Power, Heat, Efficiency And Value
Using a combination of a programs like Prime95 and RealTemp, we get to see and measure the amount of stress a CPU encounters through its temperature. This technique came in really handy during overclocking, as we were able to see how close we were getting to the Intel CPU's 100-degree threshold.
We also get to see the power drawn by the GPU as Mini Build’s measured wattage shows us the impact of running a gaming PC in a home. It’s also interesting to note that the combined power drawn by the $1750 Q1 2015 overclocked PC is over 10 times the amount of the same machine when it’s idle.
Looking at the overall performance stats, we already know that Mini Build was working with a critical deficiency, its CPU, but that its only real saving grace is its gaming performance. You also see this similar scenario in the 5760x1080 chart at the very end.
While it's definitely not an overall high-performing home/business PC, Mini Build was designed for one thing in mind: gaming. Looking back, maybe I was too generous in going with a computer using a Core i5 processor. Had I gone with a slower i7, we would see better scores in some of the non-graphics-related charts.
Still, it was a lot of fun building both Big Build and Mini Build for you. The experience was great, and it brought back a lot of memories from this old IT guy's system building days.
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Julio Urquidi is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware, covering Networking, Notebooks and Systems. Follow him on Twitter and Google+.