Entered CNET Catalog: 07/26/2005
SKU: CNETOVERDRIVETORQUESLI23469
Manufacturer: Overdrive PC
Product summary
The good: Unmatched performance; quiet design; variety of configuration options; clean desktop and Start menu.
The bad: Very expensive; no onsite service; limited room for expansion; $5,000 gets you only one year of warranty coverage.
The bottom line: It's more expensive and less flashy than other systems, but you simply can't beat the Overdrive PC Torque SLI's gaming performance.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: Yes
- Reviewed on: 08/10/2005
In Spaceballs, they called it "Ludicrous Speed." Overdrive PC calls it "Hyperclocking." However you say it, the Torque SLI is fast. Not satisfied with just dual graphics cards or a top-of-the-line Athlon FX-57 (it has both), the Torque SLI also incorporates the virtual nitro boost of overclocked processor, memory, and graphics cards, resulting in some of the fastest benchmark scores we've seen. At $4,968 (as of August 2005), sans monitor and speakers, this system also is the most expensive of the recent high-end PCs we've reviewed. But if you absolutely must have the fastest PC on the block, the Torque SLI will give you bragging rights.
Unlike more stylized competitors, such as the Alienware Aurora 7500, Overdrive houses the Torque SLI in a simple, clean-lined Lian-Li PC-6070 midtower case--black on our review unit but also available in silver or with a custom paint job. A pair of blue LED-backlit, 120mm cooling fans on the left side of the case is the only visual indication that this isn't your average PC.
The clean-cut image dissolves once you remove the two thumbscrews to crack open the case. Inside, the side panels are coated with a foam-rubber sound-damping material. The Asus A8N-SLI Premium motherboard, the hard drives, and even the expansion cards are fitted with stainless steel screws and rubber washers. Cables are carefully routed and clipped to maximize airflow, making for a very neat appearance. Quiet fans also help reduce noise output. Despite state-of-the-art hardware that runs at beyond-rated speeds, the Torque SLI's fans stayed so quiet during our testing that we could hear the hard drive heads moving. There's even a small flashlight clipped to the drive cage; if Overdrive PC had included a screwdriver, it would truly have thought of everything.
Our test system was equipped with a pair of 256MB XFX GeForce 7800 GTX graphics cards and a Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS sound card. This combination doesn't leave much room for internal expansion; only a single PCI slot and a couple of memory slots remain open. For external expansion, there's a pair of USB 2.0 ports on the front of the case, and four more on the back. A pair of FireWire ports reside on the back of the Torque SLI, one of which is on the Audigy 2 ZS card.
Our test configuration came loaded with storage devices: a dual-layer DVD burner and a DVD-ROM drive; a removable 200GB hard drive; and a pair of 74GB, 10,000rpm hard drives configured in a RAID 0 array. Also onboard was a floppy drive with a built-in media card reader. On top of all of this, there's a pair of open 3.5-inch internal bays, as well as an open 5.25-inch bay. (Two more open 3.5-inch bays surround the RAID array, but you'd probably want to leave them open because of heat considerations.)
If you've ever dabbled with overclocking, you know that extra performance sometimes comes at the cost of system stability. Not so with the Torque SLI, which remained rock stable even when running CNET's extensive game tests and benchmarks on a hot summer day. Overdrive PC calls its overclocking technique Hyperclocking, and the results are impressive. The AMD Athlon 64 FX-57 CPU, rated at 2.8GHz, runs at 3GHz; the dual GeForce 7800 GTX GPUs are bumped from 430MHz to 505MHz, with memory speeds notched up from 1.2GHz to 1.39GHz; and the 1GB of the system's DDR SDRAM runs at 500MHz, up from 400MHz. Overdrive PC also optimizes BIOS and Windows settings for maximum performance.
All of this Hyperclocking pays off with gaming performance that stomps the nearest competitors. Running Half-Life 2 at extremely demanding settings--1,600x1,200 resolution with 4X antialiasing and 8X anisotropic filtering--the Torque SLI managed a whopping 120 frames per second (fps). The next closest competitor, the Velocity Micro Gamer's Edge DualX, was left in the dust at 97fps. Doom 3 scores were similarly impressive, with the Torque SLI benchmarking 105fps at 1,600x1,200, compared to the Velocity Micro's 96.1fps. The Torque SLI blazed through productivity applications as well, with a SysMark 2004 score of 255, the fastest of its group. In fact, the only benchmark test where the Torque SLI came up short was with SysMark 2004's Internet content creation, where it was trounced by the dual-core Athlon 64 X2-equipped Alienware Aurora 7500. PCs with dual-core processors may hold a speed advantage over the Torque SLI in heavy multitasking, but not in single applications or gaming.
