Systemax Wildcat AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 SLI Gaming PC
Introduction, Specifications and Warranty Details
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To that end, we've begun evaluating full production systems in addition to individual components here at HotHardware.com. We may be a team of DIY enthusiasts, but we know there are many of you out there that have a fondness for hardware and are not necessarily inclined to building your own rig. In fact, we often get questions via e-mail or through our forums from users with questions about how to configure a retail system they are contemplating, in an effort ensure it is outfitted with the best hardware they can afford. Our full system evaluations are for you.
In this article we'll be taking a look at gaming rig from Systemax dubbed the "Wildcat". Actually, its full name is the Wildcat AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 SLI Gaming PC, but for the sake of brevity and our sanity we will refer to the system as the "Wildcat" for the remainder of this article. Some of you may remember Systemax as a budget and workstation-class PC builder, but rest assured, times have definitely changed. Currently, Systemax boasts a complete line-up of workstation and gaming PCs designed to fit virtually any budget. Furthermore, most models can be custom configured to suit each buyer's individual needs. As you can see in the specifications below, the "Wildcat" comes equipped with serious high-end components for the equally serious gamer. The Wildcat is loaded to the gills with performance equipment that's designed to deliver a solid gaming experience. In the pages ahead, we'll assess the "Wildcat" from an "Out-of-Box" perspective and compare it to a slew of comparable systems to see if it truly is as wild as its name implies.
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Processor AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 @ 2.6GHz Socket 939 GPUs 2 X BFG GeForce 7900GTX 512MB PCIe - SLI Enabled 1 X Ageia PhysX 128MB GDDR3 Physics Accelerator Card Memory 2GB Corsair TWINX PC3200 XMS Pro Supports maximum memory capacity up to 4GB Chipset/Mainboard NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 Asus A8N32-SLI Gaming Edition Motherboard Expansion Slots 2 x PCI Express x16 slot 1 x PCI Express x4 3 x PCI LAN Marvell 88E8053 PCIe Gbit LAN, featuring AI NET2 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 Southbridge built-in Gigabit MAC with external Marvell 88E1111 PHY Audio: Realtek ALC850 8-channel CODEC Universal Audio Jack Audio Sensing and Enumeration Technology Coaxial / Optical S/PDIF out ports on back I/O Storage 300GB RAID 0 (2x150GB SATA 10K) 400GB SATA 7200RPM 8MB Cache (JBOD) NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 Southbridge supports - 2 x Ultra DMA 133 / 100 / 66 / 33 - 4 x Serial ATA 3 Gb/s - NV RAID: RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 and JBOD on Serial ATA drives Silicon Image 3132 SATA controller supports - 1 x Internal Serial ATA 3 Gb/s hard disk - 1 x External Serial ATA hard disk (SATA On-the-Go) - Support RAID 0, 1 |
Installed Drives: 2 X WD Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM SATA 1 X Seagate Barracuda 400GB 7200.8 NCQ RPM SATA 1 X Sony DW-Q120A 16X Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 1 X Sony CRX320EE 52x32x52/16X Combo 1394 2 x 1394a ports Chassis Systemax ATX Blue/Silver Gaming Case Power Supply Ultra X2-Connect 550 Watt PSU ASUS Motherboard Features ASUS PEG Link ASUS Precision Tweaker AI NOS AI Overclocking Asus Booster Utility ASUS C.P.R. Stack Cool 2 ASUS Q-Fan2 ASUS Sata On-The-Go Asus Motherboard Extras WinDVDCreator 2 Platinum InterVideo PhotoAlbum Platinum Disc Master 2.5 Platinum DVD Copy 2.5 Platinum Systemax Extras WindowsXP Pro CD Ahead Nero OEM Suite Driver Resource, Diagnostic Tools CD Cyberlink PowerDVD (Preinstalled) Saitek Eclipse Keyboard Razer Copperhead Mouse Warranty And Support 1 year Limited Warranty 1 year On-Site Service Agreement Support Line - Call free: 1-800-262-6622 |
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When reviewing the specs above, you'll see that the "Wildcat" comes fully-loaded. Sporting 2GB of PC-3200 DDR memory, a dual-core Athlon 64 FX-60 processor, dual 512MB GeForce 7900GTX graphics cards in SLI mode, and a pair of 150GB Western Digital Raptors configured in RAID 0, this gaming PC has all the makings of a speed demon. Topping off the specifications is an Ageia PhysX Accelerator for enhanced physics effects in supported titles, while a Saitek Eclipse Illuminated Keyboard and Razer Copperhead mouse are included for better visibility and control.
Please note that the Systemax Wildcat AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 SLI Gaming PC comes with a One Year Limited Warranty and a One Year On-Site Service Agreement. Additionally, Systemax offers a Toll Free support line with free support for in-warranty items. For out-of-warranty products a per incident charge of $39.95 per 30 minutes is offered. Gaining access to a support representative takes a bit of navigation through a call center menu, but each time we tried, a support agent picked up in approximately 4 minutes or less.
