Overdrive PC Gemini.SLI Evaluation @ [H]

I wonder about that Power Supply. People in the forums have been skeptical (or worse) of the Ultra X-connect 500, I guess this is good news for them being included in an upper end system such as this.
 
Hmm...interesting to say the least, I've never even heard of these guys. They seem pretty decent.

Why is it that you gave stability a 9/10, when you clearly said:

Considering that the system didn't lock up after the downclock, we think it is safe to say that the Gemini.SLI failed the torture test due to an issue with the system's overclocked components
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Never heard of them either, but they sound like they know what they're doing.

Spotted a typo on Page 2

"Raptor 26GB x2 Raid 0"

Guess you mean 36GB



 
I wonder if this company is here for the long run.

~Thanks for the review
 
sac_tagg said:
Hmm...interesting to say the least, I've never even heard of these guys. They seem pretty decent.

Why is it that you gave stability a 9/10, when you clearly said:
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It never locked up during gaming or normal usage, which is what matters the most to us.
 
The build qualitiy looks really impressive for an OEM. Really impressive.

$3000 though? That's a $1k+ premium for overclocked hardware no matter how you slice it. The listed hardware retails for about ~$1650 (including the copy of Windows). Was $1350 really worth a good wiring job and overclock? For that price I would have expected a 19" monitor, keyboard, gaming mouse, and 5.1 speakers. Maybe even a kiss too :)

Don't get me wrong, the thing looks great and apparently runs like a champ. It's nice to see such effort put into something from an OEM. I guess if you are a serious enthusiast with cash to blow, but really hate building your own rig, this would be the option for you.
 
Tweakin said:
The build qualitiy looks really impressive for an OEM. Really impressive.

$3000 though? That's a $1k+ premium for overclocked hardware no matter how you slice it. The listed hardware retails for about ~$1650 (including the copy of Windows). Was $1350 really worth a good wiring job and overclock? For that price I would have expected a 19" monitor, keyboard, gaming mouse, and 5.1 speakers. Maybe even a kiss too :)

Don't get me wrong, the thing looks great and apparently runs like a champ. It's nice to see such effort put into something from an OEM. I guess if you are a serious enthusiast with cash to blow, but really hate building your own rig, this would be the option for you.
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That system was purchased in mid October of last year.
 
Chris_Morley said:
That system was purchased in mid October of last year.
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Ahh good point, the CPU's dropped quite a bit mid-/late-October. Still though, even with everything else, wouldn't that make about a ~$100 dollar difference? Better, but still pretty pricey.

I am sure it is going to be worth it to a few people out there. To me though, strictly personal opinion, it is to much.
 
DAYM thats one sick system :D

9.7 :eek: maingear got beat! and in the same case with the same visual touches too :p seem the 6070B has a nice aura me thinks :p

there are a few image issues starting with the flashlight image in the review though :)

im curious as to why you didnt downclockt he CPU and try the torture test again though?
 
0mega said:
DAYM thats one sick system :D

9.7 :eek: maingear got beat! and in the same case with the same visual touches too :p seem the 6070B has a nice aura me thinks :p

there are a few image issues starting with the flashlight image in the review though :)

im curious as to why you didnt downclockt he CPU and try the torture test again though?
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Thanks for pointing out the image issue. I don't see it from my end but I forwarded the info on to see if there's something up with the DB.

As to the overclocked CPU - downclocking the GPU showed an improvement so we just called it as is. The bottom line is that we were more than satisfied with the system's performance where it counts: every day use in games and productivity.
 
BTW, y'all can welcome Abe Perez, the author of this article, as our latest addition to the [H] Consumer staff.
 
Chris_Morley said:
It never locked up during gaming or normal usage, which is what matters the most to us.
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And to be fair the torture tests Kyle and Co have designed can bring server class hardware crashing down. Both the shear amount of strain they put on the system, and in some case the obscenely randomness of some of the combinations will hardly ever be played out in real life.

I'm using an Ultra 600W, tho not the x-connect version, and it is insanely good. Low ripple, very stable voltages even under overclocking, and more juice than my rig will ever need.
 
Nice review.

Too expesnsive!
One thing I was impressed with though; you played Battlefield 2 at 2048x1536 with 2x AA on, WOW! I have not even seen an SLI rig that was in SLI at that level! Are you sure it was 2048x1536? What was the average fps? Low? Please include it in article.

I have to agree with the following: .. except the kiss, unless they are using female builders. :D

Tweakin said:
The build qualitiy looks really impressive for an OEM. Really impressive.

