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Velocity Micro ProMagix DCX Evaluation

Velocity Micro kicks off our Systems Evaluation Program, sending us a hot off the press Pentium D Extreme Edition system that's overclocked, watercooled, and fully loaded. Join us as we take a hard look at this ambitious machine and whether or not its bite matches its bark.

Part I

Introduction

Just a couple of months ago, we announced that HardOCP would be taking its unique and thorough video card evaluation methodology and applying it to entire retail computer systems. We received many encouraging emails that contained not only suggestions, but also thoughts in line with our own that most current system reviews are lacking in true system testing and evaluation. You can find our approach to system evaluations here.

So You Want To Buy A Prebuilt Computer...

After the editorial ran, an interesting thread popped up in the HardForum, and some questioned the need to evaluate full systems and how our evaluations would pertain to current HardOCP readers. The answer is two fold. First, the need arises from the simple fact that the reviews of full computer systems from popular print magazines, and large on-line e-zines are quite simply lacking in their review depth. They do a disservice to the public they aim to serve by writing a fluff piece drawn from marketing literature that is peppered with one or two worthless synthetic benchmarks. The fact is that these types of reviews do not reflect the information that an individual needs to know when they are contemplating a purchase of this magnitude. Second, while many HardOCP readers are not strangers to building solid and incredibly fast computers for themselves, they are interested in what companies’ systems they should recommending to family and friends that ask them about what is the “best” computer to buy. We hope that we can evaluate a computer system from a point of view that includes the truly important factors surrounding satisfying computer ownership. That way you can make the most helpful and accurate recommendation to your friends, family, and maybe even yourself.

Our First Contender

The first system integrator to step up to the plate and pitch their very best to us was Velocity Micro . And when I say very best, I mean they sent us one beast of a machine. There isn’t anything lean about the ProMagix DCX oveclocked, watercooled, dual-core Pentium D system that Velocity Micro shipped us, and I must say I was impressed with the specs of our first contender. But numbers aren’t everything, as we’ve said over and over again. Read on as we evaluate everything from their choice of components and integration quality to just how far we could push this machine in the very games that you play.

Company History

We gave Velocity Micro’s CEO and Founder, Randy Copeland, the opportunity to give to you in his own words a little bit about his company and the product we’ll be reviewing:

I founded the company back in 1991 and began building CAD workstations as an extension of my software sales efforts. It was a way for me to satisfy my love for computers (I overclocked my first Kaypro 8088 back in 1987) and fill a customer need at the same time. Since those days, we've grown a company that strikes a balance between the extreme high end and the low priced clones. We want to be known as the top end of the mainstream, without the expensive paint jobs and hardcore marketing edge. The ProMagix DCX is another "market leadership" product for Velocity Micro, highlighting our design capabilities, our performance tuning, and our significance to the chipmakers who selected us to be one of the three first in the world to offer the first iteration of a new era in CPU technology. It's an honor to be part of this launch, and to have the global stage for our products.

All The King's Men

Recently Randy Copeland was appointed to a 14 person advisory panel for Intel. No small feat, Velocity Micro’s success in the industry has given them the opportunity to be a launch partner for major hardware releases. The system that we have in house today is a result of that status.