Cyberpower Infinity Apollo review
A top-notch PC with a good graphics card and high quality, but chunky, display
Specifications
4.5GHz Intel Core i5-3570K, 8GB RAM, 21.5in 1,920×1,080 display, Windows 8
When you spend this much on a PC, you expect to find a computer than can deal with everything and that comes with high-quality components. Fortunately, the CyberPower Infinity Apollo meets all of those criteria.
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Standard application performance is brilliant thanks to the Intel Core i5-3570K processor. CyberPower has taken advantage of the unlocked multiplier, increasing the processor speed from 3.4GHz to 4.5GHz. This speed boost, combined with the 8GB of RAM, meant the Infinity Apollo scored a very respectable 124 in our benchmarks. In other words, no matter what you want to run on this PC, it will handle it.
You can also play games, thanks to the installed 2GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 graphics card. It managed 50fps in our Dirt Showdown test, running at a resolution of 1,920×1,080 at Ultra quality settings. It creaked a little in the graphically demanding Crysis 2 test, managing 25.8fps running at Full HD using Ultra quality settings. However, we dropped the quality to Extreme and we got a super-smooth 49fps, so high quality gaming is definitely possible with this PC.
Our one complaint is noise, as the graphics card’s fan is rather noisy when under load, producing a buzzing sound that isn’t quite blocked by the case. For this reason, you’ll probably want to keep the PC on the floor. The graphics card has two DVI ports, a full-sized HDMI port and a DisplayPort output, which can output to up to four monitors simultaneously.
The case is set up for effective cooling, with an intake fan at the bottom and an outflow fan at the rear. This positioning means that plenty of air gets sucked past the graphics card. A fine mesh grille at the bottom helps to minimise dust from being pulled in from the bottom. The case is well finished and easy to work in, with seven 3.5in bays and three 5.25in bays, and only one of each is in use.
It’s good to see an Asus P8Z77-V LX2 motherboard. It’s a decent-quality board, that’s reliable and provides stable overclocking. Only two of the four memory slots are in use, so it’s easy to upgrade to 16GB by adding another two 4GB modules.
The motherboard only has two SATA3 ports, which are currently connected to a DVD-RW drive and a 1TB hard disk, and four unused SATA2 ports. If you add any additional hard disks, particularly an SSD, you should move the DVD drive to one of the SATA2 ports and use the SATA3 connection for your new disk.
There are two PCI-E x16 slots, one of which is occupied by the graphics card and one of which actually runs at x4, making it better for expansion cards than dual-graphics systems. There are also two unused PCI slots and two PCI-E x1 slots. However, only one of the latter is accessible, while the other is occluded by the graphics card.
At the back of the motherboard you’ll find two PS/2 ports for mouse and keyboard, the 3.5mm analogue audio outputs for surround sound, a Gigabit Ethernet port and six USB ports, of which two are USB3. There are another two USB ports at front, including a USB3 port, plus 3.5mm mic and headphone ports. You’ll need two USB ports for the Logitech K120 keyboard and mouse. Both are comfortable and accurate to use, although the keyboard’s keys are a little spongy.
The 21.5in AOC e2250Swda monitor is a little small compared to those supplied with some similarly priced PCs, but it has a resolution of 1,920×1,080 and it’s a great display with a good contrast ratio of 854:1 and a very respectable sRGB colour gamut of 89.2 per cent at default settings. Colours are a little cold, but we still found them vivid and subtle shading is clearly visible.
Although it’s built using the same motherboard and processor as most similarly priced systems, the graphics card counta for a lot here, making the Infinity Apollo a good buy. However, the Chillblast Fusion Sprite is a bit quieter and comes with a larger IPS monitor.
Basic Specifications | |
---|---|
Rating | **** |
Processor | Intel Core i5-3570K |
Processor external bus | 100MHz (DMI) |
Processor multiplier | x45 |
Processor clock speed | 4.5GHz |
Processor socket | LGA1155 |
Memory | 8 |
Memory type | PC3-12800 |
Maximum memory | 32GB |
Motherboard | Asus P8Z77-V LX2 |
Motherboard chipset | Intel Z77 |
Ports | |
USB2 ports (front/rear) | 2/6 |
eSATA ports (front/rear) | 0/0 |
Wired network ports | 1x 10/100/1000 |
Wireless networking support | none |
Internal Expansion | |
Case | midi tower |
PCI-E x1 slots (free) | 2 (1) |
PCI-E x16 slots (free) | 2 (1) |
Free Serial ATA ports | 4 |
Free memory slots | 2 |
Free 3.5in drive bays | 6 |
Hard Disk | |
Hard disk model(s) | Seagate Barracuda (ST31000524AS) |
Interface | SATA3 |
Graphics | |
Graphics card(s) | 2GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 OC |
Graphics/video ports | 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort |
Sound | |
Sound | Realtek ALC887 |
Sound outputs | 5.1 line out, headphone, microphone |
Speakers | N/A |
Removable Drives | |
Supported memory cards | none |
Optical drive type(s) | DVD+/-RW +/-DL |
Display | |
Viewable size | 21.5 in |
Screen model | AOC e2250Swda |
Native resolution | 1,920×1,080 |
Screen inputs | HDMI, DVI, VGA |
Other Hardware | |
Keyboard | Logitech K120 |
Mouse | Logitech M-U0026 |
Software | |
Operating system | Windows 8 |
Operating system restore option | Windows disc |
Buying Information | |
Warranty | three years RTB (one year parts, three years labour) |
Price | £700 |
Details | www.cyberpowersystem.co.uk |