The Bottom Line
Feb 13 2012 - Many people probably want a high performance desktop system for some smooth PC gaming experience and the Systemax SG-125 certainly delivers that with a very reasonable $1000 price tag. It also offers some extra features such as a large number of USB ports including USB 3.0 and a Blu-ray drive. The graphics card may not be the best for high performance gaming but it gets the job done. It would have been nice if the system supported more options for upgrading the graphics as well. Still, the features and price certainly are hard to top for someone looking for a gaming desktop that doesn't want to put one together on their own.
Pros
- Strong Performance With Decent Graphics Card
- Large Number of USB Ports With USB 3.0
- Blu-ray Drive
Cons
- Graphics Upgrades A Bit Limited
- Build Quality Could Be Better
Description
- Intel Core i7-2600 Quad Core Desktop Processor
- 8GB PC3-10600 DDR3 Memory
- 1TB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
- Blu-ray Reader And Dual Layer DVD Burner
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 550Ti Graphics Card With 1GB Memory
- Intel HDA 7.1 Audio
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Two USB 3.0, Twelve USB 2.0, HDMI, Two DVI
- Windows 7 Professional
Review - Systemax SG-125
Feb 13 2012 - Systemax tends to reserve its more powerful desktop designs for their gaming class PCs. The SG-125 is one such example. For instance, it comes equipped with the Intel Core i7-2600 quad core processor. In addition to this, they provide 8GB of DDR3 memory. These combined provide a very fast and smooth overall desktop experience even with very demanding tasks such as desktop video. Now, this isn't an uncommon base configuration for a desktop in the $1000 price range but it is still a good solid foundation for the computer.
Storage for the Systemax SG-125 is a bit better than the average for a desktop at this price. It comes with a 1TB hard drive for storing applications, data and media files. It spins at the traditional 7200rpm spin rate which is common for most gaming class systems but better than the green drive found in many consumer desktops. What sets it apart somewhat is the Blu-ray compatible drive that allows the system to watch the high definition media format. This isn't something necessary for a gaming class system but is a nice addition. It can also playback or record CD and DVD media. Gamers with lots of peripherals will also be pleased by the number of peripheral ports. It includes a total of fourteen USB ports. Of these, two of them are the new USB 3.0 ports for supporting high speed peripherals such as external storage devices.
Since the SG-125 is deign for gaming, the graphics card plays an important role. Systemax has included a modest NVIDIA GeForce GT 550Ti graphics card. While not a GTX class card, the performance can provide 1920x1080 resolution gaming for many titles. The only downside is that it may not be able to handle higher detail levels or using filters to improve the image. Part of this is from the 1GB of memory but more so from the graphics core. It should do a fine job of accelerating non-3D applications. For those hoping to upgrade the graphics, the SG-125 is a bit of a mixed bag. The power supply with the system is rated at 550 watts which should power many of the high end graphics cards. The downside is that the motherboard in the system only comes with a single PCI-Express graphics slot which prevents adding a second inexpensive NVIDIA graphics card for an SLI multiple card setup.
Overall, the Systemax SG-125 does a good job at being a desktop gaming platform. It might be a bit more affordable to build a system from parts yourself but it certainly isn't going to be a huge savings and many people don't want to have to deal with putting a system together. Now, there are slightly more affordable options from both Cyberpower and iBUYPOWER that are both geared at gaming but this one does a bit better job thanks to its Intel platform compared to the less expansive AMD one.
