iBuypower Gamer Paladin F870-SB

Processor: 2.93GHz Core i7 940
Memory: 6GB DDR3
Storage: 1TB hard drive
Optical Drive: BD-ROM/HD DVD/DVD±RW; DVD±RW
Monitor: 20.1-inch Sceptre LCD
Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 4870X2 (2GB)
Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit)

Is the iBuypower Gamer Paladin F870-SB a glimpse into the future of reasonably priced high-end gaming computers? Given how quickly technology can change, it's hard to say for sure. But this $2,499 system, which will be available from iBuypower later in November, demonstrates that the advent of Intel's new Core i7 processing platform can spell only good things for gamers—and their bank accounts.

One of the most impressive systems we saw last year was the Cyberpower Gamer Infinity SLI 8800 (in fact, we named it Gaming Desktop of the Year in our annual Top 100 Products of the Year roundup), one of the earliest Penryn-based systems. It retailed for $3,299. Less than a year later, the Gamer Paladin F870-SB comes close to matching it in almost every area we tested—for $800 less. That's how far things have progressed.

The last iBuypower system we tested was the Gamer Haf 9SE, in October, which at $1,999 seemed like a steal. While we're not convinced that every gamer will get $500 worth of extra benefit out of the F870-SB, even in this short time period there have been some major advancements in value for performance. At all resolutions (1,280x1,024, 1,600x1,200, and 2,560x1,600), our DirectX 9 (DX9) Supreme Commander tests hovered with new system around 53 frames per second (fps); the Gamer Haf 9SE averaged around 47fps. In our other DX10 tests (Company of Heroes, World in Conflict, and Call of Juarez), the two systems were in a statistical dead heat straight down the line. The big divergence happened on our DX10-based Futuremark 3DMark Vantage tests: The F870-SB's scores of 33,232, 15,390, 10,278, and 7,203 (at the Entry, Performance, High, and Extreme presets, respectively) noticeably surpassed the Gamer Haf 9SE's results of 22,633, 12,613, 9,458, and 6,985. This is despite both systems using the same powerful dual-GPU graphics card: a 2GB ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2.

Two big differences between the systems help explain the discrepancy, both related to Core i7. The first is the processor itself. The Gamer Paladin F870-SB uses a midrange 2.93GHz Core i7-940; the Gamer Haf 9SE used a 2.83GHz Core 2 Quad Q9550. The second is memory: The F870-SB uses 6GB of triple-channel DDR3 memory, while the Haf 9SE used 4GB of dual-channel DDR3. (The operating system was, in both cases, the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium, and thus able to use all of that memory.)

Aside from the hard drive—one terabyte (TB) now versus 500GB then—the systems were quite similar. Both had both a DVD±RW drive and a Blu-ray/HD DVD combo drive; both came with a 20.1-inch Sceptre LCD monitor; and both even used the same black and imposing Cooler Master Haf gaming case, which is loaded with fans and other ventilation, as well as industrial sex appeal with intricate grillework and even a windowed side panel. (The case is loaded with expansion potential, too: three free external 5.25-inch drive bays and four free internal 3.5-inch ones.)

On the Gamer Paladin F870-SB's front panel are four USB ports, one FireWire port, and one external SATA (eSATA) jack, as well as headphone and microphone ports and a 12-format flash-card reader. On the rear panel, you'll see eight more USB ports and a combo PS/2 port (meaning you can connect an old-school keyboard or mouse, but not both), as well as digital and eight-channel audio outs, two Ethernet jacks, and one more each of FireWire and eSATA. (The system uses Asus's P6T Deluxe motherboard, supporting the Core i7-ready X58 chipset.) There are also grommets for hoses in the back, in case you'd like to add an external liquid-cooling system to the rig at some point; another feature of the case is a fill port on the top to facilitate adding coolant.

However you cool it, this is a hot gaming system with a scorching price. It's not quite the fastest we've seen, even within the same general price range (the aforementioned Cyberpower trumped it in some areas), but it's a huge step up in capability—and down in price—compared with some of our all-but-unaffordable past leaders like the Vigor Colossus and even the Alienware Area-51 ALX we looked at a month ago. It won't be long until those systems are soundly surpassed by PCs costing half, or even a third, of the price. The Gamer Paladin F870-SB represents the first, bold steps in exactly that direction.

Price (at time of review): $2,499 (as tested)

author : Matthew Murray