Reviewed on March 19, 2009Apple's new eight-core Mac Pro demonstrates marked improvements over the older model in high-intensity digital media and multitasking scenarios. We also love the design tweaks that improve on Apple's already industry-leading sensibilities. Any Apple-bound design professional would welcome this new tool in his or her arsenal.TAGS:tray, Apple Macintosh, digital media, Apple Computer, CPU, motherboard, memory, NVidia, card, hard drive, video card, Microsoft Windows
Reviewed on November 11, 2008Velocity Micro's Edge Z55 provides a powerful example of the leap ahead in performance afforded by Intel's new Core i7 CPUs. Velocity Micro's own overclocking efforts don't hurt either. Any PC gamer would love to make this upper midrange desktop their own.TAGS:Velocity Micro, Intel Core Microarchitecture, Acer Inc., 64-bit, Radeon, Intel, PC, hard drive, games, CPU
Reviewed on January 28, 2009In its present configuration, the Dell Inspiron I530S-119B won't feel at home in a home theater or digital media environment, but it succeeds in providing high performance at minimal cost thanks to a faster processor than the competition. Future upgrades to this system are limited, but if you're shopping for a budget computer for basic functionality, this Dell will do the trick.TAGS:Acer Inc., Dell Inspiron, graphics chip, Dell, Acer Aspire, Intel Pentium, Intel, desktop computer, 64-bit, hard drive, CPU
Reviewed on July 2, 2009Digital Storm's 950Si has all the makings of a quality performance gaming system, but its value proposition comes up just a bit short. The stable-yet-aggressively overclocked CPU tells us that Digital Storm knows what it's doing, and with a more competitive price it would earn a more enthusiastic recommendation.TAGS:Intel Core Microarchitecture, Blu-ray drive, Western Digital, burner, Blu-ray, DVD-drive, 64-bit, CPU, Intel, hard drive, PC
Reviewed on April 3, 2009In a normal economy, we'd expect that Falcon Northwest's new Core i7 FragBox 2 would wow us with fast performance in a compact case. Instead, the price of this system as configured has been severely undercut by a competitor. An improved warranty takes the edge off somewhat, but the new market reality makes it hard to recommend this PC.TAGS:Maingear, Intel Core Microarchitecture, media card reader, Apple Intel Mac Mini, AMD, CPU, Apple Macintosh, hard drive
Reviewed on February 26, 2009Maingear's X-Cube small form factor game PC has received a cleverly redesigned case and boasts strong bang for the buck in its niche. We wouldn't necessarily pick this configuration, and you can find a better deal in a standard-size gaming desktop, but you still might be charmed by its unique looks and its decent value.TAGS:Maingear, Velocity Micro, ATI Radeon, AMD, ATI Technologies, motherboard, Intel, games, CPU, hard drive, PC