$3000 though? That's a $1k+ premium for overclocked hardware no matter how you slice it. The listed hardware retails for about ~$1650 (including the copy of Windows). Was $1350 really worth a good wiring job and overclock? For that price I would have expected a 19" monitor, keyboard, gaming mouse, and 5.1 speakers. Maybe even a kiss too :)

Don't get me wrong, the thing looks great and apparently runs like a champ. It's nice to see such effort put into something from an OEM. I guess if you are a serious enthusiast with cash to blow, but really hate building your own rig, this would be the option for you.
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JOESKURTU said:
Nice review.

Too expesnsive!
One thing I was impressed with though; you played Battlefield 2 at 2048x1536 with 2x AA on, WOW! I have not even seen an SLI rig that was in SLI at that level! Are you sure it was 2048x1536? What was the average fps? Low? Please include it in article.

I have to agree with the following: .. except the kiss, unless they are using female builders. :D
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Yup, that was the resolution. When Abe first showed me that list I made him go back and double check. You can see the frame rate summary on the following page after the game play eval.
 
OverdrivePC was suggesting 2xRaptors in RAID-0 to store your OS , savegames and documents?

WTF?
 
The build quality is very impressive, something that I would be proud to show off. Not sure if I would pick the Ultra X-Connect, but I digress. Is that a Thermaltake CPU cooler on that? I also need to find those clips that hold the SATA cables, they look fantastic.

However, I don't think running a single Raptor for everything is a good idea... from what I've seen, the Raptor would be for games, apps, and the OS, with a big storage drive for everything else. RAID0 has been shown to produce negligible performance gains too, according to the residents of the Disk Storage forum.
 
looks to me like the stock but with a 80mm fan with 92mm blades :) silverstone makes em, TT makes 120x130 ones :)
 
Yet another very good review! If I where to buy a OEM in the future for gaming they would be that OEM.
 
Great review of what seems to be a great product. One problem though.

I strongly disagree with 10/10 for purchasing. 30 days build delay is "perfect"? Not in my opinion and I'll wager that it's not "perfect 10/10" for most people.

Call it 9/10, 9.5/10, heck even go 9.999/10, but 10/10? No way. Not in a modern marketplace where in 30 days, a new generation of hardware may be out or prices could dramatically change. During my last custom system build, 30 days after I bought my components for a total of approx $1500, I could have repeated the exercise for $100 less or spent the same money and gotten another gig of memory, 200mhz of cpu speed, or even a new generation of mobo chipset.

It's obvious you're impressed, but calling a 30 day wait for buildup a perfect 10/10 buying experience cheapens the value of receiving a perfect score in any category. Don't be afraid of knocking down the score where necessary. A 10/10 score needs to MEAN something. It needs to mean that there is absolutely nothing that could possibly be better (within reasonable expectations) in that category. You've reviewed at least one other product with a similiar purchasing experience and gotten the computer within a week, so it's clear that other companies may have a better build/ship timeline for their highest quality products. So please make the hard decision and take a bit off of the score, even if it's just a small hit.
 
Id buy it just for the flashlight. They should partner up with maglite ro someone to make custom ones.
 
flenser said:
I strongly disagree with 10/10 for purchasing. 30 days build delay is "perfect"? Not in my opinion and I'll wager that it's not "perfect 10/10" for most people.
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I would agree with you 100% on this except for one thing. They made it very clear that delivery time would be 30 before the purchase was made or even to actually be seriously considered. That said, if delivery time is an issue, there is no reason for you to even consider these guys. Had this not been fully expected and previously noted, then I would say you have a point.
 
JMke said:
OverdrivePC was suggesting 2xRaptors in RAID-0 to store your OS , savegames and documents?

WTF?
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He said that he opted to remove the 250GB/7200RPM secondary hard drive from the configuration on page 2 of the review, under 'Our System", probably because for testing purposes the raptor was sufficient..... FWIW
 
The 30-day turnaround time is indeed lengthy, but do keep in mind that this machine comes overclocked pretty nicely (2.5GHz is no small number with a 3800+X2). If I was building an overclocked machine for a client, I know I would spend a lot of time making sure it is 100% stable before it went out the door.
 
_Korruption_ said:
The 30-day turnaround time is indeed lengthy, but do keep in mind that this machine comes overclocked pretty nicely (2.5GHz is no small number with a 3800+X2). If I was building an overclocked machine for a client, I know I would spend a lot of time making sure it is 100% stable before it went out the door.
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i'd also be willing to bet that they only use certain core steppings in those machines, as they need to be able to assure a certain level of overclockability, and sometimes it takes awhile to get ahold of them...... i'm only wondering one thing, why dont they use the 470MHz eVGA 7800GT COs in these rigs? Then they'd only have to OC the ram, the core would already be faster than what they are offering.......
 
cool write up. Never heard of them either but now that I have, I'd consider pointing friends (novice users) in their direction.
 
