pocket.so you are paying ~1000 for a warranty that you can't be sure they will honor. (BFG going out of business and shafting their customers on RMA's comes to mind)
i can understand that some folks don't want to put the time and energy into a build, but those are exactly the kind of people that won't want to deal with shady small companies that can't necessarily deliver what they promise. I mean, an extra grand above parts is expensive for the consumer, but it doesn't even begin to cover the kind of tech support they are inviting with the "high end build" market. Unless they sell like a gabizillion (i didn't make that up, it's a real number) of these things, but i seriously doubt it.
jensend - Wednesday, December 29, 2010 - link
Today's $3600 machine will be outperformed by next year's $750 custom build, and likely is only appreciably faster than today's $1250 custom build in a small handful of uses.Is it worth it? NO.
Why bother wasting your time on it?
mlambert890 - Wednesday, January 5, 2011 - link
By this logic nothing is ever worth it. Eventually "next years" $750 build would be crushed by 5 years from nows $200 mini PC.The gap between a $1250, $2650, and $3650 build is "minor" to YOU, but the areas where higher end builds do differentiate on performance are objectively measurable. Just because you don't care about those use cases doesn't make them worthless.
It's always really odd how so many folks want to use their own personal budget and usage constraints and restrictions as the basis as absolute value judgments:
"a Ferrari is only for losers with no brain and too much money because no one can drive faster than a Honda Civic and a Honda Civic can be over clocked faster than a Ferrari anyway!"
That kind of thing..
I think boutique PCs have their place and are worth reviewing. Folks aren't idiots for buying them or for wanting premium performance. If someone wants to buy rather than build more power to them. If someone want to build full premium vs budget, more power to them. I can't afford a Ferrari, but I still love them. Some people look at a Civic with envy from the bus. Objectivity is generally better for everyone.
wingless - Wednesday, December 29, 2010 - link
This kind of power lends itself to the idea that it is perfect for multi-monitor 3D gaming. For that use, it would not be excessively fast.How about we get some Multi-monitor and/or 3D gaming tests out of Anandtech when they review multiple GPU setups?
Speedye1 - Wednesday, December 29, 2010 - link
So the picture on the home page has NOTHING to do with this system. Would it have been to much to ask for a couple pics of said system? No digital camera or cell phone anywhere around? You better get a grip on this Anand, been a reader for along time, this review is trash.