6/19/08 - Velocity Micro's Raptor series of systems is their top of the line PC gaming platform. The Raptor Z90 is their latest revision of the Raptor series that offers strong performance but comes in at a much lower starting price than their top of the line Signature Edition. Let's see what they have to offer ...
Processor:
The base processor on the Raptor Z90 is the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450. This is good solid processor that provides a solid base of performance. Of course, you can save a bit on the cost of the system by electing to use a Core 2 Duo E8500 instead. Those wanting addition performance can upgrade to one of the Core 2 Extreme models including QX6850, QX9650 and QX9770. The big advantage of the Extreme models is their clock unlocked status that makes them stronger overclocking candidate.
Memory:
DDR3 is used in the Raptor Z90 system because of the NVIDIA nFOrce 790i SLI based motherboard. Users have the option of seleting either two or four gigabytes of memory to go into the system. All of the memory used comes from Corsair Micro and is available in either the TWIN3X 1600MHz speed or the Dominator variety with its 1800MHz speed. The more expensive Dominator memory gives a greater chance at higher overclocking of the system.
Hard Drives:
Velocity Micro offers a very large range of options when it comes to hard drives. Configurations are available in either single drive or dual drive configurations for either RAID 0 or RAID 1. Drive options include 64GB solid state drives, Western Digital 150GB Raptor and new 300GB Velociraptor 10,000rpm drives, and Hitachi 500GB, 750GB or 1TB 7200rpm hard drives. Any one of the hard drives can be added on top of a single or dual drive setup to provide extra storage space.
CD/DVD Drives:
The default drive setup for the Raptor Z90 is a single 20x dual layer DVD burner and a CD-RW/DVD combo drive as a secondary. This configuration can be changed to have a Blu-ray reader drive in either slot or a secondary DVD burner. It would be nice to see them include a Blu-ray burner with the system as an option for those wanting it. Those that only need a single optical drive can elect not to have a secondary drive.
Graphics and Display:
Since the Raptor Z90 is a gaming system, graphics are one of the most important features. The i790 SLI motherboard makes the system better suited towards the NVIDIA GeForce cards. Users have the option of either a single or double card configuration of 512MB 8800 GT, 1GB 8800 GT, 9800 GTX or 9800 GX2 cards. The default configuration uses two 512MB GeForce 8800 GT cards in an SLI that offer it good performance. Those wanting to use a Radeon card have the option of using an HD 3870 or HD 3870 X2 card but will have lower overall performance.
Audio:
Since many games are written with EAX extensions for added audio effects, Velocity Micro has elected to include the Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeGamer audio card as the standard. The only other card option available is the X-Fi Elite Pro audio card, but they only offer this with Windows XP configurations. Speakers do not come standard with the system but there is the option for basic stereo speakers or a Creative ProGamer G500 5.1 speaker setup.
Software:
Velocity Micro offers both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the Microsoft Vista operating system. The default setup is for the 32-bit Home Premium version, but users can upgrade to the Ultimate or 64-bit versions. Windows XP Professional is still available but only until Microsoft End of Lifes it soon. No productivity or security software comes with the system but users can elect to purchase one of several versions of Microsoft Office or Norton Anti-Cirus 2008.
Overall Impressions:
Velocity Micro seems to have a very different approach when it comes to their performance systems.
Rather than putting them in flashy and colorful cases that make them really standard out from other systems, they use a very standard case design that can be found on other less expensive systems that they also offer. Instead, they spend their time in selecting a group of parts that offers users very strong levels of performance without the extra cost. Mind you, the Ratpor Z90 is still a very expensive system.
In terms of performance, there are a wide range of options available. The base system configuration offers a good level of performance, but the price is probably a bit too much for the base parts. In particularly, it would be nice to see them offer a higher processor on the base configuration to compete with some of the other systems on the market. It is also surprising to see that Velocity Micro doesn't have factory overclocking as an option for the processors.
One area that could improve on the Raptor Z90 is the audio. While Creative's EAX has been extremely popular with PC games in the past, the switch over to Vista has complicated matters. Also, onboard audio processors have improved greatly in their quality. It would be nice to see the company offer users to go with just the onboard solution or get other branded audio cards that offer additional features such as Dolby Digital Direct.
In the end, the Velocity Micro Raptor Z90 offers up a very strong gaming system that provides strong overall performance at a more reasonable price than some of the gaming systems from competing companies. It still is a lot of spend, but it seems to be a better overall value.
Manufacturer's Site
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