Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)If your the kind of person who would prefer a hybrid Prius to a Corolla, then this machine may be for you. HP has basically crafted a "hybrid" PC that incorporates new liquid-colling technology and the energy-saving technology of a laptop with the power and versatility of a desktop. Many users will find the payback in electricity savings will makes the purchase price a lot more attractive (more on that later).
The Firebird is as close to "plug and play" as any Windows machine has ever been. It's very simple to set up set-up and is immediately compatible with the vast majority of devices out there. I purchased the 803, which is basically the 802 with a blue-ray burner. Here's what it took to set it up:
I plugged the HDMI output into a 42" LCD HDTV, connected the fiber optic audio cable to a surround receiver, plugged the power supply in, pulled the plastic film tabs out of the back of the keyboard and the mouse and connected it to the network. Then I booted it up and it was ready to go. The Bluetooth mouse and keyboard worked immediately. It took a couple of minutes to "set itself up" and after a few tweaks to the desktop it was ready to go.
In terms of performance, the machine more than adequately powers current games running at 1080 wide-screen mode and it does it efficiently. How efficient? Well the answer is: "Amazingly!"
Next, I plugged the computer into my Kill-a-Watt Meter ($25 from Amazon) and was amazed at how low the power consumption was. At idle the Firbird uses 67-72 watts. To test it at load, I loaded two instances of Stanford's "Folding at Home" (FaH) applications, both the CPU and GPU versions, and ran them simultaneously at "Average" process priority. At load the Firebird uses only 124-133 watts. The power drops by about 7-9 watts when the HDMI feed to the monitor goes into standby. I noted a similar draw rate when playing games. This amounts to about half the electricity cost of a typical desktop with similar performance benchmarks.
So, what's that amount to in electricity costs? Well, the average price of electricity in the US in November of 2008, according to the US Dept. of Energy was 11.5 cents per KW-Hr. If you're a hardcore geek like me, you leave your computer on all the time and it's probably doing something while it's sitting there.
At idle, the Firbird will cost the average consumer $70.33 in electricity over a year. If you run distributed apps, like I do, Firbird will raise your bill only by $130. A comparable desktop will consume more than twice that amount.
So, over two years, the Firbird can provide a payback of over $260 in energy costs. The liquid cooled system keeps the processors running at consistent temperatures and does it quietly.
The machine is also spouse-friendly. It is quiet and attractive enough to put in the living room right where everyone can see it and doesn't require all sorts of cables. The Firebird's internal LEDs can even be color-coordinated to match the decor. I can finally can sit in my lay-z-boy chair and check my e-mail and WoW auctions while the significant other knits or reads and doesn't mind. How much is that worth? Answer: Priceless.
Alas, the machine is not perfect. I'd sure like a front USB slot. It's hard to cram some of these new keychain card readers into the back of this computer when the outputs are all so close. The machine does have a front card reader slot, which is handy for reading cards from cameras and phones.
Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Firebird with VoodooDNA 802 Desktop PC
Built for speed, stealth, and style, the aggressively styled HP's Firebird 802 desktop PC combines HP innovation with VoodooPC's award-winning expertise in PC design and architecture, resulting in a desktop that delivers the look, versatility and performance gamers and high-end PC enthusiasts crave--from massive computing power to quiet performance and power efficiency. A clean, striking aluminum enclosure delivers compelling visual presence, whil slot load drives and connector ports flush with the rear panel keep the exterior uncluttered.
The Firebird's distinctive aluminum foot echoes the unique construction of its predecessor--the HP Blackbird--including its trademark hover effect, allowing for optimized airflow. On top of all this, the recyclable all-aluminum chassis and 90-percent power supply highlight HP's and Voodoo's attention to the importance of energy efficiency and environmentally sensitive design solutions.
The Firebird's interior space is no less remarkable. It features patented, full system liquid-cooling to keep itself running cool in even the most heated head-to-head gaming scenarios. The external 350-watt power supply keeps a primary heat source outside the chassis. And the system's removable side panel, completely open BIOS, and interior and back panel LED lighting make it convenient for gamers to get inside the machine for performance tuning. Tool-free entry makes it upgrade-friendly.
Hardware features include a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 processor, 500 GB of hard drive space (from dual 250 GB hard drives), 4 GB of RAM, multi-format and dual-layer DVD±R drive, dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800S SLI graphics with support for Microsoft DirectX 10 and a total of 1 GB of dedicated graphics memory, 7.1-channel onboard HD audio, full complement of USB/FireWire/eSATA connectivity to your peripherals, and included wireless mouse and keyboard.