Great review, yet another PC maker I've never heard of! Looks like an insanly cool system. :cool: Wish I had the cash. :rolleyes: Anyway good job [H] reviewers.
 
The thing that impresses me most about the computer is the pre-installed software that is not standard. I personally hate Norton as an AV package but it's refreshing to see someone include a 1-year subscription for once and the stuff like winrar etc. is just great.

Great review btw, and any chance we'll have an Overdrive guy in the thread?
 
Relooking at the article and checking out overdrives website I think you should have mentioned some things.

One is that their tech support is monday through friday 9 to 5 est. Even if you had them send you the drive with saturday delivery no one would have been there to help you install it over the phone if you needed that help. I don't think that they should get a 10/10 for support without better hours.

Another thing is if they can't figure out whats wrong over the phone and want the system back you pay for shipping unless you upgrade your warranty(you guys didn't). Quoted from their site

Our clients are only responsible for the safe return of their system to Overdrive PC™ in the originally shipped container and packing contents.
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So you need to keep the box and pay to have the thing shipped to them. I think this should have maybe hit the value part but I may be nitpicking too much. A shipping box sent to you with a return label would be much better.

Also did you pay for next day shipping? It says on their site they ship via 3 day fedex.

Last question was the "Middle East and Africa" copy of norton a full year copy or a 90 day copy? I'll leave out the comments on where it may have come from but it would be helpful to know about the subscription time. Many oems throw on 60 or 90 day copies which sucks.
 
I believe Mario is actually the owner of overdrivePC. They also custom build all of these computers, which takes time. It's a small company and if you have several dozen orders at any one time, you have to expect a lengthy turn around time. And about the price, I honestly would rather pay an extra 500-600 dollars for someone who gives me exactly what they promise with excellent support, than go with like a dell or some company I have to fight with over every little thing.
 
Hi folks. I see a lot of questions arising and potential concerns so I am just forming a list of responses for questions I see through the night so I can form a quick reply tomorrow.

Thanks much Chris, Kyle and Hard|OCP staff for the inclusion of OPC in your eval program. You can imagine how we are quite happy with the review and what you've had to say. :D
 
swatbat said:
...any ideas who made that memory for them or did they just slap a sticker on some generic ram?
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Thanks for the comments guys.

As far as we can discern, the ram may be produced specifically for OPC by a memory vendor, or they may test the memory they use in systems rigorously and certify those sticks that pass and apply their own sticker. Either way the memory used in the reviewed system was solid and took the overclock very well.
 
hey mario got a question for yah
Do you have any plan of building a lower level gaming pc such as a base price of $999 or around that?
 
Clarification: shipping was 2-day air, and I have added an Editor's note.
 
The case is not only gorgeous, but is also highly modified to allow excellent air circulation. The overall quality of this system is stunning. Guys at OverdrivePC can be very proud of their job.
 
swatbat said:
One is that their tech support is monday through friday 9 to 5 est. Even if you had them send you the drive with saturday delivery no one would have been there to help you install it over the phone if you needed that help. I don't think that they should get a 10/10 for support without better hours.
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The score was given based on the simple fact that when I did call with problems, the tech support was thorough in diagnosing the issue and took the time necessary to ensure that the solution that they gave had permanently fixed the problem. While the support hours aren't longer than the standard business day, the sheer amount of effort they put into their support merits the score.

swatbat said:
Last question was the "Middle East and Africa" copy of norton a full year copy or a 90 day copy? I'll leave out the comments on where it may have come from but it would be helpful to know about the subscription time. Many oems throw on 60 or 90 day copies which sucks.
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It was a full year copy of norton, and installed with no problems at all.
 
Abe_Perez said:
The score was given based on the simple fact that when I did call with problems, the tech support was thorough in diagnosing the issue and took the time necessary to ensure that the solution that they gave had permanently fixed the problem. While the support hours aren't longer than the standard business day, the sheer amount of effort they put into their support merits the score.




It was a full year copy of norton, and installed with no problems at all.
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Ok good to know. While I don't agree with the score for tech support I fully understand where you come from giving it to them. I would recomend that you mention the hours if they are not 24/7 or something as this is very nice to have.

