Scan 3XS Isotope X2 SLI OC

Conclusions

We've given the Scan Isotope a pretty thorough going over. How does it break down in the grand scheme of things?

Performance: The Isotope is speedy, with high-end components - but is a little off the bleeding edge. The combination of 7900 GTs with the overclocked X2 is a really neat configuration, and the time taken to tweak the Corsair memory to optimal settings is well spend, as evidenced by the very quick memory bandwidth scores. The EVGA motherboard that underpins the system is based on Nforce 4 SLI, and is a good choice.

There's also a single slot spare, if you tweak the cooling, to slot in a PCI card for further expansion.

Form factor/noise: Bottom line, this is an awesome-looking system. It's unique, it'll draw crowds, it's portable, but it's big enough to house a serious amount of powerful kit. Frankly, we love it. The green internal glow and the orange etching on the front are great touches. The chunky clips on the side and the ease with which it can be opened up are just glorious. We talk a lot about the enthusiast scene, and enthusiast manufacturers, and often in a loose way. This, however, is a real enthusiasts' machine.

In terms of the noise, it's not fantastic - there are obviously compromises to be made in having this much power in a small form factor system. However, with fan controls on the front and quiet coolers deployed on the components, it's perfectly acceptable.

Value: At £1586, the system isn't cheap. But how does it split down in terms of components?

• X2 3800+ - £200.
  
• Two XFX 7900 GTs - £230 x 2
  
• 2GB Corsair XMS 4000 - £150
  
• Samsung 250GB Hard drive - £60
  
• FSP 600W PSU - £85

That little lot comes to £955, which means you're looking at another £600 for the DVD drive, motherboard, chassis, and Windows. That's actually quite a lot, and makes the Isotope look a little expensive. Basically, you are paying a premium for the chassis and the form factor, as well as the many hours it will take to assemble one of these systems - remember, packing it all in there, neatly, is a pretty difficult job. And it's certainly not on the same scale as the uplift on an Alienware system, so we won't complain too much.

Of course, seeing as the components are overclocked, you're getting more performance for the money, which adds to the value too.

Final thoughts

Overall, the Scan 3XS Isotope X2 SLI OC system is a cracking machine. It looks great, it performs awesomely and will look great on your desk. It's a lot of power in a very small, uber-leet package. It's not the greatest value in the world - but getting into the WMD business always was an expensive affair.