PC Specialist Vanquish HD review
This is a very capable PC with a great range of features, but we've seen similar systems with more powerful graphics
Specifications
4.4GHz Intel Core i5-3570K, 8GB RAM, 23.6in 1,920×1,080 display, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
The graphics card is a 2GB AMD Radeon HD7870. It’s a reasonably powerful card, easily up to running the latest games at full quality. We got a playable frame rate of 29fps in Crysis 2 and a blistering 80fps in Dirt 3. The card can run up to triple-monitor Eyefinity multi-screen displays connected via its two Mini DisplayPorts and one of either its DVI or HDMI port.
The matt 23.6in AOC E2450SWDA monitor’s 1,920×1,080 resolution gives you plenty of space to work in, although the display only has VGA and DVI inputs. It also has a Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse set. They’re functional, but nothing special.
Sadly, the Vanquish doesn’t have quite as many ports as we’d have liked. There are two USB ports at the front, alongside an eSATA port and the usual 3.5mm headphone and microphone ports. At the back there are another six USB ports, of which two support the new USB3 standard. There’s also a PS/2 port that you can use to connect a mouse or keyboard, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and surround sound audio outputs.
The Vanquish HD is a capable PC that we’d be glad to own. Features such as a Blu-ray reader and an SSD with sufficient space to install software that benefits from faster read-write speeds are also points in its favour. However, the Chillblast Fusion Vantage packs in more features for the same price.
Basic Specifications | |
---|---|
Rating | **** |
Processor | Intel Core i5-3570K |
Processor external bus | 100MHz (DMI) |
Processor multiplier | x44 |
Processor clock speed | 4.4GHz |
Processor socket | LGA1155 |
Memory | 8 |
Memory type | PC3-14900 |
Maximum memory | 32GB |
Motherboard | Asus P8Z77-V LX |
Motherboard chipset | Intel Z77 |
Ports | |
USB2 ports (front/rear) | 2/6 |
Firewire ports (front/rear) | 0/0 |
eSATA ports (front/rear) | 1/0 |
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 | 2 |
Free memory slots | 2 |
Free 3.5in drive bays | 1 |
Hard Disk | |
Hard disk model(s) | Kingston SH103S3120G + Seagate Barracuda ST200DM001-9YN164 |
Interface | SATA3 + SATA2 |
Total storage capacity | 2,120GB |
Graphics | |
Graphics card(s) | 2GB AMD Radeon HD 7870 |
Graphics/video ports | DVI, HDMI, 2x Mini DisplayPort |
Sound | |
Sound | Realtek ALC887 |
Sound outputs | 5.1 line out, optical S/PDIF out, line out, mic in |
Speakers | none |
Removable Drives | |
Supported memory cards | none |
Optical drive type(s) | DVD+/-RW +/-DL BD-ROM |
Display | |
Viewable size | 23.6 in |
Screen model | AOC E2450SWDA |
Native resolution | 1,920×1,080 |
Screen inputs | DVI, VGA |
Other Hardware | |
Keyboard | Logitech K260 |
Mouse | Logitech M210 |
Software | |
Software included | CyberLink Blu-ray Disc Suite |
Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
Operating system restore option | Windows disc |
Buying Information | |
Warranty | one year collect and return, one year parts, three years labour |
Price | £999 |
Details | www.pcspecialist.co.uk |