Review: Mesh Elite E6300 CA desktop computer

Intel's new dual-core processors are beginning to make their presence felt.

They are remarkably quick and Mesh has supplied this PC with the Core 2 Duo E6300.

The E6300 is the least powerful of the Core 2 Duo range, running at 1.86GHz.

That said, in our testing we found it to be very fast, out-performing dual-core AMD processors with much greater clock speeds.

This is undoubtedly helped by the 1GB of fast system memory.

Dual core processors are particularly well suited to multimedia tasks such as editing and creating DVD movies, so we're pleased that Mesh has coupled this PC with a top-of-the-range Sony multi-format DVD writer.

It's the fastest one the market but write speed will depend on the quality of disks you use with it.

There is also a separate DVD-ROM drive.

A 250GB serial ATA hard disk ensures that you're unlikely to run out of storage space quickly.

Somewhat unusually for a modern PC, a floppy disk drive has also been included.

The inclusion of a decent dedicated graphics card, an Nvidia Geforce 7600 GT means that this PC can function as a solid games-playing computer.

A stylish 19in Sony LCD monitor fits well with the sleek black and silver case that houses the Mesh Elite E6300 CA.

The monitor supports a generous desktop screen size of 1280x1024 pixels.

It is not widescreen though and this diminishes the PC's utility for watching films at native resolutions.

The monitor has two input ports, meaning that it can support another source, such as a notebook computer, without having swap cables.

It's worth noting that Sony is discontinuing manufacture of this and all LCD displays smaller than 24in.

For those concerned about the future upgradeability of any PC they buy, there's no need to worry with this computer.

The side panel is easy to open (no screws required), revealing two free slots for additional memory and two free bays to hold extra hard disks.

There will, however, be no need to upgrade this computer anytime soon. With its combination of processor, memory and graphics card it will be more than up to the task of smoothly running the new Windows Vista operating system.

Presently, it's supplied with Windows XP Home.

Audio is channelled through a Creative T6060 5.1 speaker set. The five satellites are somewhat funky in design and may not be to everyone's taste.

A wooden subwoofer provides considerable bass.

Sound quality is about average for such a system. A wired remote control allows connections with other audio devices, so itís possible to use the T6060 with a television or games console too.

A Logitech keyboard and mouse enable wireless control of the computer.

Both are battery powered and the mouse batteries will need to be replaced every couple of months, depending on usage.

A range of shortcut buttons on the keyboard allow you to comfortably control DVD playback on the PC from your couch.

This PC is loaded with ports for connectivity; two USB ports are located at the front, four more are at the rear and it has two Firewire ports.

Two network ports, a TV out connector, two monitor outputs and an external serial ATA hard disk connector round out an impressive selection.

The bundled media software is rather unimpressive, consisting of mainly outdated versions.

The DVD playback only supports stereo audio, rather than 5.1 surround sound.

Expect to buy new software, such as Nero 7 or Roxio Creator, to take full advantage of this PCís capabilities.

At £800 the Mesh Elite E6300 CA represents great value for money.

Our only reservation lies in the choice of monitor, which isn't widescreen, but if you're searching for a dual-core performance on a budget, look no further.

Also consider

Chillblast Fusion 3800 AM2 OC Edition PC

Overall: The Fusion 3800 AM2 OC Edition shows you don't have to go down the water-cooling route to produce a fast over-clocked system

Rating: 4

Price: £1100

All desktop computer reviews