NEC Powermate Eco

The Powermate Eco is the first of a breed of PCs that are designed to be better for the environment.

We know what you're thinking - PCs don't emit CFCs. But it's the power consumption that companies such as NEC and Fujitsu Siemens are trying to cut down and, to achieve this, various procedures have been put into place.

System performance was hard to gauge, as the pre-production sample of the Eco that we saw failed to fully complete Sysmark. It's no powerhouse, but that's not the aim.

This is no gaming machine either, as it failed to even run 3Dmark or Jedi Knight. but again, this is not what this is designed for.

Back on the positive side the 15in LCD screen is top notch, though we'd expect nothing less from a company that makes its own.

There are three audio ports (line and mic in and headphone out) on its right-hand side, and two PS/2, serial and parallel ports around the back.

The left side houses two PC Card inputs and two USB ports, and there are two more USB inputs on the back of the base.

The CD reader drive is a bit of a disappointment for a £999 PC, but there is an automatic bay release mechanism at the back so you don't have to turn on the Eco to eject a CD.

On the eco-friendly side, the Eco has a lead-free motherboard and a recycled plastic chassis.

The hard disk has a Fluid Dynamic Bearing motor that reduces power consumption and, because the processor is a Transmeta, low clock speed model, there is no need for a fan.

While this does decrease the need for power, it also makes the system very quiet - an estimated 20dB.

SPECS

• 1GHz Transmeta TM 5800 Crusoe processor
• 256MB of memory
• 20GB hard disk
• CD drive
• ATI mobility Radeon graphics with 16MB memory
• 15in LCD screen
• XP Professional

DETAILS
PRICE: £999 (£850 ex VAT)

CONTACT: NEC 0870 0106 3225

www.nec.co.uk