This isn't a major issue, since you can buy a suitable Firewire expansion card featuring the highly compatible TI chip for under £10 if you do run into problems, but it's nevertheless annoying on a dedicated audio PC.įitted in the review unit expansion slots were a modest Nvidia 7300 graphics card (I chose one for my own PC because of its low power consumption and passive cooling, both of which help to keep noise levels down) and an M-Audio Audiophile 2496 soundcard for testing purposes. The back of the case is where you'll find most of the Synergy's connections, but there are also two extra USB ports and a Firewire port on the top for easier access.Unfortunately, the Firewire controller is from LSI/Agere, and known to have various problems with audio interfaces from MOTU, Presonus and RME, among others (the same chip has also been causing problems for new Macbook Pro and iMac users). It also offers six SATA 3.0 ports, two RJ45 LAN ports and a SATA port for external hard drives, so few users will ever need to install additional port expander cards. However, the P5Q does feature three x16 PCI Express slots and two x1 PCI Express slots, plus two PCI slots, providing good expansion potential for those who are into all things cardy. Neither are earth-shattering improvements, especially for musicians, who are unlikely to need the extra PCI Express bandwidth for their typically modest graphics cards. This was released in mid–2008 and is similar to last year's P35 chip set but adds native support for Intel's 45nm processors and support for the PCI Express 2.0 standard. The motherboard in the review PC was from Asus (a popular company with DIY builders, and with some, but not all, system builders), and is a P5Q Deluxe running with a Front Side Bus speed of 1333MHz and featuring Intel's new P45 chip set. Talking of drives, both of the 500GB Seagate Barracuda models installed in the review PC were housed in Scythe Quiet Drive silencers - aluminium cases lined with foam rubber to damp vibration and reduce both airborne and structure-borne noise. Inside the case, the wiring is a model of neatness, and there's also plenty of expansion potential if you need to install additional hard or optical drives later on. These are ideal for plugging in occasional devices such as mobile audio interfaces, RAM sticks or dongles (many cases provide USB ports on their lower front panel where smaller devices can easily get broken off). Although there are already six USB ports and a Firewire port 'round the back', I also approved of the hinged panel at top front of the Synergy case, which conceals an additional Firewire port and another two USB ports. The Blofelds DSP40 benchmark test result for this 3GHz CPU at the higher 512-sample buffer size shows the 25 percent improvement in performance that you'd expect over a Q6600 2.4GHz processor.The ATX Tower case of the Synergy review PC is one of the largest I've reviewed to date, and it certainly looks sophisticated in a black, hi-tech sort of way, while its hinged front door and blue LEDs add plenty of class. Let's look at the parts and see how the total stacks up! What's In The Box? While there are entry–level models, overall the range is aimed at the mid- to high-end market and with ex–Carillon expertise on board, I suspect DV are hoping to gain some of the previous customers of this well-respected range, now that it's no longer available. Each of their systems has been put through its paces with all the major DAW packages and aims to be powerful and reliable, yet very quiet. Synergy is defined as 'the simultaneous joint action of separate parties which, together, have greater total effect than the sum of their individual effects', and Digital Village have chosen this name for their new PC range carefully, to highlight their close working relationship with OEM providers and DAW developers such as Cakewalk, Digidesign, M-Audio and Steinberg. Digital Village enjoy an established reputation for their custom music PCs, and are clearly looking to build upon that with their new Synergy range.
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