Number crunching
So enough taking ROG to task about the
price and over the top… everything. How does this PC perform? Well, as you’d
expect, it’s a complete powerhouse. There isn’t a game on the market, or that
will come onto the market in the next 3-5 years which cannot be played at
maximum details by this PC. Even when the next generation PlayStation and Xbox
hit the streets, this PC will still be pushing out four times the frames at
twice the resolution, so longevity shouldn’t even a concern.
The RAID 0 DDS’s transfer speeds to and
from USB 3.0 devices is usually very quick, somewhere ranging 100MB/s to
250MB/s depending on the USB 3.0 device. RAM performance is also incredibly
good; given that the cache never really needs to be cleared, software and games
usually sit on cache ready to be opened again (assuming you don’t power down
the PC).
ASUS
can try to justify it is “speed” buttons, water cooled PCs and 10 case fans,
but at the end of the day it’s a big plastic case filled with over-priced and
outdated hardware
Gaming is completely ridiculous, in both
good and bad ways. Games that support 4-way SLI perform out of this world,
games that don’t play nice with the same setup usually don’t do much (if any)
better with 4-way enabled or just a single card. It’s a mixed bag, though
you’ll always have more than enough GPU grunt on tap as any games not optimized
for multi-GPU systems generally aren’t too demanding anyway.
Realistically, if you’re playing games on a
1920x1080 monitor, you could expect to average around 120fps fairly
consistently in most modern titles, though there will be large fluctuations
ranging from 200 down to 75 or so. This system really is overpowered for such a
small resolution, and not in a good way. You will encounter tearing at times,
huge frame rate drops and overall inconsistencies.
Ideally, you’ll be using a system like this
for multi-monitor gaming over Surround Vision with a resolution of 5760x1080 or
higher. This will generally net you 45-80FPS on most titles on average, with
far smaller deviations in frame rates, creating a more fluid gaming experience.
Final say
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out our
opinion of this system. Sure, it’s fast, but it’s also bloody expensive. ASUS
can try to justify it is “speed” buttons, water cooled PCs and 10 case fans,
but at the end of the day it’s a big plastic case filled with over-priced and
outdated hardware (though that’s not the fault of ASUS, given how long the
system took to materialize).
With
components such as an Intel Core i7-3960X processor inside, the CG8890 is
arguably one of the most powerful pre-built rigs you can buy currently.
Anyone with half a clue when it comes to PC
building would be able to build a very comparable system for half the price of
the Tytan CG8890. Though, let’s be honest, ROG isn’t targeting the DIY PC
market; it’s targeting the younger generation with a part time job and zero
cost of living. They’re targeting the wealthy business executive who wants to
play Call of Duty at 600FPS on his 72” Samsung television. (Screw that guy).
At the end of the day, there isn’t really
anything wrong with someone buying this system however. It’s fast, it’s got
character and, most importantly, it’s got a user’s manual. The features are
somewhat practical and interesting and even your computer illiterate family
elders could work out how to operate all of the gimmicks within after a five
minute tutorial, so in that regard this PC is a success. Just don’t expect to
see one squashed under our tiny desk.
Verdict: plastic case, noise fans,
astronomical price tag. PC gaming excess.
|
Metro: last
light 2560x1440
·
FPS Minimum: 13
·
FPS Average: 170
Crysis 3: 3560x1440
·
FPS Minimum: 33
·
FPS Average: 120
Hitman Absolution: 2560x1440
·
FPS Minimum: 22
·
FPS Average: 58
Tomb Raider: 4560x1440
·
FPS Minimum: 48
·
FPS Average: 152
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