The Revolution GTX3
While MaxForce is all about tailoring a computer to the individual’s specifications, it went all the way with this test system, using a high-end overclocked quad-core CPU, a GDDR3 motherboard, and no less than three of the fastest video cards money can buy. Let’s have a look at what the Revolution GTX3 offers in the way of specifics:
| CPU | Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 3 GHz, 12 MB Cache o/c to 4.05 GHz, FSB 1800 |
| CPU Cooler | Tuniq Tower 120 |
| Motherboard | EVGA 132-CK-NF79 nForce 790i Ultra SLI BIOS 6.00 |
| RAM | 2GB (2x 1GB) Supertalent GDDR3-1800 CL7-7-7 |
| Graphics | 3x XFX GeForce GTX 280 (SLI), GPU (602 MHz) 1024 MB GDDR3-2214 (Per Card) |
| Hard Drive 1 | WD WD3000GLFS, 300 GB, 10000 RPM, 16 MB Cache |
| Hard Drive 2 | WD WD6400 640 GB, 7200 RPM, 16 MB Cache |
| Sound | Asus Xonar DX |
| Case | Antec Twelve Hundred |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Power | Thermaltake Toughpower 1200W |
| Optical | Samsung SH-S203N Lightscribe 20x Dual Layer DVD+/-RW SATA Drive |
| Card reader | Super Talent INT-AIN1-C All-in-one USB 2.0 Internal Card reader |
| OS | Windows Vista Ultimate 32 bit |
| Extras | 1BG USB Flash Drive, Assassin ’s Creed (game) |
| Warranty | Two Year (minimum) on parts, lifetime on labor |
| Price | $4,897 |
CPU: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 3 GHz o/c to 4.05 GHz
The QX9650 has a reputation for hitting 4 GHz with relative ease and is a good starting point for a high-performance PC. Note that MaxForce has recently changed to the new Q9650 CPU as opposed to the older QX9650, so a new comparable machine with the new CPU would come in quite a bit cheaper at $4,176.
CPU Cooler: Tuniq Tower 120
This massive passive cooler has an excellent reputation for keeping hot CPUs cool. Frankly, our preference for this high-speed machine would have been liquid cooling, but if you’re going with air, the Tuniq Tower 120 is certainly one of the better options.
Motherboard: EVGA 132-CK-NF79 Nforce 790i Ultra SLI
Nvidia’s 790i chipset is the way to go for triple-SLI performance paired with fast GDDR3 memory. The EVGA board that MaxForce chose for our setup is a completely reference design. Our favorite is actually ASUS’ Striker II Extreme, which we reviewed in our 790i roundup. However, the EVGA board should suffice.
RAM: 2GB Super Talent GDDR3-1800 CL7-7-7
Super Talent’s GDDR3 has a reputation for overclocking, and it offers reasonable performance despite GDDR3’s latency. The raw clock speeds do a good job of powering through that limitation, however. Note that the system comes with 2 GB of RAM. Most 32-bit Vista installations can only use somewhere north of 3GB, so MaxForce’s choice in capacity makes sense. However, with an ultra high-end processor configuration and three GeForce GTX 280 graphics cards pushing huge performance, 4GB and a 64-bit operating system could be considered more appropriate. Check out this recent high-end gaming roundup for a better idea of the balanced setups we have in mind here.
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Why is Crysis exceptionally run on 32-bit mode??? Your test setup states that you are running 64-bit everything. Of course 4870x2 in crossfire will be a pig in 32-bit os.
the 4Gigs of GFX ram take up ALL the addresses. What a sham. Basically you don't want to conclusively show that the NVIDIA rigs are a waste of money.
I hate your slanted results.
Again another poor review..
Don't you think it is about time you put more work into these? You certainly won't fool anyone who knows what they are talking about.
Why moan about the CPU cooler without giving us any numbers - if it runs at a decent temperature then why put in water cooling which has many more parts that could go wrong?
Why is Crysis exceptionally run on 32-bit mode??? Your test setup states that you are running 64-bit everything. Of course 4870x2 in crossfire will be a pig in 32-bit os.the 4Gigs of GFX ram take up ALL the addresses. What a sham. Basically you don't want to conclusively show that the NVIDIA rigs are a waste of money.I hate your slanted results.
i don't know where you got the idea of 4 gigs gfx ram but there are only 3 gtx 280's with one gig of ram each ...
are you a ati geek or something ??? (excuse me if i insult you)
and i dunno but my rig has an asus striker II extreme mobo (based on the same nforce 790i ultra sli) and also 3 gtx 280 in sli and this thing kicks ass...
i do have to agree with david__t on the cpu cooler why moan about the cooler if it work ???
i just wouldnt trust a watercooling setup that i didn't build anyways...
I am refering to the line...
"With or without AA enabled, 3-way SLI is the way to go in this game on a 32-bit platform, and the MaxForce delivers. If you remember from the Gaming System Shootout, the Radeon’s reclaim the lead upon switching over to 64-bit mode."
I AM refering to the ATI beast that it is compared to. These are equipped with 2 4870x2's. My first comment stands. He mentions in words that the 4870x2's BEAT the tri-sli rig, but it shows a chart of the Geforce rig "beating" it in crysis.
He is using his editorial power to mislead readers into thinking that the Geforces can achieve better performance when they in fact do not on any sensible setup.
This is especially sneaky considering no mention of this is mad ein the test setup section which is ALL 64-bit setups.