The Xi MTower PCIe workstation is housed in a
Cooler Master HAF 912 case with four front panel
bays and six internal drive bays. The perforated
grills in the top and side aid cooling, but
don’t help muffle internal fan noise.
Photo courtesy of David Cohn. |
California-based @Xi Computer Corp.
(pronounced “at-ex-eye”) has been building workstations
since May 1992. At one time, I even owned one. Yet I
couldn’t remember the last time I reviewed one of the
company’s computers.
Needless to say, I was quite
interested when DE received one of @Xi’s latest
Intel-based workstations, the Xi MTower PCIe -- powered
by a 3.4GHz Intel Core i7 2600K quad-core CPU. That
processor, based on Intel’s newest Sandy Bridge
architecture, has a maximum turbo frequency of 3.8Ghz.
Sandy Bridge brings the memory
controller and PCIe controller onto the CPU die, and
also includes on-board graphics, although CAD and DCC
users will still want to equip their systems with a
discrete workstation-class graphics accelerator. The
Core i7 2600K also incorporates an 8MB SmartCache.
But the big news is that the “K” in
the CPU’s name means that the chip has an unlocked
multiplier, making it easier to overclock this
processor. That’s just what @Xi did, boosting the system
to 4.1GHz.
The Xi MTower PCIe came housed in an
HAF 912 case manufactured by Cooler Master. The charcoal
gray tower measured 8.6x19.4x18.0 in.; the system
weighed 33 lbs. A small panel at the top of the front
bezel contained a pair of USB ports, microphone and
headphone jacks, and both a power and separate reset
button. Below this were four 5.25-in. drive bays with
front-panel access. The top-most bay contained an 18X
Liteon dual-layer DVD+/-RW drive.
Some Assembly Required
When we first removed the workstation from its
packaging, a note warned that before powering the
computer on for the first time, we needed to open the
case to remove spacers that were installed inside to
absorb shocks during shipping. The left panel of the
Cooler Master case was held in place by two non-captive
thumbscrews. After removing these and putting them
safely aside so they wouldn’t get lost, we opened the
case and removed three foam rubber blocks.
The Intel Core i7 2600K CPU requires a
larger heat sink and fan than earlier processors.
Because the CPU in the MTower was overclocked, rather
than use Intel’s thermal solution, @Xi included a Cooler
Master V6 GT heat sink. This 5-in., cube-shaped device
with two large fans mounts on top of the processor,
completely hiding it from view. It was this contraption
that the foam blocks were supporting during shipping.
@Xi assembles its systems from
standard components, and includes all of the manuals and
extra nuts, bolts, etc., that come with those parts.
When we unpacked the MTower, residing among all of the
spare parts and cables was a box containing a Corsair
AIRFLOW memory cooling fan, along with yet another note
informing us that we needed to go to a link on the @Xi
website to watch a video explaining how to assemble and
install this component. The resulting installation
process took just a few minutes, but the device really
didn’t attach very firmly to the memory sockets.
Room for Expansion
Inside the well-organized case, we had easy access to
the six internal drive bays, one of which contained the
system’s boot drive: a 120GB Corsair Force Series F120
solid-state hard drive. This 2.5-in. form factor device
has a maximum read speed of 285MB/second, and a lifespan
rated at more than 1 million hours mean time between
failures. A second bay held a Western Digital 1TB
7200rpm SATA hard drive for use as a data drive. This
still left lots of space for us to add additional
storage. A Cooler Master SilentProM 1,000 watt power
supply was tucked neatly into the bottom rear corner of
the case, and provides ample power for future additions.
Inside the Xi workstation, a large Cooler Master
heat sink conceals the over-clocked Intel Core
i7 2600K CPU (upper left), while the Corsair fan
unit that we had to assemble and mount to its
right cools the system memory concealed beneath.
Photo courtesy of
David Cohn. |
The new Intel Sandy Bridge processors
cannot be plugged into the same LGA1156 socket used for
Intel’s last generation of “Westmere” family CPUs, but
rather requires the new LGA1155 socket. For that reason,
the Xi MTower PCIe was assembled around an ASUS P8P67
motherboard with an Intel P67 Express chipset. The ASUS
motherboard provided a total of seven expansion slots:
one PCIe X16 slot (x16 electrically), a second X16 slot
(x4 electrically), a pair of PCIe X1 slots, and three
PCI slots. One PCIe X16 in our evaluation unit was
filled with an NVIDIA Quadro 5000 graphics accelerator,
a double-width board that covered the adjacent PCIe X1
slot. @Xi also offers a range of other graphics
accelerators from both ATI and NVIDIA. With 352 GPU
cores and 2.5GB of GDDR5 video memory, the Quadro 5000
also requires auxiliary power.
The ASUS motherboard also provides
four dual in-line memory module (DIMM) sockets, and
supports up to 32GB of system memory using 8GB DIMMs.
Our evaluation unit came with 16GB of RAM, installed as
four 4GB 1,333MHz DDR3 DIMMs. The motherboard also
supports up to eight SATA drives and includes a Realtek
8111E Gigabit LAN controller, a Bluetooth v2.1
controller, a Realtek 8-channel high-definition audio
CODEC with DTS surround sound and jack-detection/retasking,
an on-board IEEE 1394 controller supporting up to two
FireWire ports, and an NEC USB 3.0 controller -- in
addition to the USB 2.0 support built into the Intel P67
chipset.
