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System Builder Marathon Q3 2014: System Value ComparedSep 26, 2014 - in Reviews
We looked at our previous-quarter builds, assessed their weaknesses, and made our upgrades. Each builder found better value by holding the line on price. Today, we find out which machine balances performance and cost most effectively.
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System Builder Marathon Q3 2014: High-End Performance PCSep 25, 2014 - in Reviews
Today’s high-end build adds a little muscle to last quarter’s parts list thanks to Devil's Canyon and a little bit of luck. Will a $1600 machine finally score big wins in both value and performance? A compelling value chart suggests yes.
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System Builder Marathon Q3 2014: Mainstream Enthusiast PCSep 24, 2014 - in Reviews
Don changes his focus this month, putting an emphasis on host processor performance rather than graphics potential. Does his gamble pay off in our benchmark suite, or does Intel's improved Devil's Canyon design leave him short of previous greatness?
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System Builder Marathon Q3 2014: Budget Gaming PCSep 23, 2014 - in Reviews
Paul Henningsen kicks off our System Builder Marathon with a stunning low-cost system that leans on Intel's Pentium G3258 processor, a Radeon R9 270 graphics card, and plenty of DDR3 memory. His hardware costs add up to just over $500, too!
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Five Z97 Express Motherboards, $160 To $220, ReviewedAug 14, 2014 - in Reviews
Intel’s “mainstream” socket continues to spawn enthusiast parts with the company’s fastest-ever gaming-oriented CPU. You’ll probably want a feature-packed motherboard for that, and five companies stepped up to show off the best of the sub-$220 segment.
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The Pentium G3258 Cheap Overclocking ExperimentJul 29, 2014 - in Reviews
You wanted a comparison of Intel's Pentium G3258 using low-cost platform components. Can an entry-level motherboard and bundled heat sink still deliver a satisfying overclocking experience, or does going cheap ruin this dual-core CPU's value appeal?
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System Builder Marathon, Q2 2014: A Balanced High-End BuildJun 26, 2014 - in Reviews
Competition tightens (along with pricing) as we respond to frequently-requested budget updates for $500, $1000, and $1500 machines. In response to other requests, we add an operating system to each machine. Can today’s cheaper PCs still perform well?
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System Builder Marathon, Q2 2014: Our Enthusiast PCJun 25, 2014 - in Reviews
Faced with a more aggressive budget, we're dialing back our mainstream enthusiast PC's hardware, while trying to maintain aggressive performance in games, productivity, and content creation applications. This quarter's config goes heavy on value.
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System Builder Marathon, Q2 2014: Our Budget Gaming PCJun 24, 2014 - in Reviews
This quarter's System Builder Marathon kicks off with some new rules inspired by feedback from you, our readers. Can Paul match the potency of last quarter's configuration at a lower price point, or does today's all-AMD PC struggle to keep up?
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Intel Pentium G3258 CPU Review: Haswell, Unlocked, For $75Jun 17, 2014 - in Reviews
It's a momentous occasion. Intel now offers an affordable dual-core Pentium with an unlocked multiplier based on its Haswell architecture. How well does it overclock? Can it beat AMD's potent little Athlon X4 750K? We run both through our benchmark suite.
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Core i7-4790K Review: Devil's Canyon Tantalizes EnthusiastsJun 10, 2014 - in Reviews
Despite a clear performance advantage, Intel just doesn't seem like an enthusiast-friendly company. Certain elements in the organization want to change that perception, though. Devil's Canyon is meant to allay power users with more speed.
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Five Overclockable 32 GB DDR3 Kits, ReviewedMay 20, 2014 - in Reviews
Eight gigabytes per DIMM has become de rigueur for high-end builds, even though you get the best data rates and latencies from lower-density modules. We test five 32 GB products to see if it's still possible to squeeze out enthusiast-class performance.
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System Builder Marathon, Q1 2014: The $750 Gaming PCMar 26, 2014 - in Reviews
After building two successful gaming-oriented configurations under $1000, rising prices force Paul to switch up the composition of his $750 machine. But can a compromise in processor performance be made up for by a faster GeForce GTX 770 graphics card?
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System Builder Marathon, Q1 2014: Our New Enthusiast PCMar 25, 2014 - in Reviews
I wanted to see how a GeForce GTX 780 Ti and Core i7-4770K compare to last quarter's GeForce GTX 770 cards in SLI and Core i5-4670K. In addition, we updated our price/performance evaluation. So, this System Builder Marathon should be full of surprises!
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System Builder Marathon, Q1 2014: The $2400 People’s Choice PCMar 24, 2014 - in Reviews
I built a sweet system last quarter with Radeon R9 290s. But based on your feedback, the highest-priced build for Q1 2014 integrates several alternative components. Can this new system do more things right than the configuration I parted out myself?
