Apr 4, 2009

Review - CyberPower PC Gamer Xtreme XE Gaming PC

Review - CyberPower PC Gamer Xtreme XE Gaming PC

Introduction:
Overclocked processor, flagship graphics card, performance case, latest technology; these are characteristics of a computer built from a high-end boutique builder and normally come with a boutique builder price. Would you believe this system costs less than 1600 Dollars?
CyberPower used a Cooler Master Centurion 590, and we like that the builder took advantage of the case’s tool-less chassis design. Our Gamer Xtreme XE features Asetek Liquid CPU Cooling System, and CyberPower overclocked the processor from 2.83GHz to 3.6GHz. There are plenty of expansion options, including a free PCI-E x16 slot and three PCI-E x1 slots, and we like that the Radeon 4870 X2 graphics card (or even a second 4870 X2) had room to breathe. CyberPower didn’t cut a side window, but with blue LEDs in the two top-panel fans and the front chassis, the Gamer Xtreme XE produced some attractive exterior lighting.

Although the Gamer Xtreme XE didn’t break any records yet, it posted scores within range of many of the top-notch systems (see “Leaders Of The Pack” on page 20 of the September 2008 issue of CPU) we saw in our dream PC roundup. The graphics processing power of the Radeon 4870 X2 shined in our gaming benchmarks. The Gamer Xtreme XE achieved a playable frame rate of 38fps in Crysis when we changed all the settings to High, and its 19fps at the Very High settings was also impressive. In addition, scores of 13930 (multithreaded) in Cinebench 10 and 3333pps in POV-Ray 3.7 Beta place the Gamer Xtreme XE’s results near those of the dream PCs.

Specification of CyberPower Xtreme XE

CyberPower PC Gamer Xtreme XE Gaming PC

* Asetek Liquid Cooling
* Intel Core i7-940 2.93GHz 8MB Cache LGA1366
* Windows Vista Home Premium
* Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard
* 3GB PC1333 DDR3/10666 RAM
* Dual 150GB 1,000RPM SATA HDD
* 1TB 7200RPM SATA-II HDD
* NVIDIA GTX295 1.7GB PCIe Video
* 4X Blu-Ray Player Drive
* 20X DVD Rewritable Drive
* 802.11g Wireless Adapter
* CM Storm Sniper Full Tower Gaming 1,000W Case
CyberPower understands the real gamer and has made a name for itself catering to the price vs. performance, bang for the buck crowd. I left Quakecon with a real understanding of what CyberPower has accomplished and what they are trying to do for the collage kid looking to actually play games and not worry about a 3DMark score.


Benchmark List and Testing Configuration

System tests are conducted with the system configured as it arrived to our testing lab. Drivers will only be updated if needed for a particular test, such as a new game added to the program test list that requires a special set of drivers, in which case the pre-installed drivers will be removed. Any driver change will be noted when this occurs.

System Tests

* Boot and Shutdown Times
* FutureMark PCMark Vantage
* BAPCo SYSmark 2007 Preview



Processor and Memory Tests

* Everest Cache and Memory
* Passmark
* ScienceMark 2



Video and Gaming Tests

* FutureMark 3DMark Vantage
* Crysis
* PT Boat Demo
* World in Conflict
* CINEBENCH R10
Conclusion:

The CyberPower Gamer Xtreme XE is first and foremost built for gaming. But with this much power, other users may want to take advantage of its full capabilities. Limiting the system to "just a gaming computer" would be like saying a tank is just used for transportation.

The overclocked processor coupled with Asetek’s Low Cost Liquid Cooling (LCLC) would have been a good base to start any system off with. In reality I think CyberPower started off with the Radeon 4870 X2 and everything else just fell into place. Either way, there is no denying that both the Core 2 Duo and 4870 X2 complement each other perfectly. Add in the fact that CyberPower took advantage of Asetek’s really well designed cooler which was able to overclock the processor to such a high level and it really makes this a unique system that we normally see from boutique systems costing quite a bit more.

For me personally, I never truly understood the enthusiast OEM relationship unit until this system arrived here at the TweakTown Lab. Only a company that really understands the enthusiast and gaming mentality could pull off what CyberPower has done with the Gamer Xtreme XE. To put it simply, my next gaming system will come from CyberPower since they are able to put a system together just as well as I can, while also doing it at a lower cost and saving me the hassle of having to deal with the late nights testing and tuning it for higher performance.

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