Polywell Poly 939N4-SLI

Polywell Computers specializes in reasonably priced custom PC configurations, so we requested the fastest PC the company could muster with the latest parts. The result: The Poly 939N4-SLI, which consists of some primo components stuffed into a decidedly generic case.

With new parts from AMD and Intel unavailable at the time of our request, Polywell built a system that’s similar to our latest zero-point test beds, with a few exceptions. The most significant difference is that the nVidia GeForce 6800 Ultras in this SLI rig boast 512MB of memory each. Most everything else is Maximum PC-stock; CPU duties are handled by the familiar Athlon 64 FX-55 running at a stock 2.6GHz, plugged into an Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard (equipped with nVidia’s nForce 4 SLI chipset). But while we splurged on our zero-points by packing them with 2GB of memory and an Audigy 2 ZS soundcard, the Poly is saddled with just 1GB of DDR400 (two sticks from Super Talent Memory) and the mobo’s onboard RealTek ALC850 codec for audio duties.

We applaud Polywell’s inclusion of dual 74GB Western Digital Raptors in a RAID 0 config. Unfortunately, a dearth of 3.5-inch drive bays in the mini-tower case—there are only four, with one occupied by a floppy—forced Polywell to stack these two hotty drives on top of each other. The two 50mm intake fans are insufficient for this storage sandwich—we measured ambient temperatures near the drives at 119 degrees Fahrenheit.

The 512MB per-videocard memory boost could give gamers a speed boost, but we’re not convinced.Even the normally ebullient videocard vendors aren’t promising performance gains from the 512MB cards. These cards’ core clocks run at the same 425MHz as standard 256MB GeForce 6800 Ultras, but the memory clock is slower at 525MHz, compared with 550MHz on the 256MB boards.

Folks who want to augment the 138GB of storage—and we imagine there will be many—will have to buy adapters for the two open 5.25-inch drive bays. Curiously enough, Polywell’s website shows a second dual 3.25-inch drive cage inside the case, but this was missing from the box we received. Of the two remaining 5.25-inch bays, one is occupied by a Sony drive that burns single-layer DVDs at 16x and double-layer media at 4x; the second bay holds a Sony CD-RW/DVD combo drive.
Performance-wise, the Polywell outran our zero-point system in every benchmark save one. It opened up just a small lead in SYSmark2004 scores—211 compared with our zero-point’s 201—but in 3DMark2005 Game 3, it trounced the zero-point by a whopping 29 percent.

Polywell’s picks for motherboard, graphics, and mass storage leave us with little to complain about at this price point, and the decision to go with generic memory doesn’t seem to adversely affect performance. But the absence of a dedicated soundcard, a shortage of 3.5-inch drive bays, and the EZ-Bake Oven hard-drive situation leave us a little cold. —Mark Behnken

+ Hot: Dual 512MB graphics boards in SLI; strong application performance.

- Not: Generic case, limited expansion, and hard drives that run way too hot.

Month Reviewed: June 2005
Verdict: 7
URL: www.polywell.com

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