With its $750 Velocity Wired2Fire has
carefully chosen components to create a balanced system that can chug through
most everyday tasks without causing pulses to race.
The AMD A10-5800K processor is clocked high
at 3.8GHz, but this Fusion chip doesn’t offer a great deal of power. It’s
bolstered by 8GB of capable Patriot Viper memory, yet the system’s lack of
firepower isn’t helped by the large-capacity (1TB) yet slow Seagate hard drive.
The Velocity VX recorded just 2,779 points in PCMark 7.
Wired2Fire
Velocity VX - A Great Budget Monitor, Graphics Card And Processor Combination
The graphics card is a low-end option
regularly paired with the A10-5800K. The AMD Radeon HD 6670 with 2GB of video
memory was always intended as a cost-effective solution, and it’s now past its
best. It is possible to coax playable frame-rates from this card, however,
provided you’re willing to compromise on the resolution.
We saw the best performance in Stalker:
Call of Pripyat, in which we measured 46fps at 720p, but just 14fps at full-HD
resolution.
In Hard Reset the Wired2Fire managed 31fps
at 720p, Medium quality, but with the detail set to Ultra It offered a meagre
22fps.
Allen vs Predator also lumbered to just
22fps, even at 720p.
The Zalman T1 case is modestly sized, and
can prove tricky to access.
We struggled to get to the memory chips -
only two slots are provided - and even accessing the graphics card isn’t
particularly easy. The drive bays are restricted and the case itself feels
extremely cramped, despite the small CPU cooler.
The
AMD A10-5800K processor
Neither is the Xigmatek PSU prepared for
major upgrades, specified at just 400W. In short, this isn’t a PC you’ll relish
upgrading.
The machine is not great on power draw,
slurping about 61W when idling. Running Stalker: Call of Pripyat it hit 138W -
a relatively low figure for a cheap PC with an AMD processor.
The Velocity VX isn’t especially quiet,
adding around 14dB to the room noise. This level of disturbance isn’t entirely
distracting, however.
Predictably, given the price tag, the
Samsung optical drive won’t know what to do with Blu-ray, although it does
offer smooth 24-speed writing to DVD±R discs.
Eight USB ports are available, two of which
support USB 3.0, but the front-facing ports are USB 2.0. Other ports and
connectors at the rear Include HDMI and eSATA.
The Cit wired keyboard and mouse are
adequate, but they’re no match for the experience offered by higher-quallty peripherals.
The system price includes a flat-panel
display.
The 21.5m AOC E2250SWDA is a budget model,
but it offers a balanced palette and slimline styling.
The
AMD Radeon HD 6670
Wired2Fire has added IvoSoft’s Classic
Shell software, giving Windows 8 users a more accessible way to operate
Microsoft’s OS.
The warranty is decent for the price,
covering both parts and labor for two years.
Verdict
The Wlred2Fire Velocity VX is relatively
sluggish, while its cramped case and wimpy PSU discourage upgrades - yet this
is no surprise, given the $750 price. The Wired2Flre still offers a remarkably
pleasant experience for a budget desktop.
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Specs and
price
·
Price: $750
·
3.8GHz AMD A10-5800K APU
·
Asus F2A85-M LE
·
Windows 8 64bit
·
8GB DDR3 RAM
·
1TB HDD
·
Zalman T1 case
·
Xigmatek 400W
·
21.5in AOC E2250SWDA
·
AMD Radeon HD 6670
·
2x USB 3.0
·
6x USB 2.0
·
VGA
·
DVI
·
HDMI
·
eSATA
·
24x Samsung SH-224BB DVD writer
·
2-year parts and labor warranty
Rating
·
Build: 3/5
·
Feature: 3.5/5
·
Performance: 3/5
·
Value: 4/5
·
Average: 3.5/5
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