One has to wonder....
I wrote an email to the Editors of Computer Power User Magazine today in regards to a system build they suggested. Here is the build:
Hard Hat Area Click To Print
Hard Hat Area
March 2010 • Vol.10 Issue 3
Page(s) 42-43 in print issue
Newegg Build Of The Month
Please Do Try This At Home
Sponsored by:
A $1,500 budget from Newegg can go a long way toward building a dream PC. Here, we decided to focus on gaming prowess and support for the newest technologies, so the system would be easy to upgrade in the future.
Processor
One of the most affordable ways to grab a four-core processor, the AMD Athlon II X4 630 is also a good overclocker, which further enhances its value. We were able to push the X4 630 to a stable 3.2GHz (a feat, considering our rigorous benchmarking process) using Corsair’s Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50 to liquid-cool the chip.
Here’s the system next to Acer’s P235H. We put the Cooler Master HAF on wheels to make it easier to move around.
Motherboard
The GA-790XTA-UD4 offers support for USB 3.0 (two ports), SATA 3.0 (two ports), and an 8+2 phase CPU voltage regulator to supremely handle our overclocks. We also like the DualBIOS, where the backup BIOS can take over if we get too aggressive with our settings. The board can utilize two ATI graphics cards in CrossFireX and DDR3 modules up to DDR3-1866MHz.
Graphics Card & Power Supply
Newegg offered a deal where we got $60 off an XFX Radeon HD 5850 and XFX 650W XXX Edition Modular PSU, if purchased together. The XFX Radeon HD comes factory-overclocked and delivers support for DirectX 11, ATI Eyefinity Technology, and Shader Model 5.0. The variety of output ports (DVI, DisplayPort, and HDMI) are helpful options, too. The power supply is SLI- and CrossFire-ready, delivers tight voltage regulation (within 3%), and features ball bearing fans for silent operation.
Memory
We needed some RAM that could handle high clock speeds, and Kingston’s 4GB of HyperX DDR3-1600MHz did the trick. The dual-channel kit features a CAS latency of 9 and worked flawlessly at 1,650MHz.
We liquid-cooled the processor and let the HAF’s four built-in fans take care of the rest of system cooling.
Storage
For an OS drive, we chose Kingston’s 40GB SSDNow V Series, which can read at up to 170Mbps and write at up to 40MBps. The fast times let us quicken our startup and application load times. Western Digital’s 1TB Caviar Black, which was available at a $10 discount and free shipping, served as our storage drive.
Case
Cooler Master’s HAF 932 is a joy to work inside. There’s plenty of space, tool-free clips for installing optical drives and hard drives, and lots of routing holes in the motherboard tray to help conceal cables. There are also enough built-in fans (three 230mm fans and a 140mm rear fan) that we didn’t need to add any to cool our system.
Monitor
Acer’s P235H is a 23-inch widescreen monitor with a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. The glossy black screen looked great when playing games and watching movies. Inputs are available for HDMI, DVI, and VGA, and Acer includes cables for all the options.
Performance
This Newegg Build Of The Month turned out great, with high benchmark results in both our gaming and synthetic tests. We installed a release candidate copy of Windows 7, but we left the OS out of the build cost, so you can install the one you like best.
by Nathan Lake
And here is my letter (and problem):
Dear Editor and Nathan Lake-
I'm rather puzzled by your CPU/Cooler combo chosen for the march Newegg Build of the Month. You chose an AMD Athlon II X4 630 (a fine choice normally) for the price/performance and paired it with a Corsair Hydro Series CWCH50 liquid cooler which you used to "push" the 630 to 3.2GHZ. These two parts together add up to $190, and there is my main problem.
For only $160 (price on Newegg as of 2/25/2010) one can buy a Phenom II X4 955 which already runs at 3.2GHz right out of the box. What's more it's a BE CPU with an unlocked multiplier, and you can hit higher clocks simply using the Overdrive tool and the retail heatsink. All this for $30 less. Indeed one can even buy the Phenom II X4 965 for $180 or $10 less than the slower setup you suggest.
The most damning nail in the coffin of this build however is that many reviews report hitting over 3.2GHz overclocks on the slower Athlon X4 620 with the included retail heatsink! Anand for example hits 3.25GHz on the 620 without any voltage increase or special heatsink:
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3638&p=9
In short, I don't think you're realizing any value from the Corsair Hydro CWCH50. Either the CPU is not clocked as high as it could be (considering one can hit that clock with the retail HSF or the CWCH50 is not as good a cooler as its price would seem to indicate. This might be a product you wish to test or review in more detail than the short blurb in the Nov 2009 issue (which even then the reviewer, Marco Chiappetta, suggested was overpriced for how it performs) before you recommend people buy it.
I'd love to hear back from you with your thoughts on this matter, and I thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Sincerely,
-R Smith
So here's what I'm wondering nwo, Newegg does pay to sponsor this feature, and the parts are all newegg items. Is it possible that Newegg has too many of these Corsair Hydro coolers lying around and is using this article to get rid of some? Or does this guy, who is writing articles for a magazine really know less than I do aobut building computers?
