Handy Computer Guide

CNET have published a review of the Velocity Micro ProMagix E2240 gaming desktop PC. 'The specs of the ProMagix E2240 show its gaming roots clearly enough. By overclocking the Core 2 Quad Q6600 from 2.4GHz to 2.7GHz, Velocity addresses the common complaint about quad-core chips (that they lose raw speed to faster dual-core CPUs), while preserving the benefit of the added processing threads. And because an ever-growing library of games is coming out that can take advantage of multiple CPU cores, any speed trade-off that's left in favor of dual-core chips is becoming less of an advantage.

Continue reading "Velocity Micro ProMagix E2240 Review - CNET" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PC Magazine have published a review of the Velocity Micro NoteMagix C90 Ultra gaming laptop. 'The C90's feature set is impressive: It includes three USB ports, a FireWire port, and a large (200GB) hard drive. Media buffs will be pleased with the eSATA port but disappointed to find neither a Blu-ray nor an HD DVD drive included. Instead, a dual-layer, multiformat DVD burner occupies the bay—a particular letdown since several sub-$2,000 laptops, such as the HP Pavilion dv9500t, house such a drive for high-def movie playback. On a positive note, the C90 can display to an external monitor using S-Video, VGA, and even HDMI. The latter is fine for those using high-definition sets, but its inclusion made me wish even more for a high-definition optical drive. A four-in-one card reader for MMC, SD, and Memory Stick Pro/Duo formats and a port for an external TV tuner (included) round out these components.'

Continue reading "Velocity Micro NoteMagix C90 Ultra Review - PC Mag" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 3:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CNET have published a review of the Velocity Micro ProMagix A50 gaming desktop. 'The ProMagix A50 comes in a new, all-black case that retains the clean design we've come to expect from Velocity Micro. The only fundamentally different feature is that the front panel USB 2.0 and microphone and headphone jacks now line the outer right edge of the front panel. Before, they hid behind the small front side door. Noticeably (and thankfully) missing is any kind of front-accessible bay for a removable, optional proprietary hard drive a la recent desktops from HP and Gateway.

Continue reading "Velocity Micro ProMagix A50 Desktop Review - CNET" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A review of the Velocity Micro NoteMagix x25 laptop has been posted over at CNET. 'The 15.4-inch widescreen display on the Velocity Micro NoteMagix X25's features a sharp 1,680x1,250 resolution that renders lovely video and images but can make text and icons appear small. Unfortunately, the display's glossy finish produced distracting reflections when we were working under fluorescent lighting; there is no option for a matte finish. Above the display sits a 2.0-megapixel Webcam that rotates nearly 360 degrees, letting you snap shots in front of, above, or behind the laptop. Two microphones (one on each side of the camera) create a dual-mic array. We like that the keyboard on the NoteMagix X25 feels solid, though key travel seems a bit shallow. Nevertheless, we were able to type this review on the laptop without any great discomfort.'

Continue reading "Velocity Micro NoteMagix x25 Review - CNET" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 8:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A review of the Velocity Micro Vector GX Campus Edition (overclocked Core 2 Duo E6320) configuration has been posted over at CNET. 'Aside from the peripherals getting cut from the deal, the Vector GX Campus Edition is roughly the same as last year's model. It features a low-end Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, a midrange Nvidia graphics card, a 250GB hard drive, and a DVD burner inside the same aluminum GX chassis. What's changed? For one, Velocity Micro acquired Overdrive PC earlier this year and has applied Overdrive's HyperClocking technology to raise the Core 2 Duo E6320 clockspeed from 1.86GHz to 3.0GHz. For another, this year's model adds a second gigabyte of memory. Our review unit also includes a hard-drive upgrade; the 320GB drive adds $55 to the price for a still reasonable total of $1,054.'

Continue reading "Velocity Micro Vector GX Campus Edition Review - CNET" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CNET have published a review of the Velocity Micro ProMagix E2230 desktop PC. ‘The configuration of the Velocity Micro E2230 comes close to several others we've reviewed lately, although the pricing for all of these systems varies by a wide margin. The E2230 comes with a 2.67GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 processor, 2GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a single 400GB 7,200 rpm hard drive and a 320GB GeForce 8800 GTS graphics card. Compared to the $1,470 Gateway DX430X and AVA Direct's $2750 Core 2 Duo SLI PC, the Velocity Micro only differs from those PCs by a component or two. We like those other desktops well enough, but Velocity Micro is faster than both of them on our application tests and almost exactly as fast on gaming. Considering that the E2230 gives you more upgrade room than the Gateway and it costs $650 less than the AVA Direct system, it becomes clear that Velocity Micro found a strong middle ground here.’