The Torque SLI doesn't ship with much software by default; you get Norton AntiVirus 2005, Nero Express for disc burning, the free OpenOffice productivity suite, and an assortment of benchmarking tools and utilities, though you can add other software titles, including games and commercial office suites, at the time of purchase. The Torque SLI's clean desktop and carefully categorized Start menu are testament to its careful fine-tuning. Our test system didn't ship with a monitor or speakers, though a variety of options are available from Overdrive. However, we did get Logitech's Cordless Desktop LX 700 mouse and keyboard set.
Overdrive PC backs the Torque SLI with a one-year parts-and-labor warranty, which includes toll-free tech support, available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, and return shipping on repairs. The optional Platinum warranty is available in one-, two-, or three-year lengths (add $100 per year), and we highly recommend it as it covers all associated shipping costs to and from Overdrive PC for repairs. One year of warranty coverage has emerged as the industry standard, but given the system's $5,000 price tag, we think Platinum-level coverage should be the default. Overdrive PC's Web site features a tech-support e-mail address in addition to a well-organized list of manufacturer links for component documentation and drivers. The PC itself includes recovery CDs and the printed user manuals from several of the PC's components, but no overall setup guide. Instead, Overdrive prefers a more personal approach: a company rep will call when you receive your system to walk you through the setup procedure.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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BAPCo SysMark 2004 rating | |
SysMark 2004 Internet-content-creation rating | |
SysMark 2004 office-productivity rating |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Doom 3 1,600x1,200 4XAA 8XAF | |
Doom 3 1,024x768, 4XAA 8XAF | |
Half-Life 2 1,600x1,200 4XAA 8XAF | |
Half-Life 2 1,024x768 4XAA 8XAF |
Find out more about how we test desktop systems.
System configurations:
ABS Ultimate X8
Windows XP Professional SP2; 3.2GHz Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840; Intel Nvidia Nforce 4 SLI Intel Edition chipset; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 256MB (2) Nvidia GeForce 7800 GTX (PCIe SLI); two WDC WD740GD-00FLA2 74GB SATA 10,000rpm; Hitachi HDS724040KLSA80 400GB SATA 7,200rpm; integrated Nvidia Nforce 4 Intel Edition SATA RAID Controller
Alienware Aurora 7500
Windows XP Professional SP2; 2.4GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+; Nvidia Nforce 4 SLI chipset; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 256MB (2) Nvidia GeForce 7800 GTX (PCIe SLI); two Hitachi HDS728080PLA380 80GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA; integrated Nvidia Nforce RAID class controller (RAID 0)
Dell Dimension XPS 600
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 3.8GHz Intel Pentium 4 670; Nvida Nforce 4 SLI Intel Edition chipset; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 7800 GTX (PCIe SLI); two Hitachi HDS725050KLA360 500GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA; integrated Nvidia Nforce 4 Intel Edition SATA RAID Controller (RAID 0)
Overdrive PC Torque SLI
Windows XP Professional SP2; 2.8GHz AMD Athlon 64 FX-57; Nvidia Nforce 4 SLI chipset; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 256MB (2) Nvidia GeForce 7800 GTX (PCIe SLI); two WDC WD740GD-00FLA2 74GB 10,000rpm SATA; one Seagate ST3200826AS, 200GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA; integrated Nvidia Nforce RAID class controller (RAID 0)
Velocity Micro Gamer's Edge DualX
Windows XP Professional SP2; 2.8GHz AMD Athlon 64 FX-57; Nvidia Nforce 4 SLI chipset; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 256MB (2) Nvidia GeForce 7800 GTX (PCIe SLI); two WDC WD740GD-00FLA2 74GB 10,000rpm SATA; one WDC WD250JD-00HBB0 250GB 7,200rpm SATA; integrated Silicon SiL3114 SoftRAID5
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24out of 24 user reviews
Please think twice before buying.
Pros: I can't think of any.
Cons: Where do I begin?
http://therecordbreakingdomain.com/overdrivepc/index.php
out of 24 user reviews
what an awesome pc!!
Pros: really fast and has awesome graphics.
Cons: the price is a little over my budget.
out of 24 user reviews
Strong performer. Solid Construction
Pros: Bleeding Edge Performance, Top of the line construction, Great Company
Cons: It isn't inexpensive, but you get what you pay for
Would I purchase another PC from them. In an instant. This company has pride in its products. That is not something you can say about most companies.
