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Evesham Evolution 34AIX
The Evolution 34AIX also uses 512Mb of DDR2 memory - the fastest currently available. Perhaps more significantly, the computer uses PCI Express technology. This feature allows graphics cards to operate much faster, meaning potentially better visuals. In the case of the Evolution 34AIX, the nVidia Geforce FX 5900XT graphics card does an admirable job, but we've seen better performance from more powerful graphics cards that use the older AGP connector.
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Evesham Axis 64 Force
The ATI Radeon 9800Pro, which includes 128Mb of memory, is one of the fastest graphics cards available, although a small criticism is that the supplied version does not have TV capabilities. You can upgrade when you order your computer, though. The 17in Philips flat-screen monitor that comes with the computer is sharp and its design matches that of the main PC case. It uses a DVI connection for better picture quality.
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Great price. Solid hardware. LindowsOS 2.0 runs Office 2000 applications. Good selection of bundled and downloadable software. Click-N-Run Linux software download system.
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If you are one of those people who must have LEDs adorning their case, then the A64 won't disappoint. The front of the case is dominated by a strip light that slowly cycles through six colours. Above this is a panel which slides down to reveal a Sony Dual Format, Dual Layer DVD burner and a 7-in-1 card reader that reads all the current Flash cards with the exception of XD-Picture cards. Sitting behind a drop down door at the base of the front panel are two USB 2.0 ports, two audio ports, a single...
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As you'd expect, the same care has gone into choosing the right graphics cards for the job and you have a choice between the ATI FireGL range and Nvidia's Quadro range. The sample we had was loaded with the Quadro FX1500 which is in the mid-range in terms of price, but specifically designed for workstation CAD and DCC projects, featuring a 256-bit memory interface, parallel vertex engines, fully programmable pixel pipelines and up to 40GBps memory bandwidth.
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JAL CA3000
The JAL CA3000 proves that it is possible to buy a computer capable of most tasks without breaking the bank. Beige is becoming a rare colour for computers these days and in keeping with this trend, the CA3000 is clad in cool black with silver trimmings. Behind this attractive exterior is an AMD Athlon XP 3000+ processor with 512Mb of memory. Graphics are provided in the shape of a 128Mb GeForce FX5700.
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Before we come on to the headlines, this is no lightweight system. The main box cripples your back and the two peripheral packages also suggest the need for a forklift truck. As you'd expect, a PC with a ton of new gizmos under the lid is going to need considerable cooling and so Evesham has encased it all in an aluminium case from CoolerMaster. This has an open mesh pattern on the sides and top for high air flow and its side-bracket with screw-less assembly can support a total of nine 120mm fans.
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Windows XP Home. Intel Pentium 4 560HT 3.6GHz. 1GB of Ram. Asus P5AD2 925X motherboard. 2 x 250GB hard drives. Sony dual-layer DVD burner. Sony CD-RW drive. ATI Radeon X800XT 256MB graphics (PCI Express). 19in Viewsonic DVI TFT monitor. Creative Inspire T7700 7.1 speakers. Modem, Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11g Wifi. Works 7, Pinnacle Studio 9SE, Instant CD/DVD, Intervideo WinDVD. 2 years on-site, 1 year RTB (UK only).
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Benchmark results start with a SYSmark index of 278, which is a very respectable figure for a machine at this price point. Add to this a 3DMark result of over 15,000 and a newer 3DMark 03 index of close to 4,000 and it becomes apparent that this is a system which doesn't hang about. It's quite capable of playing the latest 3D games at full bore as well as playing videos faultlessly at full-screen.
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The build quality is very good and the case, if not sleek, is sturdy and well put-together. The front panel contains the front plate for the highly rated Creative Audigy 2ZS Platinum sound card. This offers a variety of inputs and outputs, which should be more than enough for even ardent audiophiles. It is complemented by a good set of Creative Inspire 7900 speakers that will deliver 7.1 surround sound, should you want it.
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One of the first things you notice is that the box is impressively quiet; noise has always been the main stumbling block of all-in-one systems. But the main selling point is the box's use as a video recorder, linked to your PC. It functions as either a single hybrid (Digital/Analogue) TV tuner, or as twin tuners which allow you to record one TV channel while watching another or record two TV channels while watching a previously recorded programme. If you have a Freeview account then all thirty-odd...
