Multivision Ionix 655

PC styling is undergoing something of a sea change at present. Black is proving to be the colour of 2003 and after two decades of beige, it's a pretty welcome move. However, just because a system uses something other than the standard beige doesn't mean that it's perfect.

Inside, the specifications are impressive, with a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 supported by 512MB of fast DDR memory. This is accompanied by an IBM 120GB hard disk that will be enough for most, even if you hoard a lot of images, video or audio files.

The most confusing thing about the Ionix is not that it has two optical drives but that it has both a DVD-Rom drive and an NEC DVD-RW drive. This is fine as the latter can record CDs as well as DVDs.

What is a little annoying is that neither optical drive is labelled and the fronts of the drives are completely obscured by black plastic covers. That makes identifying which drive is which something of a hit and miss affair until you are familiar with the PC.

This stylish design also means that you have no idea whether the drives are working properly as any LEDs are obliterated by the plastic trim they are wearing. The front of the case is illuminated by a vertical blue strip that serves as a very large power light.

As well as having a black chassis, the Ionix also comes with a black monitor - a Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 930SB. Although by being black it blends in, it's only a 17in model.

This is adequate, although with the rest of the computer having such a high specification, a 19in upgrade would complete the picture. It is fed by a 128MB ATi Radeon 9500 graphics card.

For those of you not familiar with ATi's naming conventions, this fits between the top-of-the-range 9700 cards, and the entry level 9000 products. As a result, it is a very competent PC for game playing. It also has both VGA and DVI ports so if you fancy upgrading to dual displays, it's not a problem.

Should you ever feel that the Ionix doesn't have everything that you want inside then getting in is easy enough.

Both sides have tool-free releases and once you're in there are two free 5.25in drive bays which are accessible through the front of the case from behind two superfluous covers, should the existing two not be enough.

And, if you manage to fill the 120GB hard disk, there's also room for another and for more memory.

If all you want the Ionix for is for internet access then it's well served with both a modem and a built-in network adaptor. The latter may not sound useful but if you have a broadband internet connection which you want to share, it'll come in very handy.

It has plenty of options to connect any peripherals you may have. On the back of the system are four USB 2 and three full-size FireWire ports with two more USB 2 and one extra FireWire ports on the front.

Sound is intergrated onto the motherboard. It supports surround sound and a set of Creative Inspire 5.1 5300 speakers are included to take advantage of that.

The speakers, like the supplied Logitech mouse and keyboard, are black and finish off the Ionix nicely.

If you're after a new PC but don't want a boring beige box then the Ionix 655 offers a lot. Despite a couple of annoying foibles, it's a good system for the price.

Contact: Multivision 0870 220 2822
www.multivision.co.uk

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