Continue reading "Velocity Micro ProMagix E2230 - CNET" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A review of the Velocity Micro Raptor DCX (ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT) multimedia desktop has been posted over at CNET. ‘The configuration of this system is close to other high-end PC's we've reviewed over the past six or seven months, but a few key differences help it stand out. Where others in its class have sent us Core 2 Extreme quad-core CPUs, Velocity Micro sent this Raptor DCX to us with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Quad Q6600 overclocked to 3GHz (a $25 upgrade). That's faster (on paper, at least) than the stock 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6800 in the $3,940 ABS Ultimate X Striker Elite and the $4,570 Maingear X-Cube. It also likely accounts for the Velocity Micro's strong scores on the Cinebench test, which measures raw processing power.

Continue reading "Velocity Micro Raptor DCX - CNET" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A review of the high-end Velocity Micro Raptor Signature Edition gaming desktop configuration has been posted on CNET. 'The Velocity Micro Raptor Signature Edition is the midsize vendor's elite gaming PC. Company founder and CEO Randy Copeland helps build each unit, and they all come with his signature. This system is supposed to represent the best in modern PC hardware. Our review unit's configuration prices at $7,395, which is shockingly high, but also the apparent going rate for boutique-class systems of this caliber. On balance, the Raptor Signature Edition is as fast and as carefully assembled as we expect for an über-PC, but we have a beef with the high-end PC market in general right now, as the prices seem unreasonably high. That issue and the fact that its competition went the extra mile on software are our only significant issues with this PC.

Continue reading "Velocity Micro Raptor Signature Edition (Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700) - CNET" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PC Magazine has reviewed the Velocity Micro Raptor DCX (Core 2 Extreme) desktop PC. 'The Raptor is usually portrayed as a predator, whether it is a bird of prey, dinosaur, or military jet. The Velocity Micro Raptor DCX ($5,834 direct, $6,283 with 20-inch widescreen LCD monitor) works well with the analogy: It's a powerful all-around system, with specialized hardware that makes it particularly adept on the gaming grid. Evolving out of past Raptor systems from Velocity Micro, the DCX now has the new Intel Core 2 Extreme processor and dual ATI CrossFire graphics. It is a member of the $5G club, which means it's a system for the highly demanding user who intends to play games and run computation-intensive multimedia projects.'

Continue reading "Velocity Micro Raptor DCX Reviewed" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 3:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

PC Magazine has reviewed the Velocity Micro NoteMagix L80 Ultra "desktop replacement" PC. 'Velocity Micro and other boutique vendors are known for their spectacular paintjobs and over-the-top laptop frames, but once in a while you get a laptop that deviates from that norm. The Velocity Micro NoteMagix L80 Ultra is a desktop-replacement laptop dressed up in business attire. Despite its relatively plain exterior, the hefty L80 Ultra carries a 2.16-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 processor that makes it one of the fastest laptops in the market.

Continue reading "Velocity Micro NoteMagix L80 Ultra Reviewed" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 3:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ZDNet has reviewed the Velocity Micro ProMagix E2200 describing the computer as “one of the best off-the-shelf PCs around”. ‘Many vendors have tried to sell higher-end midrange PCs in retail stores, but few have really done it right. Velocity Micro has had some success recently, though, bringing its strong build quality and a knack for configuring powerful, cost-effective PCs to the shelves of Best Buy last year. You'll find this $2,199 ProMagix E2200 model at 60 Best Buys nationwide, as well as on Best Buy's Web site.

Continue reading "Velocity Micro ProMagix E2200 PC Review" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 11:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CNET reviews the Velocity Micro's Vector GX desktop PC [Campus Edition] which is expected to go sale in a couple weeks. 'The Vector GX features the lowest-end processor in the Intel Core 2 Duo lineup: the 1.86MHz Core 2 Duo E6300. It's a much more affordable chip than the higher-end Core 2 Duos found in the pricier Falcon Northwest Mach V and the Dell XPS 700. Rounding out the rest of the core specs are 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, a 250GB hard drive, and a 256MB Nvidia GeForce 7600 GS 3D card. Your disc-burning needs are met with both a dual-layer DVD burner and a DVD/CD-RW combo drive. In addition, the $999 price also includes a 17-inch LCD, a set of Creative SBS350 2.1 speakers, and a Velocity Micro-branded mouse and keyboard set.

Continue reading "CNET.com: Velocity Micro's Vector GX Campus Edition Review" »

Posted by HCG Admin at 4:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)