Whenever AMD announces the launch of a new cutting-edge CPU, record-breaking desktop systems are not far behind. The company's pricey new processor for desktop PCs, the dual-core Athlon 64 FX-60, is no exception. We tested three of the first desktops to incorporate the new CPU and ended up with the highest benchmark scores we've ever seen. Naturally, all three of these power PCs jump onto our Top Power Desktop PCs chart.
Of course, Intel isn't standing still. This month we also built a reference system based on the chip giant's new dual-core Pentium Extreme Edition 955 processor. (It was so new when we tested it that no vendor systems were yet available.) This machine proved to be the fastest Intel-based desktop we've benchmarked, but it still trailed the speediest new AMD-based system by a significant margin. (For more on the Extreme Edition 955, see "Intel's Latest: Faster, but Still Not the Champ.")
How fast is the FX-60? Our quickest test machine notched a WorldBench 5 score of 141, about 8 percent higher than the figure posted by our previous top dog, a comparably configured desktop carrying AMD's dual-core 2.4-GHz Athlon 64 X2 4800+ CPU.
The FX-60 marks the transition of AMD's premium line of FX CPUs to dual-core technology, replacing the single-core, 2.6-GHz Athlon 64 FX-55. The single-core FX-57, which runs at 2.8 GHz, will remain available until a dual-core FX processor matching that speed arrives, AMD says.
We tested a trio of new, shipping FX-60 systems: the $4499 Ultimate M6 Sniper II from ABS, the $3499 Gamer Ultra XLC from CyberPower, and the $4250 Poly 939N4-SLI2/FX60 from Polywell.
Their ratings were similar--and that's not surprising since they have virtually identical hardware (an ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard, two high-performance 74GB Western Digital Raptor hard drives striped in a RAID 0 array, and a pair of SLI EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX graphics cards). The video cards used in the CyberPower and the Polywell each had 512MB of graphics memory; the card in the ABS had 256MB. All three computers included a third hard drive outside the RAID setup; the ABS model stood out from the others with a huge (500GB) Seagate Barracuda, while the other two had 250GB drives.
The ABS and Polywell systems came with 2GB of RAM and posted record-breaking scores of 141 and 140, respectively, on
Frame-rate scores on our Unreal Tournament gaming tests broke new ground, as well: The ABS system's score of 429 frames per second at 1280 by 1024 resolution, for example, eclipsed the previous top score by 10 percent. Test results for the older game Return to Castle Wolfenstein, on the other hand, though near the best we've seen, did not eclipse existing records.
ABS's Ultimate M6 Sniper II came with Samsung's SyncMaster 915N 19-inch LCD monitor. Although game play was sterling, the monitor appeared rather dark. Working inside the case, while generally easy, was a little more difficult in some areas than with the other two systems. An extremely sharp 19-inch ViewSonic VX924 LCD monitor accompanied CyberPower's Gamer Ultra XLC, and the PC's roomy case permitted easy access and painless upgrading. All three machines offer two optical drives, a media card reader, 7.1-channel surround-sound support, and an ample supply of ports.
Among the trio, Polywell's Poly 939N4-SLI2/FX60 hits the price/performance sweet spot. In our tests it finished less than 1 percent behind the leader, the ABS machine, yet it costs $250 less. We advise you, however, to buy a different monitor than the excessively dark 19-inch Hyundai L90D+ flat-panel display that came with our review system.
The Poly also offers superior upgradability: After removing a few screws, we could easily reach the one open slot, two free RAM sockets, and three open drive bays. Quick-release latches make adding and removing optical drives a snap, and the two hard-drive cages slide out horizontally.
On our chart, Polywell's new system outscored ABS's and Xi's by a point to earn our Best Buy, thanks to its ability to deliver top performance for a relatively moderate price.
Click one of the links below for the latest online power desktop PC rankings or for a comprehensive list of all desktop PCs we've tested.
Kirk Steers