All of this on-board support was put
to good use, as the rear panel offered PS/2 mouse and
PS/2 keyboard ports, an optical S/PDIF out port,
Bluetooth module, eight USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0
ports, an IEEE 1394a port, an RJ45 LAN port, and six
audio ports -- including line-in, line-out/front speaker
out, microphone, center/subwoofer, rear speaker out, and
side speaker out providing support for 2-, 4-, 6- or
8-channel audio configurations. The NVIDIA Quadro 5000
graphics card has one DVI-I connection, plus two
DisplayPorts.
Remarkable Performance
Thanks to the solid-state hard drive, it took less than
30 seconds from the time we powered up the Xi MTower
PCIe workstation until Windows 7 was ready for us to
start working.
Although the MTower was equipped with
the same NVIDIA Quadro 5000 as the systems we’ve
recently tested from BOXX and Dell, it had just a single
quad-core CPU compared to the dual six-core CPUs in the
Dell T5500 and 3DBOXX 8550XTREME workstations. While we
were expecting to see decent performance, particularly
since the Intel Core i7 2600K processor in the MTower
was over-clocked to nearly the same speed as the Intel
Xeon X5680 in the BOXX workstation, we didn’t expect the
MTower to set any records.
Boy, were we surprised.
On the SPECviewperf test, which
focuses solely on graphics performance, the Xi MTower
managed to set new high-water marks for three of the
eight datasets in the test, and ranked close to the top
on several others.
Unfortunately, @Xi did not provide us
with a dual-boot system, so we were unable to obtain a
complete set of valid result for the SPECapc SolidWorks
benchmark. This test breaks out the graphics, CPU and
I/O performance separately from the overall score. While
we couldn’t use the overall or graphics scores, the CPU
and I/O results were, again, right near the top.
It was only when we turned our
attention to our own AutoCAD rendering test, which
clearly shows the advantages of hyper-threading, that
the Xi MTower PCIe workstation lagged behind. Because it
had the equivalent of only 8 CPU cores with
hyper-threading enabled, compared to 24 on the BOXX and
Dell workstations, it took nearly 50 seconds to complete
the test rendering. Still, that proved to be the best
results we’ve ever recorded for a system with a single
quad-core CPU.
Because the MTower had an over-clocked
CPU, @Xi made sure the system had lots of cooling. We
counted no fewer than eight fans: one in the front panel
and one on the rear, two in the large Cooler Master CPU
heat sink, two more in the Corsair memory cooling
module, one in the power supply and one in the NVIDIA
Quadro 5000. Although the system was relatively quiet
when idling, once we started running our tests, we could
definitely hear all of those fans. With a large
perforated grill in the top and a second in the
removable side panel, the Cooler Master HAF 912 case
provides little acoustic control.
The ASUS P8P67 motherboard provides a host of
on-board features, enabling lots of rear panel
connections and plenty of expandability.
Photo courtesy of David Cohn. |
Our evaluation unit came with Windows
7 Professional Edition 64-bit pre-installed, and @Xi
included the actual Microsoft DVD and certificate of
authenticity. Other versions of Windows and several
flavors of Linux are also available. In fact, you can
choose from a wide range of options on the @Xi website.
For example, our evaluation unit came with a wonderful
Logitech cordless desktop MK710 keyboard and matching
laser mouse, which added $95. The standard @Xi warranty
only covers the system for one year, in spite of the
fact that many of the systems’ components have longer
warranty periods if purchased separately. For an
additional charge, @Xi offers warranties of up to four
years, as well as on-site service.
Although the base price for the Xi
MTower PCIe workstation is just $1,119, we expected the
cost of our evaluation unit to be much higher. The
NVIDIA Quadro 5000 alone added $1,999 to the price. But
at $4,465 for the system as tested, the Xi MTower PCIe
delivers more bang for the buck than any other system
we’ve tested recently.
For More Information:
@Xi Computer Corp.
Xi MTower PCIe workstation
- Price: $4,465 as tested ($1,119
base price)
System Requirements
- Size: 8.6x19.4x18.0-in. (WxDxH)
tower
- CPU: one Intel Core i7 2600K
(quad-core) 3.4GHz (over-clocked to 4.1GHz)
- Memory: 16GB DDR3 ECC at 1333MHz
(up to 32GB supported)
- Graphics: NVIDIA Quadro 5000 (one
DVI port, two DisplayPorts)
- Hard Disk: Corsair Force Series
120GB solid-state SATA drive, Western Digital 1TB
SATA 7,200rpm drive
- Optical: Liteon 18X DVD+/-RW
Dual-Layer
- Audio: on-board integrated
high-definition audio (microphone and headphone on
front panel; optical S/PDIF out, line-in,
line-out/front speakers, microphone,
center/subwoofer, rear speakers, and side speakers
on rear panel)
- Network: integrated 10/100/1000
LAN with one RJ45 socket
- Other: PS/2 keyboard, PS/2 mouse,
two USB 2.0 on front panel, eight USB 2.0 on rear
panel, two USB 3.0 on rear panel, one IEEE 1394a on
rear panel, Bluetooth module on rear panel
- Keyboard: 105-key Logitech MK710
cordless keyboard
- Pointing device: Logitech M705
laser mouse
David Cohn is the technical
publishing manager at 4D Technologies. He’s a
contributing editor to Desktop Engineering and also does
consulting and technical writing from his home in
Bellingham, WA. The author of more than a dozen books
has been benchmarking PCs since 1984. You can contact
him via email at
david@dscohn.com or
visit
DSCohn.com. |
