iBUYPOWER Gamer Extreme 930SLC Mainstream Desktop PC

Feb 9 2010 - The Gamer Extreme 930SLC from iBUYPOWER is a solid performance gaming system for those that don't want to spend too much. While the graphics aren't the highest possible, they are still quite good and can support Direct X 11 graphics in Windows 7. The system also works well for those looking to use it for more than gaming. Some small sacrifices are made in the storage for the system but they are fairly minor and make the system a solid overall value.

Feb 9 2010 - While many companies are moving towards the new Core i5 and i7 processors for their mid-range desktop computers, iBUYPOWER has chosen to use the more expensive Core i7-920 processor along with the Intel X58 chipset. It is an older processor but still provides extremely strong performance especially with the combined 6GB of DDR3 memory running at the very fast 1600Mhz clock rate. This combination provides it with extremely strong performance whether the system is used for gaming as is intended or using it for other processor intensive applications such as desktop video work.

Rather than using a stock air cooling heatsink on the Core i7-920 processor, iBUYPOWER has included a self-contained liquid cooling solution. This provides the system with a slightly boosted performance for cooling the hot processor compared to standard air cooling. The bigger advantage to this setup though is the reduced noise by using fewer fans inside of the system. Since it is self-contained, it also requires no maintenance.

Since the system is design for gaming, graphics are a very critical element. iBUYPOWER uses a ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics card for the Gamer Extreme 930SLC. This isn't the high-end series of Radeon cards currently but it still provides some solid 3D gaming performance. Most games will be able to play up to 1920x1200. Use of filters will likely drive down the resolution to 1680x1050 depending upon the game. The card also supports Direct X 11 features in Windows 7 which is an advantage for future games.

The storage features on the Gamer Extreme 930SLC are probably its only weakness, even if it is a minor one. Most of the competing systems in this price range have moved to one terabyte drives. Instead, the system uses a smaller 750GB drive. This isn't a huge issue for most gamers but it will matter somewhat to those who use the system to store a lot of media files as well. It also lacks a media-card reader that many desktops have as a standard feature.

With a price tag of just under $1200, the iBUYPOWER Gamer Extreme 930SLC is a solid performance system for use with gaming. It may not have the highest level of graphics performance available on the market, but it does a good job. Users also have the option of adding a second graphics card for a CrossFire configuration to boost performance, something many similarly priced desktops can't do.