If you don’t like waiting for programs to load or files to transfer and want a small form factor build, the DV Nation RAMRod Powerbox is the custom build for you. The system sent to us includes a 20GB RAMDisk that runs off of Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 memory (and hit around 9000MBps in some of our CrystalDiskMark tests), and there’s also a 240GB OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2 to quickly load Windows and other applications that won’t fit onto the RAMDisk. DV Nation designated 4GB of the system memory as
RAMCache, a fast cache for the RevoDrive. For fast mass storage, this RAMRod also offers a 1.5GB RAID 0 configuration that consists of two 750GB Seagate Momentus XT hybrid drives. Another 4GB RAMCache is dedicated to the RAID setup.
For portability, DV Nation used a Lian Li PC-V354, which is designed for microATX and Mini-ITX boards. The exterior appeared similar to the stock design, except that DV Nation added two external fans to improve airflow. The fan on the back of the case helped to move heat away from the radiator connected to
the rear exhaust, while the fan on the top improved ventilation for the remaining interior heat. The interior of the system was clean, and DV Nation covered all the cables in plastic, corrugated wire looms, so you won’t see most of the wiring.
Airflow within the system was also impressive, as the two 120mm fans at the front of the case effectively move air over the storage devices and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690, and the closed-loop liquidcooler has two 120mm fans attached to the radiator, which helped DV Nation reach a healthy 4.4GHz overclock on the Intel Core i7-3820. This powerful hardware complements the RAMRod Powerbox’s impressive storage subsystem.
The most exciting benchmark numbers we saw came from CrystalDiskMark. The 512KB Random Write test came in at 9097MBps, and the Sequential Write speed hit 8986MBps, both of which are roughly 20 times faster than what you’d see from a typical high-end SATA SSD. We’ll also note that the 4KB random reads and writes were stellar, as well, climbing as high as 1898MBps (4KB Random Read QD32). Frame rates in games were also solid, with 59.9fps in Aliens vs. Predator and 38.67fps in Metro 2033.
The RAMRod Powerbox certainly maximizes performance with this small form factor build. As such, this system is perfect for those who need a performance workstation or high-end audio/video editing system that can fit into tight spaces. The portable design also gives you the freedom to move the RAMRod Powerbox around, if you need to take it to a different work area . . . or to a LAN party.
RAMRod Powerbox
$4,663 (as tested)
DV Nation
Specs: CPU: Intel Core i7-3820 @ 4.4GHz; Motherboard: ASRock X79 Xtreme 4; GPU: NVIDIA
GeForce GTX 690; RAM: 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600; Storage: 240GB OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2,
1.5TB Seagate Barracuda (2x, RAID 0); Optical Drive: Plextor PX-L890SA; OS: Windows 7 Home
Professional (64-bit)
