DINO PC DARK SPARK GTX 960

£999 inc VAT • dinopc.com

The Dark Spark GTX 960 is a complete PC package, bundled with all the peripherals you will need for an exciting gaming experience.

Based on Intel’s quad-core Core i5-4960K, overclocked from the standard 3.5GHz to an ambitious 4.6GHz, the Dark Spark achieves the fastest processor top speed in our mid-priced PC group test. To keep CPU temperatures in check, Dino PC and selected a Be Quiet Pure Rock BK009 processor cooler, which has a quiet nine-blade 120mm fan and six heat pipes.

Graphics power comes from a Palit-branded nVidia GeForce GTX960 with 2GB of RAM. Our gaming tests don’t benefit much from the boosted CPU performance, but more processor-intensive games such as Dragon Age Inquisition stand to see increased frame rates.

Storage comes in the form of two drives: A 120GB Samsung 850 EVO for fast booting and quick load times, and a separate 1TB hard drive for increased storage. A 120GB drive is enough to hold a Windows installation, but any sizeable game collection is likely to be forced onto the slower hard drive. We would recommend going for a larger SSD if your budget allows. The system also comes with 8GB of RAM, which is adequate, and easily upgradable to 16GB later.

At the centre of the system is a Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming 3 motherboard, which uses Intel’s Z79-Express chipset. This particular model also includes enhanced quality audio and a built-in amplifier for rear surround speakers and supports multi-card graphics setups from both AMD and nVidia, allowing flexible upgrade options.

Dino PC has chosen NZXT’s new Source 340 system case. It has no external drive bays, and presents a blank front panel, while the

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side window obscures most of the cabling at the bottom, leaving a clean view of the more visually interesting components above.

The Dark Spark GTX 960 comes with a Corsair Raptor HS30 gaming headset, the Corsair Raptor K30 keyboard, and a Corsair Raptor M30 high-dpi gaming mouse. A 24in Iiyama Prolite GE2488HS-B1 monitor is also included. Its TN panel is built for speed rather than colour accuracy, but it’s ideal for fast-paced gaming thanks to its 1ms response time. VERDICT: Dino PC’s Dark Spark GTX 960 is an excellent, well-rounded gaming PC with all the peripherals you’ll need to start playing.