Labs

Compact home PCs

Very PC Loki bundle [Computer Buyer]
COMPANY: VeryPC	PRICE: £799inc VAT
RATING:	ISSUE: 196 DATE: Jul 07

Verdict: Shaped like a set-top box, the Loki is a capable system that'll fit in anywhere. Lacks extras such as a TV card, but you get great performance in a nicely understated case.

This PC is named after Loki, the Norse god of fire - but 'low-key' is also an apt description of its black, brushed metal case, made by SilverStone. Mid-way between the size of the Advent and the Philips, the Very PC has space for more powerful components.

Not least among these is the processor. The PC we tested (and on which we've based our benchmark scores) came an Athlon 64 X2 4600+, but Very PC says Computer Buyer readers will get a free



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upgrade to an even faster 4800+ chip. 2GB of memory is installed as standard, and it's DDR2 800 RAM, the fastest type of DDR2 RAM currently available. Even better is the size of the hard disk: a whopping 500GB.

That impressive core specification brought the Loki home second in our 2D performance test, with a score of 160%. Games performance wasn't quite cutting-edge, though. Due to the size of the case, any add-in cards have to be of the low-profile variety. Very PC reckons the ATI X1650 graphics card installed is the most powerful available at that size, and it took the Loki to a respectable score of 31%, representing 9.1 frames per second. This indicates that you could get current games working well by turning down their more advanced video options.

While gamers and DVD fans won't be thrilled that they get no speakers with this bundle, the BenQ Q20W5 monitor more than makes up for it. This produced a sharp, evenly lit image right to the corners, and its wide viewing angles will suit entertainment as well as work.

By James Nixon

SPECIFICATIONS:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ (2.4GHz) 2GB DDR2 RAM 500GB hard disk