Hard Hat Area Click To Print
Hard Hat Area
March 2010 • Vol.10 Issue 3
Page(s) 42-43 in print issue
Newegg Build Of The Month
Please Do Try This At Home
Sponsored by:
A $1,500 budget from Newegg can go a long way toward building a dream PC. Here, we decided to focus on gaming prowess and support for the newest technologies, so the system would be easy to upgrade in the future.
Processor
One of the most affordable ways to grab a four-core processor, the AMD Athlon II X4 630 is also a good overclocker, which further enhances its value. We were able to push the X4 630 to a stable 3.2GHz (a feat, considering our rigorous benchmarking process) using Corsair’s Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50 to liquid-cool the chip.
Here’s the system next to Acer’s P235H. We put the Cooler Master HAF on wheels to make it easier to move around.
Motherboard
The GA-790XTA-UD4 offers support for USB 3.0 (two ports), SATA 3.0 (two ports), and an 8+2 phase CPU voltage regulator to supremely handle our overclocks. We also like the DualBIOS, where the backup BIOS can take over if we get too aggressive with our settings. The board can utilize two ATI graphics cards in CrossFireX and DDR3 modules up to DDR3-1866MHz.
Graphics Card & Power Supply
Newegg offered a deal where we got $60 off an XFX Radeon HD 5850 and XFX 650W XXX Edition Modular PSU, if purchased together. The XFX Radeon HD comes factory-overclocked and delivers support for DirectX 11, ATI Eyefinity Technology, and Shader Model 5.0. The variety of output ports (DVI, DisplayPort, and HDMI) are helpful options, too. The power supply is SLI- and CrossFire-ready, delivers tight voltage regulation (within 3%), and features ball bearing fans for silent operation.
Memory
We needed some RAM that could handle high clock speeds, and Kingston’s 4GB of HyperX DDR3-1600MHz did the trick. The dual-channel kit features a CAS latency of 9 and worked flawlessly at 1,650MHz.
We liquid-cooled the processor and let the HAF’s four built-in fans take care of the rest of system cooling.
Storage
For an OS drive, we chose Kingston’s 40GB SSDNow V Series, which can read at up to 170Mbps and write at up to 40MBps. The fast times let us quicken our startup and application load times. Western Digital’s 1TB Caviar Black, which was available at a $10 discount and free shipping, served as our storage drive.
Case
Cooler Master’s HAF 932 is a joy to work inside. There’s plenty of space, tool-free clips for installing optical drives and hard drives, and lots of routing holes in the motherboard tray to help conceal cables. There are also enough built-in fans (three 230mm fans and a 140mm rear fan) that we didn’t need to add any to cool our system.
Monitor
Acer’s P235H is a 23-inch widescreen monitor with a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,080. The glossy black screen looked great when playing games and watching movies. Inputs are available for HDMI, DVI, and VGA, and Acer includes cables for all the options.
Performance
This Newegg Build Of The Month turned out great, with high benchmark results in both our gaming and synthetic tests. We installed a release candidate copy of Windows 7, but we left the OS out of the build cost, so you can install the one you like best.
by Nathan Lake
And here is my letter (and problem):
Dear Editor and Nathan Lake-
I'm rather puzzled by your CPU/Cooler combo chosen for the march Newegg Build of the Month. You chose an AMD Athlon II X4 630 (a fine choice normally) for the price/performance and paired it with a Corsair Hydro Series CWCH50 liquid cooler which you used to "push" the 630 to 3.2GHZ. These two parts together add up to $190, and there is my main problem.
For only $160 (price on Newegg as of 2/25/2010) one can buy a Phenom II X4 955 which already runs at 3.2GHz right out of the box. What's more it's a BE CPU with an unlocked multiplier, and you can hit higher clocks simply using the Overdrive tool and the retail heatsink. All this for $30 less. Indeed one can even buy the Phenom II X4 965 for $180 or $10 less than the slower setup you suggest.
The most damning nail in the coffin of this build however is that many reviews report hitting over 3.2GHz overclocks on the slower Athlon X4 620 with the included retail heatsink! Anand for example hits 3.25GHz on the 620 without any voltage increase or special heatsink:
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3638&p=9
In short, I don't think you're realizing any value from the Corsair Hydro CWCH50. Either the CPU is not clocked as high as it could be (considering one can hit that clock with the retail HSF or the CWCH50 is not as good a cooler as its price would seem to indicate. This might be a product you wish to test or review in more detail than the short blurb in the Nov 2009 issue (which even then the reviewer, Marco Chiappetta, suggested was overpriced for how it performs) before you recommend people buy it.
I'd love to hear back from you with your thoughts on this matter, and I thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Sincerely,
-R Smith
So here's what I'm wondering nwo, Newegg does pay to sponsor this feature, and the parts are all newegg items. Is it possible that Newegg has too many of these Corsair Hydro coolers lying around and is using this article to get rid of some? Or does this guy, who is writing articles for a magazine really know less than I do aobut building computers?