Dino PC Sandyvore review
We like the Sandyvore's monitor and performance, and both its Creative speakers and quiet fans are pleasing to the ears. We'd have preferred a Blu-ray drive, though.
Specifications
4.7GHz Intel Core i5-2500K, 4GB RAM, 24in 1,920×1,080 display, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Dino PC’s Sandyvore is a sleek and quiet system built around Intel’s Core i5-2500K processor, a Shopper favourite that automatically makes this PC a processing powerhouse. It’s been overclocked enough to put its overall score of 125 comfortably above our baseline score of 100 for a non-overclocked i5-2500K.
Dino PC has focussed on build quality, with a sturdy case, quiet CPU cooler and virtually silent case fans. Dust filters prevent grit and fluff from being drawn into the case from below, but the side panel’s ventilation holes are wide and do little to reduce either noise or dust. Fortunately, the system only makes a low hum, so noise isn’t a major issue. There are five well-designed internal 3½in bays, an external 3.5in bay for a memory card reader – although there isn’t one fitted – and four 5.25in bays. Four SATA2 and two SATA3 ports make it easy to add extra drives, with two occupied by connections to the DVD re-writer and hard disk.
The Asus P8P67 LE motherboard has two PCI-E x1 slots (one of which is blocked by the graphics card), three PCI slots and a pair of PCI-E x16 slots. One is home to the graphics card, while the other can be used for any PCI-E card. 4GB of RAM is installed in two 2GB modules. Adding further RAM modules could be a pain, as you’ll find have to unbolt the CPU cooler to access one of the two free slots.
Basic Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Rating | **** |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-2500K |
| Processor external bus | 100MHz (Sandy Bridge DMI) |
| Processor multiplier | x47 |
| Processor clock speed | 4.7GHz |
| Processor socket | LGA1155 |
| Memory | 4 |
| Memory type | PC3-12800 |
| Maximum memory | 32GB |
| Motherboard | Asus P8P67 LE |
| Motherboard chipset | Intel P67 |
Ports | |
| USB2 ports (front/rear) | 4/8 |
| Firewire ports (front/rear) | 0/1 |
| eSATA ports (front/rear) | 0/1 |
| Wired network ports | 1x 10/100/1000 |
| Wireless networking support | none |
Internal Expansion | |
| Case | midi tower |
| PCI-E x1 slots (free) | 2 (1) |
| PCI-E x16 slots (free) | 2 (1) |
| Free Serial ATA ports | 4 |
| Free memory slots | 2 |
| Free 3.5in drive bays | 5 |
Hard Disk | |
| Hard disk model(s) | Samsung HD103SJ |
| Interface | SATA2 |
| Total storage capacity | 1,000GB |
Graphics | |
| Graphics card(s) | 2GB ATI Radeon HD 6950 |
| Graphics/video ports | 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x mini DisplayPort |
Sound | |
| Sound | ERROR: Dependant missing |
| Sound outputs | 7.1 line out, optical S/PDIF out, stereo line out, mic in |
| Speakers | Creative Inspire T10 |
Removable Drives | |
| Supported memory cards | none |
| Optical drive type(s) | DVD+/-RW +/-DL |
Display | |
| Viewable size | 24 in |
| Screen model | BenQ G2420HD |
| Native resolution | 1,920×1,080 |
| Screen inputs | VGA, DVI, HDMI |
Other Hardware | |
| Keyboard | Logitech Cordless Desktop MK300 |
| Mouse | Logtech M-R0006 |
Software | |
| Software included | none |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
| Operating system restore option | Windows disc |
Buying Information | |
| Warranty | three years RTB (one year parts, three years labour) |
| Price | £999 |
| Details | www.dinopc.com |