Review: Mesh D820 Value +

Mesh’s D820 Value + system is aptly named as it strikes a balance between performance, hardware features and bundled software.

The matte-black micro tower chassis is neatly designed and solidly built, and a convenient row of USB2, Firewire and audio connectors on the front panel allows you to quickly plug in cameras and other peripherals.

It lacks a media card reader, unlike some of its rivals, but compensates with three Firewire ports for connecting DV camcorders and other devices.

If you’re interested in video or multimedia work you’ll welcome the 1GB of Ram and the healthy 250GB hard disk, which provides plenty of room for storing big collections of video clips or mp3 files.

Mesh has included a good selection of bundled software, including Microsoft Works for basic word processing, spreadsheet and database work, and the PowerDVD suite for working with DVD and audio CDs.

The 2.8GHz Pentium D dual-core processor provides strong enough performance for video editing, not to mention ordinary business software. It achieved a respectable 30 frame per second in our Far Cry test, although games fans might prefer the stronger 3D performance of the PCs from Watford and PC Nextday.

The 17in TFT monitor has built-in stereo speakers but – as with most low-cost PCs – there’s no separate speaker system, so you might want to buy a more powerful set of speakers if you like to listen to music or play DVDs on your PC.

Mesh scores points for added value by including a voucher that entitles you to a free upgrade to Windows Vista when it is released next year (subject to a £15 administration fee). Throw in a three-year warranty and you have a good workhorse PC that will meet the needs of most home users without breaking the bank.

This article is part of a group test of bargain PCs.
Other articles are:
Ambros Shuttle SS31T
Evesham Axis STR Plus
PC Nextday Zoostorm 1-3301 Versatile PC
PC Specialist Trident s500
Watford Aries Performa 3500+RV
Is the desktop PC dead?
Graphs and table of features can be read via our Pdf downloads.

Review: Ambros Shuttle SS31T

The compact design is appealing  06 Dec 2006

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