Outplay the console kids with a home PC
Advertisers would have us believe the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 deliver the
most realistic gaming experiences money can buy. Impressive as these
machines are, this is sheer hokum. The real powerhouse of 3-D gaming is the
desktop computer. Not a family PC costing a few hundred pounds, but one
priced at £900 or more.
Many of the best games are released only for the PC – and if there is a
console version, it is frequently watered down. For ultra-realistic racing,
flight simulators and complex online fantasy adventures, consoles are second
best. A big difference between console and PC-based gaming is that whereas
Xbox or PS3 titles look the same on every machine (notwithstanding the
calibre of your TV), PC-based games can be adjusted to reflect the
capabilities of the computer on which they are played. The higher these
settings, the better the game will look.
When choosing a gaming PC, which of course can be used like a normal PC as
well, the goal is to spend enough to get this performance without wasting
money on an overspecified box. InGear tested five models that ranged from a
family friendly PC package by Mesh costing £939, up to a turbocharged Vadim
system priced at £2,879 designed to run so hot it requires liquid cooling.
The Mesh includes a widescreen monitor and speakers, but most gaming systems
comprise merely the basic PC tower. That said, the Alienware does throw in a
fancy keyboard and mouse.
Each computer was loaded with a variety of PC games, speed tests were
conducted and overall results assessed to see which machines gave the best
gaming thrill per pound spent. As with most computers, each is available in
a variety of confusing specifications. The most important aspect of a gaming
PC used to be its graphics card, which converts information into 3-D images.
To some extent this is still true, but today it’s more important to have a
balanced system with a suitable processor and 2GB of Ram.
Any gaming PC worth its salt will feature the Nvidia GeForce 8800 card in one
its three variants (GTS, GTX or Ultra) as do all five systems on test. Of
these, the mid-range GTX is the best value. Some PCs can accept two
identical graphics cards to boost speed, a setup known as SLI. but this
doesn’t mean twice the performance.
With processors, Intel currently reigns over AMD. Intel’s best known chip (the
Core 2 Duo) is dual core, which means it has two “brains” and can perform
two tasks at once without slowing down too much. Serious gamers should
consider the new quad core processors as these will work better with
forthcoming games. Of the PCs on test, only the Commodore and the Scan are
quad-core.
Aside from the Mesh, all of these systems are from specialist gaming
companies. The downside is their lurid styling, intended to appeal to
gamers. Also, these PCs need powerful fans to keep them cool, which makes
some sound only slightly less noisy than Apache helicopters. If you still
hanker for the cutting edge of gaming then ferret yourself away in a study
with one of these beasts. You may well be in there for some time.
X-FACTOR
Scan 3XS Team Dignitas High End
£1,456 (as reviewed)
5 stars
Fine performer at a realistic price
The Scan delivers classy gaming performance without wasting money. The unusual
X-shaped case is compact and provides useful front sockets, while a small
LCD display indicates how hot the PC gets. Strangely, given its firepower,
it ran cool – and quietly. The Scan’s specs are impressive for the money,
and include a quad-core processor and the mid-range GTX version of the
GeForce 8800 graphics card. Two hard drives are fitted, one ultra-fast for
gaming action, the other acting as slower storage for, say, movies. The Scan
came a close fourth in speed tests, yet played challenging games such as
Colin McRae: DiRT at top settings without a glitch. New titles could be more
demanding, but a second graphics card can be added. Serious value overall.
OUTLANDISH BEAST
Alienware Area51 7500
£1,791 (as reviewed)
Four stars
Extraterrestrial looks yet lacks tomorrow’s tech
Alienware may be owned by Dell but it makes dramatic looking PCs. The Area51
is the most stylish on test but its case is functional, with front-mounted
sockets. It totes two mid-range GeForce 8800 GTX graphics cards and was no
slouch when it came to serious gaming. In fact it was the joint
second-fastest PC overall, coming top in some speed tests. It never once
stuttered, even when playing the ultra-demanding Company of Heroes. The
processor is only dual core, which is disappointing for the price, as is the
single hard drive, and the Area51 couldn’t discernibly outgun the cheaper
Scan PC, unless playing on a huge monitor. Nevertheless, it’s an attractive
package that justifies its price and includes a flashy keyboard and mouse.
