Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/799350
REVIEW www.postmagazine.com 36 POST MARCH 2017 S ince Apple hasn't come forward with an updated Mac Pro, there are a lot of MacOS-based professionals looking to jump ship to a Window's-based solution. With several options, you can either look at name brand manufacturers like HP, Dell or Lenovo; possibly build a system yourself or find a company like Cerise Computers that custom builds solu- tions that meet your multimedia needs. I personally like to build my own systems if I have the time, but I know not everyone has the time, nor the patience. In addition, building a high-functioning, workstation-worthy system can get tricky if you aren't comfortable with handling CPUs or going into the motherboards BIOS. This is where Cerise Computers comes in. Cerise Computers builds custom computer systems by hand, then rigorously tests them before shipping them to its customers. I recently received the latest Cerise Circular Computer, which took only about 10 seconds to boot up — real fast! The system I was sent to test was the latest in their line of custom builds, a unique circular tower that takes heat from the bottom and blows it out the top with the use of a 140mm fan. The system is strikingly reminiscent of a re- cent MacOS-based computer, but much bigger, allowing you to upgrade/fix components as well as use components like the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 series graphics card or even an Nvidia Quadro M4000. The case measures about 12-inches in diameter by 15-inch- es tall. The case has a way better cable management strategy than its similarly designed MacOS-based system. You can run cables down the side of the case and out the bottom. It can get a little tight when plugging in dongles and USB cables through the top, but it's really not a problem. A LOOK UNDER THE HOOD Under the circular hood lies the great power that I need to process all the 4K and higher video that I'm editing and color correcting (see sidebar specs for the system I reviewed). In total, this system custom-built from Cerise will cost you $3,500, in- cluding shipping. It's a prosumer level system knocking on the professional level workstation's door. The latest Nvidia GTX 1070 graphics cards are getting a lot of love in the multimedia community, so I was really excited to finally test one out. With 1920 CUDA cores, it rivals the speed and mem- ory bandwidth of the Nvidia Quadro M5000. The Quadro M5000 edges the 1070 with 2048 CUDA cores but really doesn't beat it in much else. Oh yeah, and the M5000 costs a little under $1,750 where the GTX 1070 costs under $400, depending on the version. Keep in mind, there are certain profes- sional features that the Quadro line of graphics cards maintains, such as Error Correction Coding, but if you aren't running your system 24 hours a day, you will probably do well with the GTX 1070 series or similar of graphics card. I was curious to find out what the cost of this system would look like if I were to build it myself, so I went to the infamous PCPartPicker.com and tried to recreate the same build (you can check it out here: www.pcpartpicker.com/ list/hwVjqk). Keep in mind that I did a quick system build and didn't verify that all of these prices and parts are available from the individual resellers, nor if they are compatible, but it gives you a decent ballpark price. The system came in at just over $2,100. So what does this tell me about the Cerise system? Well, for one, the custom build case and additional fans will add a few hundred dollars at the least, so let us say $2,400 at this point. If you aren't ready to build your own system, love the idea that one company is handling your warranties for each part, and need lifetime tech support, then the difference of $1,100 is not that much. I would figure building the system alone is worth about $300, shipping another $100 and tech support is invaluable. It really comes down to your own comfort level and need for immedi- ate support as to whether it would be worth it to you. PUT IT TO THE TEST Let's put the Cerise Workstation through its paces. I tested the drive speed with AJA's System Test utility. I set the test file resolution at 3840 CERISE COMPUTERS' CIRCULAR COMPUTER BY BRADY BETZEL ONLINE EDITOR MARGARITA MIX HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD BRADYBETZEL@GMAIL.COM A HIGH-CLASS COMPUTER SYSTEM WITH A BEAUTIFUL EXTERIOR, LIFE- TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT & REA- SONABLE PRICE VITAL STATS MANUFACTURER: Cerise Computers PRODUCT: Cerise Circular Computer PRICE: Starting at $2,899.00 WEBSITE: www.cerise.com • Unique circular tower that takes heat from the bottom and blows it out the top • Can take any GeForce graphics card, a GTX 1080 or any Quadro card up to an M4000 • Cable management features designed and built into the case