Labs

This machine features one of the most interesting-looking cases we saw this month, although you might not notice until you get close up. Rather than the usual plain black plastic, it's covered with a mottled, industrial-style pattern that not only works well cosmetically, but also allows for a sneaky look inside the computer. A fabric dust filter on the removable panel gives the interior a suitable air of mystery.

It's well worth investigating what's inside, because Eclipse has managed to put together a competent and quick machine for under £800. The finished product will contain Intel's new Core 2 Quad 9450 processor, but since these were only just becoming available

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at the time of writing, our test system had a Core 2 Quad 6700. Both of these chips run at 2.66GHz, so our benchmark scores are still a good indicator of the performance you should be expecting.

Graphically, the GeForce 8800GTS is one of the more powerful cards in the outgoing 8 series. 512MB of dedicated memory saw it blast through our 3D benchmark, based on running Call of Duty 2 with demanding video settings, with a score of 258%, proving it would be capable of playing almost all the latest PC games even on their highest settings.

The 22 inch Hanns-G monitor is one of the few on test that would be ideal for high definition movie watching, thanks to an HDMI port and a screen capable of doing HD video justice. Apart from a slight warping of colour at the very edges, there's little wrong with this display, and it'll be able to handle work and play with ease.

At £799, the Eclipse is one of the cheaper systems in this group. You don't get speakers for this price, and the hard disk isn't the biggest, but it's a fine system for the money, teaming a a quick graphics card and processor with a great HD-ready monitor. If you don't mind finding your own speakers, this is worth a punt for a slightly lower price than most other contenders.