P.S. The PC also plays the latest games at the fastest speeds. It is amazing to watch and can gather a crowd to see all the graphics settings at the highest level. It is engrossing to say the least.
out of 24 user reviews
worth it, if u have the money
Pros: power and performance
Cons: fair price for the pc , to much
out of 24 user reviews
Awesome....
Pros: Awesome....
Cons: Sometimes not Awesome....
out of 24 user reviews
Do NOT buy a computer from Overdrive PC
Pros: They work beyond business hours to fix problems they created.
Cons: They take you on wild goose chases trying to fix problems they created.
Key Points:
- Paid $4,600 for the computer only (no monitors or peripherals) in January 2006.
- Computer was rushed to meet guaranteed deadline after employee that took my order quit and company "forgot" about my deadline.
- Computer crashed straight out of the box and would not start.
- The restore DVD that was sent with the computer was faulty so I could not fully restore the computer.
- It took them months to diagnose the problem with my computer and I'm still not convinced they've got it right.
- In the course of several months, I had to:
- Open my brand new computer at least 10 times.
- Spend at least 15 hours on the phone (long-distance, paid by me) with the company diagnosing the problems with my new computer.
- Get, at the "advice" of the company, a $200 transformer that not only didn’t work, but actually damaged my computer further .
- Exchange parts inside my computer on numerous occasions, including fiddling with small plugs leading into the mother board.
- Exchange over 100 e-mails with the company.
- Waste over 200 hours of my time.
- It is now almost half a year since I paid for my computer and it is still not fully functional. Considering how much I had to fiddle with this "brand new" computer, I feel like it is now a used computer and not what I paid for.
- And, to add insult to injury, the company tells me they will keep 20% of my money if I decide to return my computer, which I wanted to do (but not if they still get to keep $920 of my money), and that an exchange is "not an option".
I expect all of the above from a $600 computer, not a $4,600 computer.
In short, this company has profited from my distress.
Verdict: Do NOT buy an OPC computer, no matter what you read or what they tell you or how fast their systems are when they DO actually work.
If you would like to read my full review regarding my OPC, please visit http://www.therecordbreakingdomain.com/opc.php . It is a very long read, but definitely worth it if you are considering buying an OPC so that you know what you are risking and getting yourself into.
If you would like to e-mail me any questions, feel free to do so on forsale@therecordbreakingdomain.com
out of 24 user reviews
You Get What You Pay For
Pros: Fast and Powerful But not over the top
Cons: Expencive Get The Gemini.SLI
out of 24 user reviews
If you're not a tech, get it done for you
Pros: Screeming System, all configured for you.
Cons: Expensive if you know what you're doing
(btw, I'm a network admin, I use several windows boxes to meet certain needs. I like windows and love OS X. I'm looking forward to virtualization on Apple's intel based macs because they should be able to run windows in a window on OS X at full speed[no slowdown from emulation like on PowerPC processors])
out of 24 user reviews
By far not worth the money.
Pros: By today standards average speed.
Cons: Way overpriced!!! Machine is only worth $1900
out of 24 user reviews
Not water cooled
Pros: Overclocked
Cons: Everything is Air cooled
out of 24 user reviews
5k for this....Get a life.
Pros: Yeah it is be the best...
Cons: Dropping 5k+ for this...no brainer.
out of 24 user reviews
Why pay out the butt?
Pros: You get all the goodies
Cons: Your paying way way way way way too much
It just doesn't add up!
out of 24 user reviews
Outdated..
Pros: Great performance
Cons: HUGE price, and outdated.
I know that if you buy this, you want the latest and best, which is why Im telling you that there are already better parts for the video card and motherboard. Also, the RAM Latency could be higher than the best which is 1.5-2-2-5
Video Card: this has dual 256MB, you could get 2x 512, PLUS LIQUID COOLED
Motherboard: This one has a chipset of Nforce 4, which means it is probably an Asus A8N-SLI. The A8N32-SLI Deluxe is out already, which will get you about 10 more frames per second!!!!
RAM: The latency probably isnt the best, Id guess its a 3-3-3-8, when there are now 1.5-2-2-5 out, with heatsinks... If you build your own system you can get 4 DIMMS (sticks of ram) of the ultra-low latency, 512MB each, resulting in ultra-fast 2GB of memory.
HARD DRIVE: You would probably want to get 4x 147GB 15,000 RPM in RAID 0 for the best available performance, rather than the included one.
