Velocity Micro Vector and the Falcon Northwest Mach V

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In this article we review two great, high-performance desktops - the Velocity Micro Vector Holiday Edition and the Falcon Northwest Mach V.

The Vector Holiday Edition from Velocity Micro is a high performance desktop that is capable of serving as a computer for the entire family as well as any gaming fans.  While its name may indicate that it was released solely for the holidays, Velocity Micro decided to extend its sale to meet high demand.  The Vector Holiday Edition starts at $849, but the model and specs reviewed here will cost you $999.  The desktop comes with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.



At the $999 level, you get an overclocked 3.62 GHz Intel Core i5-760 processor.  The quad-core processor gives the desktop solid performance, even when compared to some competing gaming desktops with higher price tags.  The multiple cores help when you want to run more than one application at the same time.  Common tasks like Internet browsing, multimedia viewing, and more are accomplished with ease, and gaming with modern titles is also a possibility for any young ones in the household.  Memory comes in the form of 4 GB of fast DDR3 SDRAM.

Since it can classify as a gaming desktop, graphics support is important.  In this case, a 768 MB Nvidia GeForce GTX 460 graphics card comes installed, but you can upgrade it to a 1 GB ATI Radeon HD card for more money.  As is, the Nvidia card gives the Vector Holiday Edition solid performance both in gaming and video.  A solid amount of storage space comes via a 1 TB hard drive.  The operating system that comes pre-installed is Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit.

The highlight of the Vector Holiday Edition's additional features is its Blu-ray drive.  This inclusion makes the desktop a true all-around computer for the whole family, as it allows you to view the highest quality DVDs.  If you want to transfer data to and from other digital devices, there is an 8-in-1 media card reader onboard that supports a variety of formats.  The inclusion of wireless networking is another nice surprise.

The upgrade possibilities with the Vector Holiday Edition are numerous and should entice any hands-on computer lover.  You can upgrade the 4 GB of RAM, as there are open spots for two more memory sticks.  Other vacancies include one standard PCI slot and two 1x PCI Express slots.

Velocity Micro did not do much to dress up the design of the Vector Holiday Edition, as it comes in a matte black finish and a completely rectangular frame.  Its left side does have a transparent casing so you can see what's going on inside, however.  The tower is not the smallest you will find either, but most performance-based desktops are not usually portable.  While it's not flashy, the desktop definitely seems to have been built with quality in mind.

Connectivity options on the desktop should suffice for most users.  You get plenty of USB 2.0 ports, as well as some USB 3.0 connections.  Other options include a mini-HDMI port, two DVI ports, ports for keyboard and mouse connections, various audio jacks, a FireWire port, and an eSATA port.

For its price, it's hard to not like the Velocity Micro Vector Holiday Edition.  The desktop combines solid performance with a quality build, plenty of features, and good connectivity.  It's a great pick for those in need of a do-it-all desktop.  If you are interested in picking one up, be sure to act fast, as there is no telling how long it will be available. 

Next: Falcon Northwest Mach V >>
 

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