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Wired2Fire Velocity VX - A Great Budget Monitor, Graphics Card And Processor Combination

9/20/2013 3:31:43 AM

With its $750 Velocity Wired2Fire has carefully chosen components to create a balanced system that can chug through most everyday tasks without causing pulses to race.

The AMD A10-5800K processor is clocked high at 3.8GHz, but this Fusion chip doesn’t offer a great deal of power. It’s bolstered by 8GB of capable Patriot Viper memory, yet the system’s lack of firepower isn’t helped by the large-capacity (1TB) yet slow Seagate hard drive. The Velocity VX recorded just 2,779 points in PCMark 7.

Wired2Fire Velocity VX - A Great Budget Monitor, Graphics Card And Processor Combination

Wired2Fire Velocity VX - A Great Budget Monitor, Graphics Card And Processor Combination

The graphics card is a low-end option regularly paired with the A10-5800K. The AMD Radeon HD 6670 with 2GB of video memory was always intended as a cost-effective solution, and it’s now past its best. It is possible to coax playable frame-rates from this card, however, provided you’re willing to compromise on the resolution.

We saw the best performance in Stalker: Call of Pripyat, in which we measured 46fps at 720p, but just 14fps at full-HD resolution.

In Hard Reset the Wired2Fire managed 31fps at 720p, Medium quality, but with the detail set to Ultra It offered a meagre 22fps.

Allen vs Predator also lumbered to just 22fps, even at 720p.

The Zalman T1 case is modestly sized, and can prove tricky to access.

We struggled to get to the memory chips - only two slots are provided - and even accessing the graphics card isn’t particularly easy. The drive bays are restricted and the case itself feels extremely cramped, despite the small CPU cooler.

The AMD A10-5800K processor

The AMD A10-5800K processor

Neither is the Xigmatek PSU prepared for major upgrades, specified at just 400W. In short, this isn’t a PC you’ll relish upgrading.

The machine is not great on power draw, slurping about 61W when idling. Running Stalker: Call of Pripyat it hit 138W - a relatively low figure for a cheap PC with an AMD processor.

The Velocity VX isn’t especially quiet, adding around 14dB to the room noise. This level of disturbance isn’t entirely distracting, however.

Predictably, given the price tag, the Samsung optical drive won’t know what to do with Blu-ray, although it does offer smooth 24-speed writing to DVD±R discs.

Eight USB ports are available, two of which support USB 3.0, but the front-facing ports are USB 2.0. Other ports and connectors at the rear Include HDMI and eSATA.

The Cit wired keyboard and mouse are adequate, but they’re no match for the experience offered by higher-quallty peripherals.

The system price includes a flat-panel display.

The 21.5m AOC E2250SWDA is a budget model, but it offers a balanced palette and slimline styling.

The AMD Radeon HD 6670

The AMD Radeon HD 6670

Wired2Fire has added IvoSoft’s Classic Shell software, giving Windows 8 users a more accessible way to operate Microsoft’s OS.

The warranty is decent for the price, covering both parts and labor for two years.

Verdict

The Wlred2Fire Velocity VX is relatively sluggish, while its cramped case and wimpy PSU discourage upgrades - yet this is no surprise, given the $750 price. The Wired2Flre still offers a remarkably pleasant experience for a budget desktop.

Specs and price

·         Price: $750

·         3.8GHz AMD A10-5800K APU

·         Asus F2A85-M LE

·         Windows 8 64bit

·         8GB DDR3 RAM

·         1TB HDD

·         Zalman T1 case

·         Xigmatek 400W

·         21.5in AOC E2250SWDA

·         AMD Radeon HD 6670

·         2x USB 3.0

·         6x USB 2.0

·         VGA

·         DVI

·         HDMI

·         eSATA

·         24x Samsung SH-224BB DVD writer

·         2-year parts and labor warranty

Rating

·         Build: 3/5

·         Feature: 3.5/5

·         Performance: 3/5

·         Value: 4/5

·         Average: 3.5/5

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