CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme FTW: Performance at Any Cost
by Dustin Sklavos on June 1, 2011 1:05 PM ESTConclusion: Fastest Ever, But at a High Price
The performance conclusion is really a simple one: the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme FTW is among the fastest consumer desktops you can buy. If that's all you're really concerned about, then godspeed. I'll be trying to get a system with dual Radeon HD 6990s in for review as a comparison point, but until then the GX FTW holds the crown. But there are some real concerns here.
My first experience with the Thermaltake Level 10 GT used for this build was somewhat fraught, but I'm going to hesitate to pass any kind of judgment until I've actually tested the case myself on its own terms. Credit where credit is due: it kept temperatures very low, and noise levels were kept in check as well. CyberPowerPC was also very smart in their choice of components for this review unit, especially the motherboard. Being able to separate the GTX 590s as well as they could undoubtedly contributed to the excellent thermal performance.
The overclock is a thorn in my side, though. Even ignoring for the moment the ridiculous power consumption and corresponding heat output that will come with running four high-end GPUs to begin with, the voltage on the i7-990X is unnervingly high, and worse, it never idles down. Accounting for Vdroop, sensors in Windows still read 1.42V going into that core. It's water-cooled, but in keeping with our review of the DigitalStorm Enix I again have to wonder what kind of long term effect this much voltage will have on the processor. It's true that Gulftown isn't the overclocker Sandy Bridge is and so more work is going to be involved in getting it to hit these speeds, but there's just no way of knowing if constantly running this thing at full bore will cause trouble down the line (e.g. electromigration), even with the high performance water-cooling solution.
Where I get really agitated is the fact that the voltage is another "set it and forget it" overclock. On a $5,000 desktop, that's inexcusable. This thing is as premium as it gets, but tuned with absolutely no regard for the kind of power it's going to pull out of the wall, and it's going to add up over time. Worse than that, it's just wasteful, dumping buckets of heat into the room even when it's not doing anything. It's really kind of a shame Intel priced Gulftown out of so many peoples' reach, because the chip is an impressive piece of engineering that's remarkably efficient given the six cores. But the fixed voltage in the BIOS along with the disabled Turbo Boost and SpeedStep result in a chip that can't really idle and power savings that aren't going to be realized.
Finally, let's talk pricing for a minute. $5000 is a lot of money for a gaming system, but there's usually an added cost to buying a pre-built system. CyberPowerPC is actually quite competitive on their pricing, however, even with that hefty sticker price. I did some shopping online to configure the same system, using the best prices from a variety of online vendors. The total cost for all of the hardware--never mind the time required to assemble and test the system--comes out to just over $4500. CyberPower also provides a 3-year warranty and factory overclocking, so an extra $500 (10%) is very reasonable. We still wouldn't recommend such a system--you can easily shave off $1000 with a few judicious changes--but if you want everything you see here, five grand is what you should expect to pay, whether you buy pre-built or go the DIY route.
CyberPowerPC very nearly had a great flagship boutique build going here, with smart component choices and a screaming fast graphics subsystem. The overclock on the processor is a costly fumble. I know they can do better than this, and I really want to see them try. And maybe we can get them to do just than when Sandy Bridge-E launches later this year. That's perhaps the biggest reason to pass on the current Gulftown CPUs: if you didn't jump on the hex-core bandwagon when Gulftown first showed up a year ago, at this point you should just wait for the LGA-2011 refresh before taking the plunge.
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Dustin Sklavos - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - link
I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of the case's aesthetics, but the thermals are stellar. It gets the job done.nuker - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - link
Can we have the noise levels please?Excellent review! I'm just wondering if it's better to have an Ibuypower's Erebus system rather than a Level10 case, they cost nearty the same with equal hardware specs.
Dustin Sklavos - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - link
I can try getting an Erebus in for review, but in the meantime I'll also be reviewing the Level 10 GT on its own sometime soon.IdioticLoginSystem - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - link
It's me or it's not SO impressive as it seems?The Geforce GTX 590 aren't as impressive as the HD 6990 in the benchmarks I've seen. In fact, the 6990 beats the crap out of them in high resolutions with AA activated, due to their higher vRAM size. Plus, 6990 clocks nearly 300 mhz faster, and while Fermi architecture is superior, 300 mhz is, well....a lot of difference.
The SSD is also a bad choice. Intel has never done any SSD comparable to an OCZ Vertex 3 (or an OCZ PCIe-based one, aka VeloDrive). Besides, who the hell needs 2 terabytes of disk space?
I don't know if it's performance-wise or what, but 6x2 GB's modules seems a waste to me. If you want to upgrade (it's "only" 12 gb's of RAM after all), you've to throw away one or more of them.
At least the price seems "correct", but to claim this is the "fastest system ever"...I'm not impressed at all.
szimm - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - link
I kind of agree with you on the graphics part, but the difference is neglible. The SSD is not a bad choice, though - the Intel 510 is probably the fastest option out there right now, according to benchmarks, and assuming you have an MB that supports 6Gbps. And yes, the RAM configuration is horrendous - a system like this should have absolutely no drawbacks. At that price point, nothing less should be expected. But - there's bound to be a few idiots with enough disposable income. I'm sure CyberPower (hate that name) is betting on it...Dustin Sklavos - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - link
The difference between the 6990 CF and GTX 590 SLI is going to seem at least somewhat academic given the results I had with the GTX 590 SLI config. And personally, I'd make the trade-off: the GTX 590 runs much quieter than the 6990 does.3DVagabond - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - link
This system was built to sell to people with some, but not a lot, of PC knowledge. Thus Intel drives and Geforce graphics. The 6x2 GB RAM just helps to confirm it. It's cheaper and still says "12GB" on the side of the case. Although it's not the way anyone would build a system for themselves. Add to it a case with aesthetics that set it apart, and the thinking that went into the design seems pretty obvious.I'm not saying it's a bad design from a business POV. Just the opposite. Well thought out on the marketing teams side.
IdioticLoginSystem - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - link
The price WOULD BE correct if that config is tagged at "$1,565"If "As configured $5,017" is the full system with the specs we see, then it's pure and absolute crap. If Sandy Bridge-E gets out before October, I'll be able to build a system that kicks it's ass for 500$-1000$ less.
Spazweasel - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - link
With that power draw, consider the possibility that you will need a dedicated circuit to power it. It's drawing as much power as a microwave (9 amps@110v), and microwaves typically get their own circuit. Most home circuit breakers are 20-amp units (again, US voltage), and you don;'t want to exceed 75% of capacity. Add in the power draw of a pair of 30" monitors and a sound system, and you don't have much room left for anything else on that circuit.Also consider your line conditioning. At that power draw, the run-of-the-mill 700Va home UPS ain't gonna do it. You'll want to protect your $5000 worth of computers and $2000 worth of multiple 30" monitors (you're not getting this to drive a 24" 1920x1200 display, after all), and to do so at that load you're looking at another kilobuck; your UPS will have to be a low-end data center piece instead of a consumer piece.
Is this worth $5000 to you? The better question is, is it worth $8000? If so, go for it. Just consider all the extra expenses, above and beyond the power bill and the computer itself.
meshugge - Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - link
Have to say that I bought a $3K Cyberpower pc last month based on recent reviews here - they sent me a defective machine and have not responded now to three separate emails over the last two weeks requesting support or return information. If that is the service they provide to customers, not quite sure why you are bothering to review their machines.