6/18/08 - Polywell Computers is not very well known in the marketplace as a high performance system builder, but they do offer some very powerful workstation systems and in the case of the Poly i790SLI3, a gaming oriented PC. Since they aren't a prestige manufacturer and more of a system integrator, they tend to use more stanardized parts. Let's see what they have to offer ...
Processors:
For the base Poly i790SLI3 system and their pre-configured models, Polywell uses the Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 processor. Those that want additional performance can elect to upgrade to an E8500 dual core processor, the Q9450 and Q9550 quad core models or the Core 2 Extreme QX9650 and QX9770 processors. Unlike many of the other performance systems on the market, Polywell does not offer any overclocking on this performance system.
Memory:
Most performance systems tend to come equipped with 4GB of memory standard. The memory options for the Poly i790SLI3 are very limited. Three of the configurations only features 2GB of total memory and only a single configuration offers 4GB. The 4GB version only comes with 1333MHz DDR3 memory for hte customized version while the 2GB configurations are available in 1333MHz, 1600MHz or 2000MHz speeds. Pre-configured models come with the 2000MHz speed memory in 4GB.
Hard Drives:
Polywell's i790SLI3 provides a large amount of storage space in the hard drive configurations. The system offers a selection of 74GB or 150GB 10,000rpm hard drives or 7200rpm drives with capacities from 320GB to 1TB. Three different drive sets can be setup to provide anywhere from a little less than a terabyte across two drives all the way up to 5.5 tebabytes across six drives. Definitely one of the most flexible in terms of storage on the market.
CD/DVD Drives:
The base setup of the Poly i790SLI3 comes with two dual layer DVD burners that both support LightScribe. Users can elect to remove one of these two drives to save a bit of money. The other option is to upgrade one of these two drives to either a Blu-Ray/HD-DVD reader drive or a Blu-Ray writer drive to support the high definition video formats.
Graphics and Displays:
The Poly i790SLI3 is predictably based around the NVIDIA nForce i790 chipset and thus is designed for multiple NVIDIA graphics cards. Polywell offers a selection of single or multiple cards based on either the GeForce 9800 GTX or 9800 GX2 graphics cards. Users of the 9800 GTX can elect to use three of the cards to build a three way SLI configuration. The 9800 GX2 is only available with two cards to provide a quad SLI setup. Regardless of the card setup, the i790SLI3 offers a large amount of graphics performance.
Audio:
The default audio setup for the Poly i790SLI3 is to use the on-board audio processor along with a Logitech two speaker setup. If you want to get a higher quality audio solution, the only option available in the Creative X-Fi Platinum Fatal1ty that supports EAX HD for enhanced audio. It would be nice to see more card options available. Speakers can be upgraded to a 5.1 Logitech speaker setup or a THX certified speaker set from Creative.
Software:
There are three operating system options for the Poly i790SLI3. The base setup is the Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition. Users can elect to downgrade to either the Vista Home Premium 32-bit edition or Windows XP. In terms of application software, Microsoft Office 2007 basic is included with the system with options for the Small Business or Professional editions. Norton Internet Security 2008 is available for security.
Overall Impressions:
Polywell's i790SLI3 system is something that users could easily build form parts they purchase on their own. For example, the case is a standard Antec 900 case that can be purchased from many retailers rather than one specially designed for Polywell. This is probably the biggest drawback to the i790SLI3 system. After all, by buying the parts and putting it together on their own, they can get the system for much less than Polywell charges.
Much of the focus of the Poly i790SLI3 system is on the graphics systems. Users have a very limited selection of configurations with either the 9800 GTX or 9800 GX2 cards. While this gives the system some very strong performance, it would be nice to see some additional options using the 8000 series cards from NVIDIA as a means to reduce costs for those that would like some good performance but a much lower price.
The biggest strong point for the Poly i790SLI3 is the hard drive options. Polywell offers some of the most diverse options for drive configurations possible. Of course, very few people will need 5 gigabytes or more of storage space, but it is one option available for those willing to configure the system that way.
What is most surprising about the Poly i790SLI3 is the choice of processors for the pre-configured models. Rather than a higher performance processor with quad cores or from the unlocked Extreme series, Polywell elects to use a much more mainstream Core 2 Duo E8400. This is a good processor and has excellent overclocking potential, but Polywell does not overclock it and packs it in a system well above what one would expect such a processor in.
The end result of the Polywell Poly i790SLI3 is that it is a highly flexible option for those that want a high performance system that they don't have to build. Of course, one could build a similarly equipped system on their own for a much lower price.
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