Version: 2008
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Product name
Maingear Ephex (Intel Core i7 965)
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Maingear Ephex (Intel Core i7 965)

CNET Editors' choice
Velocity Micro Edge Z30 (Intel Core i7)
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Velocity Micro Edge Z30 (Intel Core i7)

CNET Editors' choice
Dell Studio XPS 9000 (formerly XPS 435)
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Dell Studio XPS 9000 (formerly XPS 435)
Falcon Northwest Talon (Intel Core i7)
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Falcon Northwest Talon (Intel Core i7)
Price Check Prices $1,099.00 $1,449.00 Check Prices
CNET editors' rating
Average user rating
3.5 stars
3.0 stars
3.0 stars
 0 stars
Release date December 01, 2008
The Bottom Line Maingear's Ephex is the fastest PC we've reviewed, and also the most expensive. You can find better service policies from other boutique PC vendors, but the Ephex's overall speed and build quality are enough for us to recommend it to those in the market for the best desktop they can find. Velocity Micro's Edge Z30 is the best deal going right now for midlevel gaming PCs featuring Intel's new Core i7 chips. The overclocked Core i7 860, a fast Nvidia graphics card, and a solid selection of features all around make it easy for us to recommend this system to anyone looking for a capable gaming desktop. The Dell Studio XPS 435 successfully overcomes our bias against desktops that claim to be experts at everything through charming case design and a strong configuration at a relatively fair price. It misses greatness because of a handful of minor missteps, but if you need a do-it-all mainstream tower system, this Dell more or less covers all the bases. Falcon Northwest's revamped, mainstream-oriented Talon gaming desktop puts its best redesigned foot forward with a new case and a strong, price-competitive configuration built around Intel's latest batch of Core i7 CPUs. Shop around, as many vendors will have adopted Intel's new chips, but for this build at this price, Falcon Northwest sets the example to beat.
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Features
Manufacturer WarrantyInfo unavailable1 year warranty
1 year warranty
Info unavailable
Video Memory3 GB
Info unavailable1 GB GDDR5 SDRAM
896 MB
Storage ControllerInfo unavailableInfo unavailableSerial ATA ( Serial ATA-300 )
Info unavailable
TypeInfo unavailableInfo unavailablePersonal computer
Info unavailable
Hard Drive (2nd)1 x 1 TB - Standard
Info unavailable4.5 TB - None
1 x 80 GB - Solid state drive
Optical Storage (2nd)Info unavailableInfo unavailableNone
Info unavailable
PrinterInfo unavailableInfo unavailableNone
Info unavailable
Optical StorageInfo unavailableDVD±R (±R DL)
Blu-ray Disc (BD) Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
BD-ROM
Hard Drive (3rd)Info unavailableInfo unavailableNone
Info unavailable
RAM12 GB DDR3 SDRAM - 1600 MHz
8 GB (installed) / 8 GB (max) - DDR3 SDRAM
6 GB (installed) / 24 GB (max) - DDR3 SDRAM - 1066 MHz
8 GB (installed) / 8 GB (max) - DDR3 SDRAM - 1330 MHz
Cache MemoryInfo unavailableInfo unavailable8 MB L2 cache
Info unavailable
Dimensions (WxDxH)Info unavailableInfo unavailable7.8 in x 20.8 in x 19.4 in
Info unavailable
Processor1 x Intel Core i7 965 / 3.925 GHz ( Quad-Core )
1 x Intel Core i7 860 / 2.8 GHz
1 x Intel Core i7 920 / 2.66 GHz ( Quad-Core )
1 x Intel Core i7 860 / 3.3 Hz ( Quad-Core )
Hard DriveInfo unavailable1 x 1 TB - Standard - Serial ATA NCQ
2 x 1000 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-300
1 x 1500 GB - Standard
WeightInfo unavailableInfo unavailable44.1 lbs
Info unavailable
OS ProvidedMicrosoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
Product DescriptionCore i7 965 3.925 GHz
Core i7 860 2.8 GHz
Dell Studio XPS 435 - Core i7 920 2.66 GHz
Core i7 860 3.3 Hz
Graphics ControllerNVIDIA GeForce GTX 280
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260
PCI Express 2.0 x16 - ATI Radeon HD 5870 1GB GDDR5
Dual nVidia GeForce GTX 275
Storage RemovableInfo unavailableInfo unavailableNone
Info unavailable
Card ReaderInfo unavailableInfo unavailable15 in 1 card reader
Info unavailable
Product Form FactorInfo unavailableInfo unavailableTower
Info unavailable
CommunicationsInfo unavailableInfo unavailableNone
Info unavailable
Audio OutputInfo unavailableInfo unavailableSound card - 7.1 channel surround
Info unavailable
Cache Per ProcessorInfo unavailableInfo unavailable8 MB
Info unavailable
MonitorInfo unavailableInfo unavailableNone.
Info unavailable
Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications
Buying choices

As shown: $8798

Check manufacturer's site for availability

Buy direct from Velocity Micro
$1,099.00
In stock: Yes

Price from 1 CNET Certified store

Buy direct from Dell, Inc.
$1,449.00
In stock: Yes

Price from 1 CNET Certified store

As shown: $2,495

This product is available directly from the manufacturer's Web site
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