Get Back in the Game With the Quantex QP6/450 GX-2.(450MHz Pentium II system)(Hardware Review)(Evaluation)
12/01/98
Computer Shopper
Page 255(1)
COPYRIGHT 1998 Ziff Davis Publishing Company Copyright 1998 Information Access Company. All rights reserved.
A few decades ago, computers were used to help launch humans into space for the very first time. These days, with the right PC and a fun, realistic game, you can take far more adventurous trips without ever leaving your home. Quantex Microsystems is now offering precisely that type of system: the $2,449-direct QP6/450 GX-2. The GX-2 is based on an Intel 450MHz Pentium II processor and 128MB of SDRAM, with a Diamond Monster 3D II 3-D accelerator under the hood to handle the 3-D gaming action. Factor in a third-generation DVD -ROM drive, an excellent sound system, and a 19-inch monitor, and you've got a good all-around entertainment system.
Although Quantex is by no means the only vendor to design a PC for gaming enthusiasts, the GX-2 is priced approximately $400 less than similarly configured offerings from either Gateway or Micron.
Like these other systems, the GX-2 employs a 3Dfx Voodoo2-based dedicated 3-D graphics card with 12MB of EDO DRAM. The system's performance on our 3D WinMark test and with 3-D games was outstanding. The GX-2 comes bundled with three Activision games: Battlezone, Heavy Gear, and The Interstate '76 Arsenal. These games, as well as numerous other titles from our own library, all displayed impressive-looking 3-D graphics with excellent texture detail and perspective correction. Even with the advanced 3-D rendering features enabled in the games, the system maintained high frame rates during game play. To make your gaming experience that much more enjoyable, the GX-2 also comes with a Microsoft SideWinder 3D Pro Plus joystick.
When you're worn out from saving the universe, it's time to relax with a good movie. The GX-2 includes a Toshiba SD-M1202 DVD -ROM drive and uses Quadrant's CineMaster software for DVD decoding. A DVD software solution with the 450MHz processor is sufficient to deliver maximum frame rates for seamless movie viewing. However, when viewing a few DVD movies from our library (the GX-2 does not come with any) we noticed a bit of blockiness in the image. But you can upgrade to a hardware DVD -decoder card for an additional $49. The Toshiba drive is one of the latest crop of DVD -ROM drives; it spins DVDs at speeds up to 4.8x and CD-ROMs up to 32x.
Although DVD -movie image quality might suffer slightly, nothing bad can be said about the audio quality. Whether the audio source is a DVD movie, CD audio, or a WAV file, the Aztech Labs PCI 338-A3D sound card and Altec Lansing ACS490 three-piece satellite-subwoofer speaker system deliver excellent-sounding audio and great bass response. The sound card's hardware-based wavetable synthesis enables outstanding MIDI playback as well. The PCI sound card also includes A3D positional sound, which many games support; the speakers feature Dolby Surround for additional positional audio.
A 19-inch Quantex XP190 monitor and a Real3D StarFighter graphics card with 8MB of SGRAM combine to display a bright image, with accurate colors and a sharp focus, at resolutions up to 1,024x768 with 24-bit color at 85Hz. However, at both 1,280x1,024 with 24-bit color and the system's maximum setting of 1,600x1,200 with 256 colors at 75Hz, the monitor's focus appears a bit soft. The monitor includes an impressive set of advanced onscreen controls, which comprise linear symmetry, rotation, color, and horizontal and vertical moire settings. The XP190 offers an 18-inch-diagonal viewable image size and a flat-square tube with a 0.26mm dot pitch.
The GX-2 is visually and aurally well-equipped, and its performance is not disappointing, either. Delivering a Business Winstone 98 score of 29.6, the GX-2 is on a par with other 450MHz Pentium II systems' application performance. However, its 2-D graphics performance is 6 percent and 12 percent below average at 16-bit and 24-bit color depths, respectively, and its hard drive performance is 8 percent below average. But while other 450MHz Pentium II systems might have marginally faster disk-subsystem and 2-D performance, most users would be hard-pressed to notice the difference among these already super-speedy systems.
If you need to gain access to the innards of the 17.5x7.8x18.2-inch (HWD) midtower case, unscrewing three thumbscrews and removing the outer casing will do it. Inside, you'll find an ATX motherboard offering easy access to all components. Two of the three DIMM slots are already populated. Of the four accessible 5.25-inch drive bays, two house the DVD -ROM and Iomega Zip drives. A lone accessible 3.5-inch bay holds the 1.44MB floppy drive. And one of the system's four internal 3.5-inch bays cradles the 11.5GB Maxtor DiamondMax 2880 91152D8 hard drive.
The StarFighter card resides in the single AGP slot, and the Monster 3D II and the sound card occupy two of the three PCI slots. A 56Kbps Digitan Systems S56P/DT data/fax/voice modem is located in the PCI half of the PCI/ISA shared slot, and two ISA slots remain vacant.
Live toll-free technical support is available around the clock. We called during business hours on a weekday, as well as on a Saturday morning. On both occasions, we were on hold for about 12 minutes before we spoke with a technician. One year of onsite support is included, as is a total of three years' coverage on parts and one year on labor. For another $200, you can extend the onsite coverage to a total of four years.
The Quantex QP6/450 GX-2 offers few limitations, and boasts a number of impressive features and a phenomenal price tag. If you're looking for a well-rounded gaming system, the GX-2 is a winning choice.
Quantex's QP6/450 GX-2 provides all the gaming essentials--including 128MB of SDRAM, a Toshiba 4.8x DVD -ROM drive, a Diamond Monster 3D II graphics card, and a 19-inch monitor--for less than $2,450.
Quantex QP6/450 GX-2
Quantex Microsystems
800-836-0566; 732-563-4166
www.quantex.com
Direct Price: $2,449
For updated prices, see www.csprices.com
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