Big things in a little package
Boutique builders come in different sizes and specialties. There are the ones primarily focused on gaming, like Maingear and Digital Storm, and a select few that deal with professional builds. The latter is the category Boxx fits into, though don't mistake the outfit for a cookie cutter operation.
There's an enthusiast edge to Boxx, hence today's introduction of what the company claims is the "world's smallest overclocked workstation," the Apexx 1. That's if you go with the Core i7 option, otherwise you can configure an Apexx 1 with a standard Xeon E5 processor, up to an 18-core Xeon E5 -2699 v3. Essentially your choice boils down to clockspeed or core count (that's an oversimplification, but you get the gist), both of which are liquid cooled.
The Apexx 1 is a compact machine measuring 4.7 (W) x 8.5 (H) x 9 (D) inches, yet it can pack some serious hardware. We're talking up to 32GB of DDR4-2133 memory, two 2.5-inch drives bays with up to 1.2TB SSD options, M.2 SATA support that can be fitted with either a 256GB or 512GB SSD, and a PCI-E 3.x x16 low profile slot with Nvidia Quadro or AMD FirePro graphics. It also has four USB 3.0 ports, two USB 3.1 Type A ports, eSATA, dual GbE LAN, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. 7.1 channel audio, and a few other odds and ends.
To Overclock or Not to Overclock?
It may not seem obvious to overclock a workstation. These systems tend to work with more mission critical applications than a typical gaming rig, but that hasn't scared off the folks buying systems like the Apexx 1.
"We have a steady demand for overclocked workstations. Once we educate our customers on the benefits of overclocking and how it can benefit their workflow, they're on board," Boxx Senior Product Marketing Manger Chris Morley told Maximum PC.
And what are those benefits? It starts with faster performance and trickles down from there.
"Overclocking may net more frame rates for gamers, but it makes money for creative professionals," Morley added. "Professionals can get more work done, faster, with an overclocked workstation" and in turn "get home to their families."
That's all fine and dandy but it all goes right out the window if a system is blue screening at every turn. Morley says that's not the case. In fact, he tells us "there's almost no difference in failure rates in the field" where there are thousands of overclocked Boxx systems currently in use.
Nevertheless, we wondered if customers tended to shy away from overclocked workstations. Surprisingly, they're not. Boxx's overclocked machines are finding homes all over the place -- virtual effects houses, defense contractors, major architectural firms, and so forth.
Boxx's approach to overclocking is somewhat unique in that it guarantees the specific speed of a system during the warranty period, which could be three years. What that means is if an overclock proves unstable, Boxx won't dial it back 100MHz or whatever the case may be, it will replace the part that's having trouble keeping up.
"We also have universal BIOS settings for each model.That means an Apexx 2 Model 2401 @ 4.5GHz will have the same OC settings whether you buy 2 or 200," Morley says.
It's an interesting proposition, particularly for a compact box like the Apexx 1, which is 70 percent smaller than the aforementioned Apexx 2.
Pricing starts at $3,895 for a Xeon-based Apexs and $4,710 for a Core i7-5960X Extreme Apexx.
From maximumpc
from http://bit.ly/1Vrr4SM