Yes, all this would cost more, but whoever is thinking of buying this probably has a botomless pit of money.
out of 24 user reviews
at $5000, it's over-priced for what you get
Pros: overclocked
Cons: looks very cheap, too much over-clocking
out of 24 user reviews
best product out there
Pros: too big too gbs
Cons: black case case
out of 24 user reviews
Outstanding Ordering Experience with Overdrive PC
Pros: Clearly Explained Information, initiative, collaboration, & integrity characterize the sales process
Cons: It takes a month to get the system delivered
My conversation with Ryan began with a simple question about the video card. From there we ended up discussing the merits of all the system's components. Throughout the conversation, Ryan showed no hint of indifference, arrogance, sales pressure, or urgency to end the conversation before all my concerns had been completely addressed. At several points, he and I examined a few websites and used the information there as reference points during our discussion.
Ryan demonstrated genuine concern that I was configuring a system that optimized the value of each dollar I was about to spend. For example, in our discussion about hard drives, he why if I did not want to use Raptors in Raid 0, that it would make more sense to shift to a less powerful CPU since the slower drives would not allow me to fully realize the benefit of the faster chip.
Ryan listened actively to my explanation of how I plan to use my new system, not only upon receiving it but also in the future as I expand my home computing environment. He even made of point of raising the topic of where I'd place the CPU box which led to a collaborative discussion resulting in my gaining a few valuable design elements I will submit to the fabricator who is building my office furniture.
Ryan effectively used the information he collected to guide me toward the best choices for the OS, video cards, hard drives, accessories and peripherals. We even explored the merits/detractors and value proposition of opting for dual Opterons versus a single, dual core chip.
In discussing display options, Ryan showed integrity in admitting that I'd be better able to exploit the high end of the video cards' capabilities by sticking with my current monitor (a fine CRT, albeit several years old) instead of buying one of the new LCD monitors available.
All told, my discussion with Ryan resulted in over $800 worth of cost savings for me. Like many prospective buyers, I had read the reviews about all manners of PC equipment and had decided that I would just spring for the top of the line in all areas. After talking with Ryan, I learned that while I surely could spend the cash, and OPC'd build it, in quite a few areas, my expenditure would not result in any real-world benefit, other than to Overdrive's coffers.
So, now, I await delivery of my PC. OPC's lead time (today) is four to five weeks, and this is the only thing I have to quibble about. I do understand why it takes a while to get the PC delivered to me, but like anyone who will spend a small fortune on a PC (or any other thing), instant (or near instant) gratification is always more desirable than having to wait. What can I say? I'm just not used to waiting for things.
About Me: I'm an executive who manages Fortune 500 companies' enterprise transformation projects that utilize an ERP suite as the enabler of the transformation. I am not a technology "geek," yet I understand enough about the current and coming technologies and trends to now when I'm getting "a line" and when I am hearing sage advice.
out of 24 user reviews
IT COST TOOO DAMN MUCH NO VALUE
Pros: FAST BUT THATS ALL
Cons: WAY TOO MUCH MONEY NEEDED FOR THIS SYSTEM NO TECH SUPPORT AND **** ONLY 1 DAMN YEAR OF TECH SUPORT THATS THE LAMEST WARINTY FOR A RIG
IT COSTS WAY TOO DAMN MUCH FOR WHAT U GET NO VALUE AT ALL I could build a WATER cooling system will all the same parts for 4000$ cuz i live in canada AND **** ONLY 1 YEAR FOR A WANRITY THATS SERIOUS MESSED THAT SYSTEM IS GOING TO FRY ULESS U GO OUT AND GET A WATER COOLING KIT other wise U just WASTED 5000 $ FOR WHAT A RIG WITH NO TECH SUPPORT *** SUCH CONPLEX COMPONTS R HIGH MANTANCE RIGS AND THERS NOO FLAIR TO IT NO SIDE WINDOW ITS A RIG FOR GODS SAKE U GOING TO USE IT A LOT AND STARE AT IT TOO IT GOING HAVE TO LOOK A LOT BETTER TOO FOR IT TOO SELL AND I WANT A LOT MORE EXPANDTION IN SIDE TOO ALL IN ALL ITS A PICE OF CRAP
out of 24 user reviews
For the first time a stock overclocked computer is being sold to the less fortunate
Pros: blazing core and memory speed with a cool graphics card.
Cons: Price Tag on this pc is for those who are ready to spend to get power.
out of 24 user reviews
Did you notice anything about all of these reviews for this computer?
