Manticore
Our Manticore system is designed to give a fantastic gaming experience without breaking the bank. The emphasis throughout is on achieving maximum frame rates in the current crop of games, whilst keeping an eye on what is to come.
The full system spec is as follows, please scroll down for additional information on each of the components that we have selected:
- Intel E8400 3.0GHz dual core processor
- 4Gb DDR2 800 RAM
- 500Gb Samsung Spinpoint
- 1Gb BFG GTX280
- Asus P5K motherboard
- 620W Corsair power supply
- Lightscribe DVD rewriter
- Windows Vista home premium (64 bit)
- Silverstone KL-01 case
- Custom cooling system
- Logitech G11 and MX400
- System Price - £1,090
- Price includes VAT and Delivery
The Processor:
The E8400 was one of the first from of new processors from Intel that featured the new 45nm architecture. This new technology allowed processors to run without consuming as much electricity, yet still realising the same level of processing power. This reduction in electrical usage also means that the units run noticeably cooler, allowing for either higher overclocks or a longer running life.
The Memory:
In the last year, RAM prices have fallen immensely. This means that without driving up the cost of the system, you can put in more than any game going can use. As standard, the system comes with 4Gb, split into 2 x 2Gb sticks. This can be increased to a massive total of 16Gb if your personal needs require it.
The Motherboard:
The Asus P5K is one of the rock solid staples of the P35 chipset. With full support for the new 45nm 1333MHz processors, you can be confident with this board running any S775 processor out there. It also features full support for RAID configurations, a plethora of usb ports and is fanless for silent running.
The Graphics Cards:
The GTX280 is Nvidia's flagship card, boasting a huge 1GB of high speed memory, 1.4 billion transistors and 240 computing cores, this card brings an immense amount of raw power to the average desktop computer. The BFG card that we use comes complete with a 10 year lifetime warranty for extra peace of mind.
The Operating System:
Manticore comes with an installation of Windows Vista Home Premium (64bt Edition). This space here really isn't enough to do justice to all the different facets, features and improvements in Windows Vista, but do have a look at the Microsoft Windows Vista site for more information.
The Monitor:
Because so many people already have a monitor of their own, we don't include one in the sample system as standard. However, we do ship a range of sizes from both Dell and Samsung to suit a variety of budgets and needs. Have a look at our monitors page for a full selection. The monitor to the right is the new Dell 2408WFP.
The Hard Drives:
In the last year, Samsung has dominated the hard drive market, from their first 500Gb model up to the current 1Tb F1 series. With read / write speeds that rival the Western Digital Raptor drives, these cards provide outstanding value for money without compromising on the performance front.
The Case:
I think you'll agree with us that this little case from Silverstone is a bit of a stunner. But don't let its pretty visage fool you, this is definitely a case of form follows function, and the whole design is engineered around producing a very solid mid size case. It is also very good at keeping noise to a minimum, so you don't have to worry about the system being noisy.
The Cooling:
Gaming systems are renowned for producing a great deal of heat, both from the CPU and the graphics card. In turn, we make sure that everything possible is done to remove the heat from a system as quickly as possible. In addition to the 2 x 120mm case fans, we have upgraded the stock Intel cpu cooler to the brilliant Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro.
The Power Supply:
Despite being a relative newcomer to the power supply market, Corsair are producing some of the best units going. They boast great reliability, efficiency and the ability to handle anything you throw in their direction.
The Speaker System:
Because sound is such a subjective thing, we want to leave you with a free hand in choosing appropriate hardware for this part of your system. Having a setup that you don't like the sound of can really ruin your gaming experience, and there are also plenty of people out there that prefer to game on headphones for that increased positional accuracy. However, we are more than happy to advise on which components would suit you.
The Keyboard and Mouse:
The baby brother of the famour G15 keyboard from Logitech, the G11 contains nearly all the features of the original. It has a total of 18 programmable keys, and every key on the board is backlit so you can continue playing long into the night without fumbling.