FAMILY VALUE
Mesh Elite Storm Pro
£939 from tinyurl.com/35lrk5
Four stars
Solid, entry-level gaming package
This is a beefed-up general purpose PC with a built-in Freeview tuner,
surround-sound speakers and a serviceable 22in widescreen monitor. It
includes a mid-range Core 2 Duo processor and the low-end GTS version of the
Nvidia GeForce 8800 graphics card for gaming. Most current PC games were
handled with aplomb but more demanding titles revealed limitations. For
instance, there were some video jitters during Colin McRae: DiRT unless the
image-detail settings were lowered. Overall, gaming performance was only
slightly ahead of, say, an Xbox 360. The Mesh lacks the style or punch of
the specialist systems on test, but is still a success.
MONSTER’S BALL
Commodore XX
Three stars
£2,749 from www.commodoregaming.com
Power aplenty but noisy and overspecced
Commodore’s long-lost name has been resurrected as a serious PC gaming marque.
This powerhouse packs a top-end Intel quad-core processor and two super-fast
GeForce 8800 Ultra graphics cards, so if you intend to play demanding new
titles such as Crysis, with image detailing set to the max, this PC will do
the job. It was the speediest in lab tests but on a 22in widescreen monitor
we couldn’t see its real-world benefits over, say, the Scan costing half the
price. The XX’s case design is dull and lacks front sockets, but you do get
a huge choice of paint finishes. The biggest issue was noise: large
performance needs serious cooling and the array of internal fans made the
Commodore XX sound like a busy airport. Be warned.
BOY RACER
Vadim Custom Fusion LQX Cetus ST
Three stars
£2,879 from tinyurl.com/yr2v7d
Skilled engineering at a sky-high cost
Inside the Vadim’s matt-black aluminium case lurk cherry-picked components
tuned beyond their intended specification to the very brink of burnout, yet
kept in check by water cooling. You can even view this plumbing thanks to
back lighting and a transparent casing side panel. The pricey Vadim is
expertly balanced and at times outperformed higher-specification PCs. It
came equal second in speed tests, although this didn’t necessarily translate
into tangibly better performance on InGear’s 22in test screen. The Vadim ran
quietly and never stuttered, regardless of how hard it was pushed. Like the
Scan, it has two hard drives, but the processor is not quad core, and there
is only one GeForce 8800 GTX graphics card, which is surprising in view of
the price.
JARGON BUSTER
Dual core Processor with two “brains” working together in a
single chip. Enables two processor-intensive tasks to occur simultaneously
with less reduction in performance
Quad core Like dual core, but with four brains packed into one chip.
Future-proofed choice for serious gamers
SLI Setup possible in some PCs where two identical graphics cards work
together in tandem. Performance is improved but not doubled
Graphics card Slot-in card that turns the virtual worlds created by a
computer game into the 3-D video on screen
What memory brands were the machines using. This is key to reliability.
Paul, Cartigny, CH
I would agree with the GTX being not-mid range but... I thought he said mid range for the 8800 series... which it is.
Anyway - next time you review how about giving us some benchmarking results... 3d mark 06 for example.
Paul Sullivan, Chester,
The 8800GTX is a 'mid range' card? If only! Just because there's an even more expensive version available in the Ultra, that doesn't make the 8800GTX mid range by any stretch of the imagination.
Also you're reviewing these as games machines. It's right they should have dual core and not quad core processors, they're faster for games. That's why your quad core fitted machine came 4th.
Terry Wogan, Cirencester, Gloucestershire