Compaq Presario SR1639UK

It's common knowledge in the computer industry that AMD desktop processors offer exceptional value for money. By saving money here, manufacturers can pack their cases with better components while keeping the overall cost down.

The Compaq Presario SR1639UK uses an Athlon 64 processor 3700+ and 1GB of DDR400 Ram to move things along.

It scored 180 in Sysmark 2004SE and 2,358 in PCmark05, which is suggestive of its £699 price tag.

It will happily run most Windows applications, but try and force feed it heavy video-editing duties and it'll slow down to a snail's pace.

A frame rate of 15fps (frames per second) in our Far Cry test and 3Dmark05 score of 812 tells a similar story where graphics are concerned. We did, however, expect the 256MB Nvidia Geforce 6200SE to provide a little more oomph.

For full performance results, click here.

A more promising aspect of this Compaq is the storage space; a brace of 160GB Sata hard drives should provide enough room for the most ardent media downloader and there's' a free 5.25in bay inside for adding another. Two PCI slots are also free for installing more hardware at a later date.

The DVD-writer will burn to all current disc formats bar DVD-Ram and a media panel on the front houses a selection of audio sockets, three USB2, Firewire and a 9-in-1 memory card reader.

On the back are a further four USB2 sockets and another Firewire. There's also a digital audio output for connecting up a set of surround sound speakers.

The 17in TFT monitor won't win any awards for detail or colour sharpness and it's the bare minimum in terms of size.

Having said that, for the average home user who doesn't demand perfect image quality it should suffice.

The software package includes a Sonic media suite to handle your optical media needs while the warranty runs to a rather disappointing one-year collect and return with parts and labour.

In all, it's not a bad desktop package as long as you're not looking to run hardcore software.

Sysmark 2004SE: 180
3Dmark05: 812
Compare performance to all PCs

See also:

Mesh Titan X1800 Fire

Powerful graphics, but with the X1900 now available faster Crossfire PCs are just round the corner  22 Feb 2006

Group Test: £699 Powerhouse PCs

You can pick up a powerful package with plenty of features for that price - we test seven systems  21 Feb 2006

Buyers' Guide: Desktop PCs

There's a lot to consider when buying a desktop PC, but don't despair - PCW is here to guide you through the key decisions  15 Feb 2006

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