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This is more amazing when you consider that Pentium 4 PCs are much more expensive. Mesh has crammed a lot in to this PC. As well as the Athlon XP processor there is a massive 512Mb of memory, which goes a long way to explaining the impressive performance of the machine. It will power through tasks like David Beckham through a free kick.
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2.8GHz Pentium 4 HT. 1GB DDR-Ram. 120GB Maxtor SATA hard drive. Sapphire Radeon 9200 Pro 128MB. Composite and S-Video in/out. Ethernet and serial ports. 2 Firewire. 6 USB2. 6-in-1 memory card reader. Panasonic UJ-815B 2x DVD-R/RW DVD writer. S/PDIF in/out. 8x AGP slot, 1 PCI slot. Symantec Norton Anti-virus 2004, Nero Suite 1, PowerDVD 5.
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The new Evesham Mini PC Plus is built from an AOpen mini PC barebone chassis and is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand (16 x 16 x 5cm). It looks the part, too, in its brushed aluminium case. The slot-loading DVD burner and blue LED power button add to the overall look of the Mini PC. But beauty isn't just skin-deep, and if you take into account the small size of the thing, the Mini PC performs rather better than expected.
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Hi-Grade Ultis P4 C17 PW07
1.7GHz Intel Celeron. MSI motherboard with 533MHz 845E chipset. 256MB of PC2100 DDR SD-Ram. 60GB Maxtor hard drive. ATI 8500LE graphics card. 24x CD-RW. 16x 40x DVD. 56KB V.90 fax/modem. Windows XP Home. Microsoft Works 6. Norton Anti-Virus. One-year on-site warranty.
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Advent 3830 BTO
Athlon XP 2400+ processor. 512MB of DDR memory. 80GB hard drive. 16x DVD drive. 48x 16x 48x CD-R/RW drive. Geforce 4800 graphics card. Samsung 19in CRT monitor. Creative Audigy 2 sound card. Videologic ZXR-500 speakers. Microsoft Works 2002. Windows XP Home.
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Windows XP Home. 1GB PC3200 DDR. 250GB hard disk. Nvidia Geforce FX5900. 19in TFT. Creative Audigy 2 ZS sound card. WinDVD.
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And monster is the truth of it. You can tell from the dimensions (266 x 598 x 628mm) that this steel-caged animal is ready for some serious gameplay and much of the unit's performance is due to the design of the casing and the cooling system. It uses dual bottom air intakes to draw cool air in and reduce system noise, as well as three 120mm exhaust fans on the top and rear. In addition, you have six detachable aluminium HDD modules, a side-removable VGA cooling tunnel for thermal airflow and a bundle...
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There isn't much you can't do with Evesham's latest machine. It's a top-class model for video editing, music creation, gaming and a whole host of other power- and space-hungry tasks. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if you could screw wheels on it and drive it around town.
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While AMD-based systems trail in speed terms, they also tend to trail their Intel counterparts on the price tag front. This new system from Advent is the kind of PC that is being sold more successfully as buyers become aware that AMD-equipped PCs represent the best compromise between good value and good performance.
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The Samsung 19in monitor is not the best in its size bracket, but is still reasonably clear and bright, with a 1,600 x 1,200 max resolution. Both the Audigy sound card and Videologic ZXR-500 speakers are excellent. There's a total of six USB ports at the back.
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There are four USB 2 ports fitted and also modem, printer, serial and PS/2 ports on the rear, but the lack of a network card suggests that this may be the upgrade most of you plump for first. A Microsoft keyboard and mouse are supplied.
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Armari T875HT Super-Q
Windows XP Pro. Pentium 4 3GHz (800 FSB). 1GB PC3200 DDR400 memory. Intel D875PBZ motherboard. 185.2GB hard drive. Sony DRU-510AX DVD-R/-RW DVD +R/+RW. Matrox Parhelia 512 graphics card. 19in Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 930SB monitor. Creative 2.1-channel speakers.
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£2,375-£2,520
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The onboard sound controller has been disabled in favour of a Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy PCI card, which also has a built-in IEEE 6-pin 1394 port. There's onboard 10/100Base-T connectivity in the form of a RealTek PCI card, which supports remote boot and wake-on-local area network operations via its built-in BIOS.
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Looking at bundled software, Pinnacle Studio 7 is a neat little video capture and editing programme and Microsoft WorksSuite 2001 is the most comprehensive office package imaginable. As befits a new, high-calibre PC, it comes equipped with Windows XP, which is a promising operating system, although it may cause problems with old software you transfer from your last PC.
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(UK)
