PC Specialist Fusion 955 Elite

Despite the proliferation of cheap mini-notebook computers there is still demand for computers that are more powerful, particularly when it comes to desktops rather than laptops.

Because of their size desktops don’t have to pack everything in to a small case, which reduces heat. Laptop makers have to worry about the heat generated by having the components close together, whereas in a desktop the size of the case allows for much better ventilation.

That means desktop computers can use more powerful hardware that allows users to do more.

The Fusion 955 Elite desktop computer from PC Specialist combines the fastest available AMD processor with ATI’s latest and fastest single-core graphics card. It’s not cheap but it’s powerful enough to make mincemeat out of most high-end games, even the notoriously power-hungry Crysis.

An AMD Phenom II X4 955 quad-core processor is at the heart of the Fusion 955 Elite backed by 4GB of memory, all of which is tied together by the supplied Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit operating system.

All of this gave the Fusion 955 Elite very strong performance in our tests. In fact it went straight into the Top 10 list of the fastest PCs we have ever tested.

The ‘64-bit’ in the title of the operating system means it’s the most powerful version of Windows Vista, which is designed to allow the computer to make full use of the 4GB of memory.

That has its downside, though, in that the 64-bit version of Vista is not great at working with older software and hardware.

It’s not such a big deal for new buyers, but if you are upgrading and have hardware or software that you want to use on the new computer, check the manufacturer’s website first to make sure it will work with the 64-bit edition of Vista.

The ATI Radeon HD4890 graphics card comes with 1GB of dedicated memory which gave it superb results in our games tests. For storage there is a 500GB hard disk, a CD/DVD writer and a memory card reader.

The whole system is tidily built into a large-ish freestanding case and the front door is decorated with three brushed-metal discs, backlit by blue lights, so it won’t go unnoticed. All the data and power cables inside were tied up out of the way as much as possible.

This makes it look nice - but as the sides of the case aren’t see-through users will never see it. It also serves an important purpose in allowing air circulation in the case to be as free as possible, helping lengthen the life of the components by getting rid of excess heat.

The case also has a few extra drive bays should you want to add extra drives at a later date.

The left-hand side of the front panel holds four USB and two audio sockets while the back plate has four more USB ports, eight sound outputs (including optical for surround sound), network (there’s no built-in wireless network access), Firewire and eSata ports, while the graphics card provides two DVI ports that can support large monitors.

The Fusion 955 Elite is an expensive computer, but it’s a very powerful one that uses impressive hardware to make it as future-proof as computers get.