Workstation PCs are designed to be good
all-rounders, and the WS 1000 is exactly that. At $1005, the price isn't
outrageous, but it's still powerful enough that you won't find yourself collapsing
in a rage because you're spending more time waiting for it to open an
application than you planned to spend using it.
Of particular interest is the RAM capacity.
8GB of DDR3 is a substantial amount for a mid-range system, which reflects the
generalized nature of the PC. This isn't designed to run large, single
instance-applications (like games) - rather, it's aimed at the sort of user who
wants to multi-task and multi-manage.
It may not be aimed at gamers, but it's
still fairly formidable in that regard. The Intel Core i5 2500 CPU is a quad
core Sandy Bridge design that runs at 3.3GHz. The chip's multiplier is locked,
but let's face the facts - if you're planning to overclock, you'd be looking at
a more powerful system anyway. A Core i5 2500 is exactly the kind of mid-price
chip you'd expect to find in a good workstation PC.
Workstation
PC: WS 1000
The 1TB hard disk is more than big enough
for the sort of general use this system is designed for, giving enough space to
store media and applications in a long-term manner, and the SATA-III connection
means access will always be speedy.
We do, however, debate the inclusion of a
NVidia Quadro 600 graphics card, which has a fairly hefty price tag. If you're
planning to use this PC to run technical applications, such as AutoCAD, fair
enough - you need a graphics card with a reasonable amount of clout. However,
if you're going to stick to general office use, there's no reason the Core i5's
on-board graphics couldn't do the job just as well. The Gigabyte B75 board
included in the price does, after all, include the necessary support for the
chip's on-board GPU, so if you want to save money by jettisoning a dedicated
graphics card, we wouldn't blame you.
That aside, the specs are more than up to
scratch. Be careful of the lack of a monitor. Gamers obviously want the best
out of their system, but when assembling a workstation PCs it isn't unlikely
that you'd want one with it. If you use the system builder on Computer Planet's
website, we recommend adding the 24' Asus VS247H at a cost of $198.
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Specifications
CPU: Intel
i5 2500 (4 x 3.3GHz)
RAM: 8GB
DDR3 1333MHz
HDD: 1 TB
SATA-III
Case:
Cooler Master Elite 330 ATX
Graphics Card: NVidia Quadro 600 1GB
Optical Drive: 22x dual-layer DVD/CD rewriter
Power Supply: 350W PSU
CPU Cooling: Arctic Freezer 7
Motherboard: Gigabyte B75
Sound: 7.1
HD sound
USB Ports:
6 x USB 2.0 and 2 x USB 3.0
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Silent PC: Silent 1000 ($666)
If you're after a silent PC, it's fair to
say that you're probably not as concerned about power as peace and quiet. Most
silent PCs tend to be aimed at people who want to build media centers or basic
work PCs that won't disturb those around them, so that's how we're judging
these systems. Of the three silent PCs that Computer Planet offers, the Silent
1000 is the one that we liked the best.
For a start, it makes sense to have an AMD
FX 4100 chip in it. Although AMD's chips are in a bad place at the moment,
out-powered and out-priced by Intel, there is one area where they're
indisputably better, and that's in running cooler. If the processor runs at a
lower temperature, you can get away with slower, smaller fans, and that means
less noise overall.
Indeed, the processor cooling option you do
get is the Zalman CNPS8000B - a low-profile cooling system which combines a
high-quality heatsink and heatpipe system with a refreshingly compact 92mm fan.
In silent mode, it's fully noiseless and free from irritating vibrations that
might alert you to its activity. You won't be able to get away with running
anything too taxing and keep it discreet, but if your system is doing little
more than idling, it'll be as quiet as you like.
Silent
PC: Silent 1000
Something that allows you to enjoy the
silence even more is the lack of any separate graphics card. Relying purely on on-board
graphics means you won't be doing much more than running Windows and watching
movies through this system, but then there's a good reason that you've never
heard of a 'silent gaming PC. The graphics card is a major source of noise in
any system, and if you can get away without one, do so.
One less good idea is the 60GB solid-state
drive. While we appreciate that SSDs are completely silent and mechanical hard
drives aren't, 60GB isn't realistically enough space for the kind of things you
want a silent PC to do. 60GB isn't an appropriate amount of space for a desktop
machine - it's barely an appropriate amount of space for an MP3 player. There's
no easy way out of the bind, because adding a larger SSD could quite easily
double the price of the system, but we'd be inclined to go for a slower (and
thus lower-noise) hard drive.
Still, we appreciate the commitment to
making a PC that won't speak unless spoken to. If a machine with this little
space is suitable for the things you want it for, there's nothing else to
complain about, and if not, a slightly bigger SSD would be worth the extra
cost.
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Specifications
CPU: AMD
FX 4100 (4 x 3.6 GHZ)
RAM: Corsair
4GB DDR3 1333MHz
Hard Drive: 60GB OCZ SATA-III SSD - silent
Case: Cooler
Master Sileo 500
Graphics Card: ATI HD 3000 1GB (on board)
Optical Drive: 22x dual-layer DVD/CD rewriter
Power Supply: Corsair 430W - low noise
CPU Cooling: Zalman (CNPS8000B) - ultra quiet
Motherboard: Asus
Sound: 7.1
HD sound
USB Ports:
6 x USB 2.0 and 2 x USB 3.0
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