Product Reviews

The imaginatively named CB599 is a cracking PC, even if it does look like a leftover prop from a 1970s episode of Dr Who.

Features 4/6

By now you won't be surprised when we tell you that the CB599 has a 40Gb hard disk and 256Mb of RAM. We couldn't get excited about it either, but it's still a decent spec with more than enough beef to do whatever Windows XP wants. As you would expect, you also get a CD burner and a DVD drive - both quality branded parts from Sony and LG respectively. It's a shame there's no productivity suite, though, and not an interesting or exciting extra or goodie in sight.

Ergonomics 5/6

The Microsoft keyboard and mouse that come with this PC rival the Systemax's Logitech equivalents in quality of design and comfort. The Microsoft Internet keyboard has lots of shortcut buttons that control different functions in Windows, such as the Windows search feature, or open key applications like your Internet browser or e-mail program. This can save you a lot of time, particularly if you're new to Windows and not sure how to navigate around it. The Hansol 720E monitor is up to scratch. The power regulation is a bit wobbly, but the focus is good across the whole screen and, apart from the extreme left-hand side, there are no problems with misconvergence either. The unused CD drive bays are covered by strange silver looking blanking plates with big silver screws protruding from them. There's also a similar plate on the bottom of the fascia. We think

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this is meant to be stylish and, once again, we applaud any sensible attempt to move away from boring beige, but someone here gave the techies too much say in aesthetics.

Expansion 6/6

Two of this PC's four USB ports are USB2, which are up to 40 times faster than normal USB. Unfortunately, there aren't many USB2 devices on the market at the moment, but the specification is perfect for devices that create big files, such as digital video cameras, so there are bound to be some soon. Internally there are also three PCI slots free for add-in cards and two DIMM sockets for extra memory. It's just a shame the inside of the case is such a tangle. The cable for the extra USB ports obstructs the free PCI slot, and the IDE cables are a bit of a mess. This could make working in the case a bit difficult, though not impossible. Finally, if you want to add more CD drives, another hard disk or even a Live

Drive for a posh Creative Labs sound card, there are lots of bays free for just that sort of thing.

Performance 6/6

This PC is, by far and away, the fastest in this month's labs. The Via KT333 chipset along with its 333MHz DDR memory, the fastest that's currently available, really makes all the difference when it comes to 3D performance. Of course, Via can't claim all the glory: the GeForce4 MX 440 graphics card and the processor also played their part. But these are components that the CB599 has in common with its direct competitors. It's the KT333 chipset that makes all the difference.

Overall

Despite its somewhat outlandish appearance, the CB599 is a classic PC, particularly for budget gamers. Just a few months ago you would undoubtedly have paid top dollar for performance like this, and now you can pick it up for under 600 quid - it's really amazing. It would have been nice to see a few more features, particularly in the way of software, but at the end of the day you can't have everything. NetHighStreet decided to go for broke in the pursuit of all-out speed.

If you're a speed freak on a budget, this PC is for you.