Wired2Fire VX-5 review

A lot of manufacturers choose Intel’s Core i3 processor for PCs at this price, and Wired2Fire is no different. The VX-5 is based around a Core i3 530 that’s been overclocked from 2.93GHz up to a dizzy 4 GHz. This is one of the highest overclocks we’ve seen in a budget PC, and as expected performance was very impressive. It produced a blisteringly fast 173 in our image editing test, and an overall score of 136 is more commonly seen in more expensive machines.

There isn’t a dedicated graphics card; the VX-5 instead relies on the Intel HD graphics integrated in the processor. It’s powerful enough for day-to-day tasks like streaming internet video, but it struggles with full HD content. The 7.9fps score in Call of Duty 4 shows isn’t suited to playing games. This does mean the PCI-E x16 slot is free to add a graphics card in the future, but as the 500W power supply doesn’t have a six pin connector, you’ll have to use a cable to convert two Molex connectors.

Despite the monstrous overclock, the VX-5 was near-silent during most tasks. The stock CPU cooler has been upgraded and, even when running at full load, it was still very quiet. The power supply contains the systems only other fan, so if you plan on adding a hot graphics card you should install some case fans too.

The case is made of a mix of metal and plastic, and looks rather plain. We did like the flip-down panel that hides the DVD re-writer though. The interior has been well thought-out, with the majority of cables hidden from view behind the drive bays. The motherboard is well equipped for future expansion, with a single PCI slot and two PCI-E x1 slots, although installing a dual-slot graphics card will obstruct one of these. There are three free 5 1/4in drive bays for extra optical drives or fan controllers, and five empty 3 1/2in bays for adding more hard disks.

There are two USB3 ports on the back of the motherboard for connecting super-fast external storage, as well as a further four regular USB ports. This will save having to install an add-in card in the future when USB3 devices become more popular. The Creative A220 2.1 speakers connect to the 5.1 line out ports, have decent bass thanks to a small subwoofer and are loud enough to fill a medium-sized bedroom or home office.

Everything we tested on the VX-5 looked great thanks to the BenQ 22in monitor. It’s a fantastic budget display that has high contrast, vivid colours and is very sharp. The LED backlight helped create even brightness levels, and the very helpful on-screen menus made it easy to adjust settings. The Logitech keyboard and mouse are both budget models, but they felt comfortable to use and the keyboard had good tactile feedback when typing.

There’s no question that overclocking the processor puts the VX-5 among the fasted budget PCs. It’s also the only system this month to include a set of speakers, so it’s ideal for an instant multimedia setup. The spacious 1TB hard disk and excellent monitor are great inclusions, but the lack of a graphics card limits its appeal to gamers. For those wanting to play games, the latest iteration of the CyberPower Infinity i3 Apollo Elite is a better option.