NCIX AMD Platform System Review :: NCIX System

When it comes to computer systems be it high end or low, we are a bit jaded around here as me and my team have been building designing and modding systems for the past ten years. This makes us very picky and we look at a system build under a magnifying glass and are scrutinizing it beyond what he average Joe would. NCIX did a pretty good job building and implementing this system, almost as nice as our man Thrasher2 would do, but for a system just coming off an assembly line it, it’s none too shabby at all and the system doesn’t look bad either. It came with a clear window for viewing the systems innards too.

NCIX used only quality parts from the ground up on this AMD gaming system. Starting with an ASUS M3A32 motherboard, an AMD 9850 Quad-Core Phenom CPU cooled off by an Asetek micro-chill liquid CPU cooler, 4GB of Corsair DDR2 memory, an ATI 3870X2 VGA card, a WD 750GB HD drive, Corsair 620W PSU and its all housed in a nice Silverstone TJ10 Mid tower case. Everything in this system is solid and no no-name half baked company’s products were used in its construction. The Asetek cooler was unattached on delivery, but that was the only minor drama in getting the system up and going quickly. The memory was set to ganged mode, which is really not the best configuration for multi-core CPUs, unganged mode is better overall for multi-core CPU systems, and ganged for singe-core CPUs.

Being an AMD based platform system it features the ability for CrossFireX configurations using any of the X2 series of cards currently available on the market. CrossFireX can also be configured using four single chipset cards, but only a few motherboards have the four available PCIx slots to accomplish this goal. Basically the X in any Crossfire configuration equates to using four chipset cores in one setup, a basic CrossFire configuration consists of two cores. The system we received included a single Palit ATI HD 3870 X2 card, but after our initial testing of the system in it’s from the factory state we added another 3870 X2 to the system, metamorphosing the system into a CrossFireX configuration. There is ample room inside the case for another VGA card, a few more HD drives and more optical drives like a Blu-Ray player if you wanted to add it to the system later.

The system came with all the wires either wrapped in a sleeve or hidden very well and the Silverstone case is very well made, with no sharp edges or cheap metal. The airflow through the case is exceptional, one front intake fan and three outtake fans, one on the rear of the case and two on the top of the case. Being clear of any cable mess is an essential part of the equation when it comes to airflow as you need a clear path that allows open un-constricted air to blow through the system for better heat dissipation. The Asetek CPU cooler in my opinion is one the simplest ones to install, but I think there a better solutions in the same price range that could be substituted for better CPU cooling.

The AMD Quad-Core Phenom runs a bit hot and we did have a few heat issues until we really messed around with the Asetek cooler. Overall this system was designed and put together well, and I mean this in both the hardware used and in the construction of the system as both were well thought out and implemented. There is no doubt that a lot of thought went into this system, NCIX did not fail in the build, it is a custom looking rig that can be upgraded to a better CPU the new Q-Core 9950 Phenom, and the VGA card can always be subbed out for a new 4870 series card. The Corsair 620W PSU that came in the system would need to be upgraded as well if you wanted to build and actual CrossFireX system as it takes at least an 800 or above PSU to power two Dual-Core VGA cards without straining the PSU. The 620W installed was able to power the second 3870 X2 card, but we had to modify the cabling, use adapters and then the system and PSU ran very hot after that.