Keeping Things Cool The HP Firebird's thermal management was created to take advantage of natural convection to move cool air through the machine, as well as incorporating liquid cooling elements to keep core temps down. The addition of Voodoo's signature factory-sealed liquid cooling system delivers no-maintenance operation, quiet running and solid reliability.
The 350-watt external power supply delivers a performance level equivalent to a machine with double the energy consumption, and keeping it external optimizes thermal performance, reduces chassis size, and delivers 90 percent efficiency. The Voodoo factory-sealed liquid cooling and Nvidia HybridPower management keep the Firebird's noise low, while delivering reliable high performance.
The Basics
Processor: With four execution cores, the 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 processor blows through processor-intensive tasks in demanding multitasking environments and makes the most of highly threaded applications. Part of Intel's "Penryn" line of 45nm processors, it features new hafnium-infused circuitry to reduce electrical current leakage in transistors and help this desktop run cooler. It also features Intel Trusted Execution Technology, which provides hardware-based mechanisms that help protect against software-based attacks and protects the confidentiality and integrity of data stored or created on the client PC.
Whether you're creating multimedia, annihilating your gaming enemies, or running compute-intensive applications at one time, new quad-core processing will change the way you do everything. The Q9400 has a top-of-the-line 1333 MHz front-side bus (FSB), an extra-large 6 MB shared L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)
With four complete execution cores in a single processor, you get four dedicated, physical threads help operating systems and applications deliver additional performance that enhance multi-tasking and multi-threaded performance across many types of applications and work loads. The Smart Memory Access feature improves system performance by hiding memory latency, thus optimizing the use of available computer data bandwidth to provide data to the processor when and where it is needed. The Advanced Digital Media Boost feature effectively doubles the execution speed for instructions used widely in multimedia and graphics applications. And with the Intel 64 Architecture, the processor can access larger amounts of memory. With appropriate 64-bit hardware and software, platforms based on an Intel processor supporting Intel 64 Architecture can allow the use of extended virtual and physical memory.
Hard Drive: The Firebird 802 comes with dual 250 GB SATA hard drives for a 500 GB capacity.
Memory: The 4 GB of installed RAM (PC2-6400, 2 x 2 GB) offers a fast 800 MHz speed, and RAM can be expanded to 8 GB.
Optical Drive: The Firebird 802 includes a slim, slot-loading optical drive on the front of the chassis that can burn single- and dual-layer DVDs as well as CDs. It offers the following write speeds: 6x DVD±R DL, 8x single-layer DVD±R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 24x CD-R/RW.
Keyboard & Mouse: This PC comes with an HP wireless optical mouse and HP low-profile wireless keyboard.
Video & Audio Go beyond HD video and redefine HD gaming with the dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800S SLI graphics cards, each of which provide 512 MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory. (GDDR3, short for Graphics Double Data Rate, version 3, is a graphics card-specific memory technology that's better able to deliver fluid frame rates for even the most advanced games and applications.) NVIDIA HybridPower technology is a key feature of Hybrid SLI, allowing you to unleash graphics performance when you need it, or instantly switch gears to a lower power mode from the motherboard GPU. Integrated with the leading HD movie software players, PureVideo HD does the video decoding, instead of the power-hungry CPU, reducing fan noise and freeing the CPU for multitasking, so you never miss a scene. You can spread your work across two displays with NVIDIA nView display technology so that you can easily compare information or multi-task with everything in sight. The Firebird also provides support for 7.1 channel surround sound
Networking, Connectivity & Expansion This gaming desktop has two PCI x1 Express slots (one available), one PCI x16 Express slot (occupied), two 5.25-inch bays (one available), one internal ODD slot drive (available), and the following external ports:
6 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
2 eSATA
ExpressCard 54/34
Video out: DVI and HDMI
Headphone and microphone jacks
Audio: Optical audio output, headphone and microphone
15-in-1 media card reader on the front, compatible with CompactFlash (Type I and II), MicroDrive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick/Pro/Duo/Pro Duo, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital, XD Picture Card, RSMMC, MMC Mobile, MMC+
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit version) is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.
Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.
Preloaded Software Cyberlink DVD Suite Deluxe with CyberLink Power2Go and CyberLink DVD Play; Grisoft AVG Professional anti-virus software (1-year subscription)
What's in the Box This package contains the HP Firebird 802 gaming PC, power cord, keyboard, mouse, and printed operating instructions. It's backed by dedicated HP Blackbird toll-free phone support and a one-year HP Limited Warranty.
Click here for more information about HP Firebird with VoodooDNA 802 Desktop PC
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