Packard Bell has a reputation for computers that are raring to go straight out of the box, and the iXtreme 7072 is no exception. It has a balanced specification and a larger-than-average software bundle, so you can start to use your new computer immediately.

The first noticeable point about the iXtreme 7072 is the bright, white case, similar to most modern Packard Bell desktop computers. Although it feels a bit plastic, smooth curves feature throughout, even down to the covers that enclose the optical drives.

This computer is built on solid foundations and should keep most users going for some time to come. The processor is a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 with 512Mb of memory. The Radeon 9200 graphics capability is built in and therefore steals 128Mb of the system memory, reducing it to 384Mb.

This is still a sizable amount and will cope with most Windows tasks, but will disadvantage users who want to work with memory-hungry software such as video editing.

Although this computer is capable of playing games at satisfactory quality levels, you have the option of fitting a better graphics card into the free AGP slot.

It comes with a 15in flat-panel monitor and 5.1 sound, for connecting to a surround sound speaker system. Unfortunately, the 7072 is bundled with stereo speakers, meaning you'll have to fork out more for true 5.1 audio when playing games or watching DVD movies. Nevertheless, the supplied speakers complement the colour scheme, as do the wireless keyboard and mouse.

We liked the recordable DVD drive that writes to both DVDs and CDs, but had hoped to find a second drive that would allow for disc-to-disc copying. A small flap on the front conceals a floppy drive but not a memory card reader, as we had hoped for. On-board storage comes in the form of a 120Gb hard disk, which is very good for a system of this price and is enough to store plenty of files.

The varied software bundle should offer something for everyone. Microsoft Works 7 provides basic word processing and spreadsheet use, while Ulead Photo Express 4 and Photo Explorer will serve budding photographers well. There's even a copy of GCSE Maths UK.

All in all, this is a well-balanced and well-priced machine.

Contact: Packard Bell 01628 512456
www.packardbell.co.uk

Also consider: Mesh Cubix 643200+ premier (£1,300)
Provides a DVD rewriter and a memory card reader.