Pros: Every spec this thing has!
Cons: The pirce! Uhh, The PRICE! THE PRICE!
out of 24 user reviews
I wouldn't say they, "overclocked the hell out of this thing."
Pros: FX-57, dual 7800GTX
Cons: Somewhat pointless overclock
David Carnoy stated that Overdrive, "overclocked the hell out of this thing." In reality, you realize that the CPU is only overclocked 200MHz and the graphics cards arent OC'd that much either. I have a feeling that Overdrive did nothing more than raise the FSB 12MHz. (this may be innacurate as I don't know the CPU muliplier) I think that a baby, given some knowledge, could figure that one out.
In previoues reviews there have been overclocked machines. The only difference with those is that some of the editors have said that the overclocking does little to boost performance.
http://reviews.cnet.com/Falcon_Northwest_Talon/4505-3118_7-31348211.html
I think that statement is probably true, but then why was David Carnoy so excited about a 200MHz overclock?
out of 24 user reviews
You can build it!
Pros: No need to spend time
Cons: You can build something VERY close to this yourself.
out of 24 user reviews
THE most bang for the buck
Pros: Superior components, tweaked to the max and guaranteed!
Cons: Not for the starving college student....
The machine itself was impeccably wired with custom wiring and connectors used when required to insure the least clutter and best conductivity. The case was a modified Lian Li server with special air cooling installed (even better than the original) that allowed OPC to OC virtually ever part in the thing without ANY concerns about instability. The 5 hard drives were mounted in a 5-bay hot-swappable enclosure with a great cooling solution.
Because the fans are also "tweaked" (regarding controlls), the noise level, even with 5 hard drives, was quite acceptable consdering what you're getting.
The system came with a superbly set up Recovery Disk as well as a shrink wrapped Windows XP disk. The software I purchased with the system had not been installed with the exception of Norton Antivirus (free with all systems) which I think is a GOOD thing. It allowed me to customize my software the way I wanted, not just take the default install of MS Office (hugely bloated) that comes with many "package" systems.
Speaking of the OS, the system came with Windows XP tweaked to the max for speed. Many of the useless (to most people) services were disabled already and the boot time was amazing! Even with the staggered spin up of the hard drives (configured into 2 seperate RAIDs and single page file drive) the complete "cycle" time for shut down and reboot was less than a minute!
The system also came with Sandra, CPU-Z, 3DMark2003 and 3DMark2005, Aquamark and other benchmarking and analyzing software pre-installed so it was easy to see just what this monster could do from first power up. The pre-shipment final testing results are also conveniently viewable as .bmp's in the Programs menu. With a 3DMark2005 score of over 12,500 and Aquamark of 98,000+ I couldn't have been happier.
With a three year guarantee (+$200 but well worth it), you'll have no worries about everything being OCed to the max. These guys have a true concern about the happiness of their customers and stories abound on their website forums from folks that experienced OPC going the extra mile (or 10) for them.
All in all, dollar for dollar, you can't do better anywhere, period.
out of 24 user reviews
Too expensive
Pros: State of the Art
Cons: Overpriced, Overpriced
out of 24 user reviews
Splurge for the best of the best!
Pros: Ultimate performance, personalized customer care and support from initial consult call throughout entire ownership, first-class craftsmanship
Cons: Expensive, but so are many others that fall far shy of what OPC provides
Enter the relatively unknown vendor called Overdrive PC. From out of nowhere they've KO'd the big name posers and exposed them for what they truly are. With OPC you'll be required to first contact them for a consult. The purpose is to make sure that you're getting the pc that's perfect for your needs. And it may surprise you, as it did me when I went through this process, that they are 100% and are not out to sell you anything you don't need. In fact, after my consult I found that I had shaved over $500 off the configuration I had planned to order and found that I would still get the ultimate gaming performance, no other vendor could match even with liquid cooling.
Performance is great, but the other area where OPC stands heads and shoulders above the "competitors" is in service. They make themselves available to help you whenever the need arises. They are not a large company, nor do they intend to allow this to happen, as they recognize that personalized customer service and support would surely suffer. Instead they've carved out a niche in a highly competitive market to provide enthusiasts and professional users alike with an unmatched PC.
Highly recommended. Don't make the mistake of not calling to at least discuss your needs. You're under no obligation after the phone call, nor will you be pressured, but I betcha you'll like what you hear, and should you chose to go forward with an order, well, you can thank me later
Regards,
Josey
