Mesh Matrix 64 3200+ XT

Mesh is a big player in the computer market and its PCs usually offer excellent value for money. The Matrix 64 3200+ XT is a case in point. It isn't fancy but comes with some good hardware that shouldn't warrant an upgrade for at least a couple of years.

As its name suggests, the Matrix is centred around an Athlon 64 3200+, which is one of AMD's faster processors. When coupled with the 512Mb of memory it makes for a PC that will excel in multimedia tasks such as video and audio editing. Our benchmark tests confirmed this. In today's era of ever-expanding digital media, we would recommend nothing less than an 80Gb hard disk - Mesh opts for 160Gb. This is more than plenty to work with and will ensure you won't be worrying about space for a good while.

Like most Mesh PCs, the case is very big and jet black, so it's unlikely you'll want to have it sitting on your desk. However, it's not exactly bursting with front-mounted connections (only two USB 2 ports), so to attach a digital camcorder to a FireWire port or mess around with audio connections, you'll have to root around the back. There's no memory card reader either, so attaching digital cameras will have to be executed by the old USB-cable method, which is a bit of a nuisance.

The Matrix will be able to cope with almost any game. The 128Mb ATi Radeon 9600 XT isn't as good as ATi's top-of-the-range 9800 XT, but it's close. We played a number of 3D games at a variety of resolutions and only ran into minor performance problems at each game's top-graphics setting.

The 5.1 sound is a similar affair, it's not the best but performs very well. A decent set of Creative Inspire surround-sound speakers is included, which make games and DVD movies sound realistic.

As well as a DVD-ROM drive, it also comes with a Sony recordable DVD drive capable of writing and reading all DVD standards with the exception of DVD-RAM, which is no great loss. Instant CD/DVD Player software is included to help you create your own discs, while Pinnacle Studio 9 SE will help you create DVD movies from camcorder footage.

All of this is viewed on an excellent 17in Viewsonic TFT monitor. It's bright and sharp and can be hung on a wall to save space. The keyboard and mouse are good but are not wireless. Speaking of wireless, the Mesh has integrated Wi-Fi for connecting to wireless networks.

If you do decide to upgrade in the future, the Mesh is well equipped. There are two internal 3.5in bays for hard disks, a 5.25in bay for an optical drive (or memory card reader) and free memory slots to boost the existing 512Mb. There are also three unobscured PCI slots.

Microsoft Works 7, Windows XP Home and a recovery CD are included plus the original software disks. A detailed set-up-cum-troubleshooting poster and a three-year warranty (one-year on-site, two years back-to-base, parts and labour) rounds off this sub-£1,000 PC nicely.

Contact: Mesh 0870 046 4747
www.meshcomputers.com