VIBOX SPAWN X
£979 inc VAT • vibox.co.uk
Featuring an Intel Core-i5 6600K processor overclocked to 4.5GHz and speedy 2800MHz DDR4 memory, the Vibox Spawn X offers one of the best core specifications in our Skylake gaming PC group test, but can it’s performance live up to the specs?
It’s a great-looking system, which combines smart, clean lines with gamer-friendly transparent side windows and a fair smattering of red internal LEDs. The Phanteks Enthoo Pro Mid system case gives a good view of internal components, but has a smart appearance that we feel looks a great deal better than the faux industrial moulding of competing cases such as the Corsair Carbide range.
Processor temperatures are kept in check by an Antec H20 Kühler 650 – a sealed-unit liquid cooler with a 120mm fan and fitted with a blue LED on the impeller unit that lights up when in operation.
The internal design of the case makes it very easy to keep things tidy, thanks to cable management grommets, a separate compartment for the power supply and 3.5in drive bays, which are accessed from the side of the case facing the back of the motherboard. This means almost no cables are visible from the front, but it can be a hassle if you want to lay the PC down flat for maintenance and have access to both the drive bays and the motherboard at the same time. The case also has a huge 200mm front fan and a 140mm fan at the rear. Our review sample also has an additional fan at the top of the case, beneath a meshed roof. The case has a premium ‘brushed aluminium’ look, but is actually made from plastic. It’s a convincing effect though, giving the case rather premium good looks.
Alongside that overclocked CPU, sits an overclocked graphics card, in the form of the MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GD5T OC with its twin-fan cooling system, and a small bump in performance over the standard models.
Build Features Performance
Value
Overall
Storage is provided by a generous 240GB Patriot Blast SSD and a roomy 2TB hard drive, giving the Vibox the largest overall storage capacity of this group test, albeit at slightly lower performance levels than the fastest models available, based on PCI-Express technology.
All of these components should add up to one the fastest Skylake gaming PCs, but while the Vibox Spawn X does well, it’s not right at the top of the pile. Both Chillblast and Wired2Fire manage to pull ahead by a small margin in several tests – not so much that you would notice the difference, but don’t be fooled into thinking that because the Spawn X is clocked at 4.5GHz rather than 4.4GHz you’ll be getting a noticeable increase in performance.
We’re pleased to see Vibox using a dedicated gaming motherboard in this system in the form of the MSI Z170A Gaming Pro. This offers both performance and cosmetic enhancements over comparable budget motherboards, including upgraded networking hardware ,which can give network priority to games over other applications, higher-quality audio components and even colour-changing LEDs you can control from an app. You also get USB 3.1 Gen 2 support, and a host of diagnostic and overclocking options. Additionally, the board is SLI certified, so you can add a second GTX 970 graphics card later on if you wish.
The system also includes a Wireless-N adaptor and comes with an internal 24x DVD RW drive, should you still have a use for such technology. VERDICT: The Vibox Spawn X is a very good-looking PC, with an impressive specification and the fastest CPU overclock in our group test. It offers a fully-featured gaming motherboard and has a case with excellent cable management and flexible lighting options. It’s no slouch, but we would have hoped for even more performance.