Velocity Micro Edge Z55: Core i7-940 with CrossFire 4870
by Matt Campbell on December 12, 2008 2:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Systems
Introduction
We've looked at a number of systems here at AnandTech, and Velocity Micro has always been on our "to-do" list based on their popularity and prevalence in the market. The guys from Virginia sent one of their new Edge Z55 systems our way with a Core i7-940 to put through our review cycle. How does it hold up? As this is our first time looking at Velocity Micro, we'll look at the company themselves, and then try to answer that question. Worth note is that this is also our first Core i7 system review, so we may see some teething problems with the brand new technology.
Velocity Micro - Company Overview
Velocity Micro has seen tremendous growth in the past few years. Their introduction into Best Buy stores in 2005 was a huge step, as was their acquisition of Overdrive PC in 2007. Below is their summary from their webpage:
"Velocity Micro, Inc. is the premier high-performance personal computer provider in North America. Founded in 1992, Richmond, Va.-based Velocity Micro custom builds award winning gaming, mobile, multimedia, home office, small business, pro workstation, and visual supercomputer solutions. Velocity Micro consumer systems are available at Best Buy, MicroCenter, Circuit City, and select Staples retail stores nationwide, as well as online vendors Amazon.com, Newegg.com, TigerDirect.com, CompUSA.com, and many others."
On their "Why VM" webpage as well as their video, they further detail what they believe sets them apart, including in particular "care and craftsmanship". We will keep both of these claims in mind throughout the review.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
27 Comments
View All Comments
Matt Campbell - Friday, December 12, 2008 - link
Thanks for the input. One of the main reasons we include the Reseller Ratings numbers, and read through and comment on the feedback there, is to convey across a broad number of people (and not just our one experience) what the customer service impression is. This time around, we also provided information on our experience with Mario, who was our system builder and therefore (at VM) the tech. support rep.UNHchabo - Friday, December 12, 2008 - link
This was a pre-production system, so it'd be obvious that a reviewer was calling. ;)Harby - Friday, December 12, 2008 - link
Is there a reason that Intel mobo was used? I mean, its probaly the worst X58 mobo atm, mainly because it only incorporates 4 DIMM slots.Matt Campbell - Friday, December 12, 2008 - link
Likely because VM is an Intel Premier Partner :)Also, being a first launch system, the Intel boards are often the farthest along in development and stability at launch date.
privater - Friday, December 12, 2008 - link
weeks ago,heard form other article that the dimm voltage must below 1.65v .but this rig seems use 1.90v ?Matt Campbell - Friday, December 12, 2008 - link
There is a warning present in the BIOS about exceeding 1.65V, and Intel is requiring some vendors to put warning labels on their motherboard packaging. 1.9V was the setting that Velocity Micro provided on the system, and we tested it as such, but reducing it to stock did not solve the stability problems on the first system.In Gary's X58 article, he pushed the MSI board up to a 1.90V VDIMM as well.
privater - Friday, December 12, 2008 - link
weeks ago,heard form other article that the dimm voltage must below 1.65v .but this rig seems use 1.90v ?