We were introduced to Intel’s first six-core “Gulftown” processor last month, with the Core i7-980X offering blistering performance and a typically ludicrous Extreme Edition price. Now Mesh has won the race to produce a full review system using the chip, and the resulting Hush i7 980X is as wallet-unfriendly as you’d expect.
It does pack quite a punch, though. The six cores and 32nm die grab the headlines, but the Core i7-980X also offers Hyper-Threading technology to handle a dozen processes simultaneously, and there’s a massive 12MB L3 cache. Turbo Boost has also been enhanced: the i7-980X can dynamically adjust individual cores from the standard 3.33GHz, down as low as 1.6GHz and up to 3.6GHz as required.
Mesh has paired this monstrous CPU with 6GB of 1,600MHZ DDR3 memory, which together produced stunning levels of raw power. In our 2D application benchmarks, the Hush i7 980X roared to a score of 2.48. That’s the best result we’ve seen from a processor running at its stock speeds, beaten only by overclocked monsters such as Chillblast’s Fusion Mustang with its souped-up Core i7-920.
The Mesh is a powerful gaming machine too. The best match for the CPU would have been a dual-GPU graphics card, but Mesh has opted for an ATI Radeon HD 5870, which is the next best thing. Our High-quality Crysis test was brushed aside with an average framerate of 72fps, and even at Very High settings and a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 it managed 38fps.
The rest of the Hush i7 980X’s internal specification is of suitably high quality. Windows 7 Home Premium comes installed on a 64GB Kingston SSD to boost boot speed and keep core processes running as smoothly as possible. There’s also a 1TB Samsung SpinPoint hard disk for data storage and a Blu-ray reader.
Warranty | |
---|---|
Warranty | 1 yr return to base |
Basic specifications | |
Total hard disk capacity | 1,064 |
RAM capacity | 6.00GB |
Screen size | 24.0in |
Processor | |
CPU family | Intel Core i7 |
CPU nominal frequency | 3.33GHz |
CPU overclocked frequency | N/A |
Processor socket | LGA 1366 |
HSF (heatsink-fan) | Intel stock cooler |
Motherboard | |
Motherboard | Asus P6T SE |
Motherboard chipset | Intel X58 |
Conventional PCI slots free | 2 |
Conventional PCI slots total | 2 |
PCI-E x16 slots free | 2 |
PCI-E x16 slots total | 3 |
PCI-E x8 slots free | 0 |
PCI-E x8 slots total | 0 |
PCI-E x4 slots free | 0 |
PCI-E x4 slots total | 0 |
PCI-E x1 slots free | 1 |
PCI-E x1 slots total | 2 |
Internal SATA connectors | 6 |
Internal SAS connectors | 1 |
Internal PATA connectors | 1 |
Internal floppy connectors | 1 |
Wired adapter speed | 1,000Mbits/sec |
Memory | |
Memory type | DDR3 |
Memory sockets free | 3 |
Memory sockets total | 6 |
Graphics card | |
Graphics card | ATI Radeon HD 5870 |
Multiple SLI/CrossFire cards? | no |
Graphics chipset | HIS ATI Radeon HD 5870 |
Graphics card RAM | 1.00GB |
DVI-I outputs | 2 |
HDMI outputs | 1 |
VGA (D-SUB) outputs | 0 |
DisplayPort outputs | 1 |
Number of graphics cards | 1 |
Hard disk | |
Capacity | 1.00TB |
Hard disk usable capacity | 931GB |
Internal disk interface | SATA/300 |
Spindle speed | 7,200RPM |
Cache size | 32MB |
Hard disk 2 nominal capacity | 64GB |
Hard disk 2 spindle speed | N/A |
Hard disk 3 make and model | N/A |
Hard disk 3 nominal capacity | N/A |
Hard disk 4 make and model | N/A |
Hard disk 4 nominal capacity | N/A |
Drives | |
Optical disc technology | Blu-ray reader |
Optical disk 2 make and model | N/A |
Optical disk 3 make and model | N/A |
Monitor | |
Monitor make and model | Iiyama ProLite E2407HDSD |
Resolution screen horizontal | 1,920 |
Resolution screen vertical | 1,080 |
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
Pixel response time | 2ms |
Contrast ratio | 1,000:1 |
Screen brightness | 300cd/m2 |
DVI inputs | 1 |
HDMI inputs | 0 |
VGA inputs | 1 |
DisplayPort inputs | 0 |
Additional Peripherals | |
Speakers | N/A |
Speaker type | N/A |
Sound card | Realtek HD Audio |
Case | |
Chassis | NZXT Hush |
Case format | Full tower |
Power supply | |
Power supply | X-Power ATX-700TW |
Power supply rating | 700W |
Free drive bays | |
Free front panel 5.25in bays | 3 |
Rear ports | |
USB ports (downstream) | 8 |
FireWire ports | 1 |
eSATA ports | 1 |
PS/2 mouse port | yes |
Electrical S/PDIF audio ports | 1 |
Optical S/PDIF audio output ports | 1 |
Modem | no |
3.5mm audio jacks | 6 |
Front ports | |
Front panel USB ports | 2 |
Front panel memory card reader | no |
Mouse & Keyboard | |
Mouse and keyboard | Logitech Deluxe 660 Wireless keyboard and mouse |
Operating system and software | |
OS family | Windows 7 |
Recovery method | Windows disc |
Performance tests | |
Overall application benchmark score | 2.48 |
Office application benchmark score | 2.08 |
2D graphics application benchmark score | 2.69 |
Encoding application benchmark score | 2.09 |
Multitasking application benchmark score | 3.08 |
Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way.