The Monarch Furia Custom Desktop with PCI Express and SLI, designed for people who want to handpick the parts for a powerhouse PC, offers configurations that are sure to make power users drool. Our test system packed several of these high-end components--some very attractive and others of questionable utility.
Our unit sported dual 256MB EVGA E-GeForce 6800 Ultra graphics cards in an SLI (Scalable Link Interface) configuration. SLI boosts graphics processing power by combining the processing and bandwidth of two PCI Express graphics boards (see "Superfast Graphics").
The system performed impressively but wasn't the best on our game graphics tests. At a 1280-by-1024-pixel resolution, it achieved 155 frames per second in Castle Wolfenstein (in second place behind the Alienware Aurora 64 FX-55) and 393 frames per second in Unreal Tournament 2003 (in second place behind the Polywell Poly 939N-FX55).
With AMD's flagship 2.6-GHz Athlon 64 FX-55 processor and 1GB of RAM, this Monarch Furia posted 107 on our WorldBench 5 performance test. That's on a par with other systems using this processor and memory allocation.
Given its graphics-crunching capabilities, we were disappointed that our test model came with a just-adequate 17-inch CTX S761 LCD. Yes, the monitor rendered text and photos well, but DVD playback looked dark and grainy. We expected better with such a high-end system.
Our Monarch costs $3988--not cheap. You could save some money by opting out of certain high-end features such as the two DVD-RW drives and the two gigabit network adapters. Monarch says that the dual DVD-RW drives are for making DVD-to-DVD copies, and that the two network adapters allow access to two distinct networks--allowing you, for example, to configure one ethernet device without interrupting the main ethernet connection. If you want to cut the ethernet cord, the included Netgear WG311T 802.11g Wi-Fi card makes sense.
Our configuration didn't include speakers, so we can't comment on sound quality.
For work, however, we loved the Logitech wireless keyboard-and-mouse duo. A keyboard scroll wheel lets you zip through screens while keeping both hands near the keys.
For expandability, we found eight open drive bays and two open RAM sockets. The attractive all-metal case includes two case locks--one for securing the front door and another for the side panel. The latter easily comes off to reveal a roomy interior. The dual graphics boards, however, block the two unoccupied PCI Express slots.
The documentation was disappointing: While Monarch provided a helpful document organizer and numerous component manuals--for example, a Netgear installation guide and a power supply manual--it did not include an overall system manual to explain the system's features or aid in troubleshooting.
This Monarch offers a way to get a hyperconfigured system without building one yourself.
Monarch Furia Custom Desktop with PCI Express and SLI
WorldBench 5 score of 107, 2.6-GHz Athlon 64 FX-55 CPU, 1024MB of DDR400 SDRAM, Windows XP Professional, 250GB hard drive, 4X/16X dual-layer DVD
$3988
800/611-0875
http://www.monarchcomputer.com
Scott Plamandon
