Product Reviews

With technology, newer almost always means better, and Evesham's Evolution 32AD makes use of a number of new technologies that chip maker Intel has just introduced.

The Evolution's processor is Intel's now-familiar Pentium 4 chip, but it's attached to the motherboard using a different method. Previous Pentium 4s had 478 pins sticking out of their underside; newer Pentium 4s have a grid of balls on their underside, which link up with 775 pins sticking out from the motherboard. Evesham has fitted this PC with a quick 2.8GHz version of the new 'Socket 775' Pentium 4.

Unfortunately, you don't get the new DDR2 memory to go with the new processor. There are two versions of this chipset, one that supports the new DDR2, and another, like this one, that supports old 400MHz DDR.

Because Intel has changed the way the Pentium 4 chip is plugged in, motherboard makers have had to come up with a whole new range of motherboards. And while they were at it, they've included a number of other new technologies, including new 'chipsets'. A motherboard chipset is essentially the PC's central nervous system, working like the spinal column to keep the brain (the CPU) and all the other organs connected properly. Three types of chipset are available for new Socket 775 processors - the 925X, which is for pricey, high-performance systems, and two variants of the 915: P and G. The latter comes with integrated graphics, and it's this that the Evolution 32AD's motherboard uses, so there's no separate graphics card.

This new generation of motherboards changes the way in which add-in cards such as modems, sound cards and graphics cards are plugged in. The Evolution 32AG's motherboard includes three new PCI Express slots. PCI Express devotes far greater memory 'bandwidth' to such cards - in other words, they can shift more data at once. And that allows them to do their job better. PCI Express will come in particularly handy for high-quality, multi-channel audio. Two of the slots are PCI-E 1x, and one is a PCI-E 16x. The number refers to the number of 'lanes' the slot has.

PCI-E 16x slots are the computer equivalent of a motorway, specially made for the cards that move the most traffic, such as high-performance graphics cards. Because the Evolution 32AG uses the motherboard's built-in

ADVERTISEMENT

graphics, the PCI-E 16x slot is empty. If you're serious about 3D gaming, you'll want to fill it with a new graphics card. Both PCI-E 1x slots are empty too, so there's plenty of scope for upgrades.

COOL UNDER PRESSURE?

As well as running fast, a PC has to run cool. The harder a processor works, the more heat it produces. If the temperature gets too high, your PC can become unstable and prone to crashing. Modern motherboards can regulate the heat by monitoring the temperature of the chip, and turning up the PC's cooling fans accordingly. When the processor is idle, they can slow the fans down, making the machine quieter. Trouble is, the Evesham's Intel board isn't very smart at this. Every so often, even in Windows, you can hear the processor fan revving up to top speed for a few seconds, then slowing down again. It's very irritating, because at top speed, it whirrs like a hairdryer. To be fair, it's not totally the Intel motherboard's fault. Despite the fact the case has room for fans, Evesham hasn't fitted any, so the CPU fan has to keep the CPU cool on its own.

ON THE OUTSIDE

Leaving aside the whirring fans, the PC is otherwise decently specified for its £999 price tag. The monitor is a 17in ViewSonic flat panel. The bezel around the outside of the screen is very thin, so it doesn't distract you from the screen itself. At its preferred resolution of 1,280 x 1,024, Windows looks exceptionally crisp. The pixels that make up the image are very responsive, too - so there's no blurring in games and movies, as can be the case with cheaper screens. The hard disk provides a decent 160GB of storage, and there's 5.1 surround sound - although the Creative P580 speakers are a bit thin and weedy.

PERFORMANCE

Our 2D benchmark test measures everyday performance. The Evolution 32AG fared pretty well - although it's actually slightly slower than the £899 Mesh Matrix64 3000+ XL and Aria Ultimate Home Office 2004 we reviewed in last month's Lab Test (see Issue 159, page 60). And as it stands, this machine won't excite serious gamers. The built-in graphics of the new 915 chipset are faster than Intel's previous built-in graphics chip, the Intel Extreme - but with a score of 5001 in our 3DMark 2001 games test, they're no match for a separate graphics card.

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY?

The Evolution 32AD doesn't take advantage of the new techologies it features. PCI Express will come into its own when cards arrive that can make use of its faster transfer speeds - but as it is, the Evesham doesn't make use of it. DDR2 will also boost performance - but you can't fit it to this motherboard. If you want real power, you'd be better off plumping for an Athlon 64 PC, like the £799 machines reviewed on page 48. On this evidence, it's a bit too soon to make the jump to the Intel's new 915 motherboards - especially for a mid-priced system.