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PowerColor LCS AXR9 290X: Water Makes Hawaii ComfortableMar 5, 2014 - in Reviews
AMD’s Radeon R9 290X is an incredibly powerful gaming card. Unfortunately, the company's cheap cooling solution results in inconsistent performance and excessive noise. PowerColor’s liquid-cooled LCS AXR9 290X is set to solve both issues with finesse.
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System Builder Marathon Q4 2013: System Value ComparedDec 31, 2013 - in Reviews
This quarter's System Builder Marathon was downright chaotic. We reallocated our budgets to boost gaming performance, and watched as the prices on AMD's highest-end cards shot through the roof. When the dust settles, whose system offers the most value?
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System Builder Marathon, Q4 2013: A $2400 PC That Costs $2700Dec 30, 2013 - in Reviews
Thomas also suffers the impact of a run on AMD's graphics cards. His performance-oriented build purchased for $2400 now costs $2700 to replicate. Is it worth the extra cash, or are you better off stepping back to the parts he picked last quarter?
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System Builder Marathon, Q4 2013: $1600 Enthusiast PCDec 27, 2013 - in Reviews
Don gets a slightly expanded budget and the command to target gaming performance. Based on his choices, he's the only one who doesn't get bit in the rear by AMD's pricing issues. Can he use this advantage to outmaneuver Paul's entry-level powerhouse?
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System Builder Marathon, Q4 2013: $800 Gaming PCDec 26, 2013 - in Reviews
This quarter, Paul Henningsen asks for (and gets) a higher budget for better gaming performance. What he didn't expect was that AMD's graphics cards would shoot up in price, shattering the upper limit of his $800 ceiling. Can his system still compete?
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ASRock M8 Mini-ITX Barebones Gaming PC ReviewOct 24, 2013 - in Reviews
Some of us love compact gaming builds, but the best of these have always been pre-configured into custom enclosures. Is ASRock’s M8 the perfect open-architecture alternative? We load this $550 barebones up with hardware and test its mettle.
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Thermal Paste Comparison, Part One: Applying Grease And MoreOct 10, 2013 - in Reviews
If you find yourself fighting a stubbornly-low overclock, there's a chance that your thermal solution isn't working as effectively as it should. We're testing a number of thermal pastes that might help. But first, let's go over the basics of CPU cooling.
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System Builder Marathon, Q3 2013: $350 Bonus Entry-Level PCSep 26, 2013 - in Reviews
Last quarter's bonus build was a $400 mini-ITX-based gaming rig, designed to be about the same size as a new console. This time around, we're slashing the budget even more to see if we can build a viable general-purpose PC for about $350 using an APU.
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System Builder Marathon: Performance And Value ComparedSep 25, 2013 - in Reviews
Can a PC that costs twice as much offer two times the performance? We compare our $650, $1300, and $2600 machines across the Tom's Hardware benchmark suite in order to find out. There's even a new test introduced to better-reflect our storage results.
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System Builder Marathon, Q3 2013: $2550 Performance PCSep 24, 2013 - in Reviews
Last quarter, we managed to squeeze amazing performance from a $2500 box based on mini-ITX. How much more performance can we get for similar money if we get back to the world of ATX enclosures? How about a little Sandy Bridge-E and three-way SLI?
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System Builder Marathon, Q3 2013: $1300 Enthusiast PCSep 23, 2013 - in Reviews
With access to new components like the Haswell-based Core i5-4670K and Nvidia's GeForce GTX 770, we're confident that we can build a $1300 enthusiast-class system that beats last quarter's. How does the previous mini-ITX PC stand up to this new hardware?
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System Builder Marathon, Q3 2013: $650 Gaming PCSep 22, 2013 - in Reviews
This quarter, Paul Henningsen gives AMD's FX-6300 its chance to shine in our least-expensive configuration. He manages to fit in a GeForce GTX 760 graphics card and 8 GB of memory. The result is quite capable, as you'll see from our benchmark results.
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AMD's Piledriver And K10 CPU Architectures Face OffAug 18, 2013 - in Reviews
Vishera, Deneb, Trinity, and Propus are code names for some of AMD's most value-oriented processor configurations from the past couple of generations. We get our hands on several models to compare in productivity, content creation, and gaming workloads.
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System Builder Marathon, Q2 2013: System Value ComparedJun 25, 2013 - in Reviews
Our top three builders struggled to fit big performance into three tiny ITX-based platforms at three budget levels. Will the more expensive machines once again justify their higher prices through dramatically-improved performance? Read on for more.
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System Builder Marathon, Q2 2013: $2500 Performance PCJun 23, 2013 - in Reviews
Can a bigger budget help this quarter's tiny PC beat my previous performance monster? Is it any more attractive than some of the mini-ITX-based platforms from the boutique builders? I'll answer that first question for you, and you answer the second.