O yea Abe get one of the admins to give you a proper title. ;)
 
Dan3290 said:
hey mario got a question for yah
Do you have any plan of building a lower level gaming pc such as a base price of $999 or around that?
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This question will be answered in more detail later but at this time it is just not possible to build an Overdrive PC in this price range. There are so many other ancillary costs associated with our machines that you may not be aware. I will touch on those details later tomorrow after we close.

What we produce are not just boxes of parts where you head to Pricewatch or NewEgg and figure out what our machines cost to produce. I can’t tell you how many times folks tell us what “they can do with half the money” and how “pricey we are.” We build a different machine folks. I am not a salesman, but that has to be my response here. But, what company wouldn’t say just that? I know… I know… I can’t win with that statement. We have a real obsession for our products and technology. If anyone wants to see the real-world comments of actual customers, please head to our forums and ask-away. I think you will be quite impressed at our consistent record with our clients.

Also, we are not as new as perceived. We just do not have endless marketing dollars to pop up in every publication you pick up. When we finally hit some of the major publications 18 months ago, our success through product and quality was immediate and consistent. Our success has been through the actual ‘product’ and not marketing. We are not a marketing company by any means and component manufacturers tell us this is our biggest weakness. We are too busy producing high-end consumer products and have yet to even venture into ‘selling ourselves’ so to speak.

Overclocking (is) the premise we were built on. It is not a conditional bonus we provide from time to time in small doses. Let me leave off for tonight telling the folks here what they already know: Overclocking is a ‘practice’. It is not the job of a brainless monkey where you buy a $5 handbook or read a quick tutorial. I spend 90 hours a week on a test bench ironing out higher and more stable clock speeds for our products because this (IS) the value-add in our machines. We don't 'have to' do this. We 'choose to' do this and sign our name and a guarantee to it. I think there is a lot to be said for that. We do not just overclock review boxes for magazines to sneak in a ‘win’, we actually overclock everything that leaves. We will not sell you a machine that is NOT overclocked. You can quote me on that. It is a moral sin here at Overdrive PC for anything to leave at stock speeds. If a motherboard BIOS is premature, or there is a manufacturing defect in a board design limiting the board’s clock/voltage/cooling potentials, we mod it! We are built from a group of guys who do ‘what you do’ and offer it to consumers that want tomorrow’s performance today. Folks, this kind of R&D can’t come cheap for God’s sake. I do not mean to single out 'some' consumers, but we cannot build an economy box by most peoples standards.

This community (of all people) knows exactly what I am talking about when it comes to inconceivable cross-eyed hours on a test bench tweaking and tweaking and tweaking. We give this to the consumer in a turn-key package. There is a tremendous labor component in each of our machines because of this exhaustive time and the R&D required to continue to re-work new technologies as they come out (every day it seems). Every single machine has to be tweaked from ground up. Prime95, 3DMark03, 05, 06, PCMark05, CPU Burn-In, Reboot, freeze, resolve, tweak more, etc, etc, etc.

If all we did was toss a handful of parts in a box and ship it (as it runs), I can relate to the guy that can “build these for half the money.” This is not the case here. If we had only 1 machine to produce and no other operations of the business to accommodate in a days time, we have an honest 20+ hours of assembly, setup, testing, photographing, documenting and shipping each machine. Some machines are double the time depending on application of course.

Now, just imagine having an agenda to meet of a 30-day delivery time for an overclocked system that you must be responsible for and support. Imagine trying to produce 35+ machines a month on air cooling that surpass every ‘known to us’ competitor vs. their water-cooling. These machines do not build, tweak or test-bench themselves. We have a very different operation here and I have to tell you that the logistics of selling overclocked systems that have (guaranteed clock speeds) is NOT as simple as you think. You don’t just find the ‘BIOS numbers’ for a CPU and clock speeds for the VGA adapter(s) and then clone them across an assembly line and move them out the door. These machines are the dictionary definition of ‘custom’. There are no two alike (especially the settings required to overclock and stabilize them.)

For example, our 3800+ CPU’s now achieve 2700MHz. That is 1.4GHz of free power! Who offers this? Point me to the URL of another manufacturer who guarantees this clock speed? This is AMD’s cheapest dual-core CPU that matches and in most cases beats a stock FX-60 for $931 less. Where else do you get this and who else goes as far as guaranteeing such an exploit in technology? Also, we will never ‘push’ you into expensive water-cooling. We sell 1 water-cooled machine in 100. We actually discourage it. We achieve nearly the exact same speeds from our free air cooling as we do from our water cooling. We don’t sell you things you don’t need folks.

Thanks so much for your replies and even your skepticism folks. I look forward to answering all of your comments and questions tomorrow in better detail.
 
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