Product Reviews

With computer technology infiltrating everything from toasters to tax returns, it was only a matter of time before PCs started demanding some of the limelight. The Encore 3602 from Systemax combines a PC with audio, video and TV, and crams it into a small-form-factor system that looks like a cross between a micro hi-fi and a Shuttle XPC.

It's actually a little of both. Built around MSI's new bare-bones Mega PC, the looks certainly impress, with the orange backlighting subtly complementing the metallic plastic fascia. Going inside, there's a beefy 2.66GHz Pentium 4, 512MB of PC2700 RAM and a generous 120GB Samsung hard disk too.

Not only that, but with an Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 Personal Cinema card installed, there's a TV tuner and AM/FM radio at your disposal, as well as an S-Video in and out on the breakout box. Then there's the front panel, which sports transport controls and a tuner dial to access the radio and CD functions without booting Windows. There's also a dedicated LCD, showing the tuner frequency or CD track, along with the current EQ preset and a decorative spectrometer. Go into Windows XP Home, and you can watch or record TV, play a DVD or access the radio through software, although this infuriatingly disables the front-panel controls.

Similarly frustrating are the two remote controls - one for the graphics and one for the Mega PC. It's far from ideal, but, to be fair, this isn't so much Systemax's fault as MSI's. The Mega PC was supposed to come with a TV card option, but with delays Systemax bundled the Personal Cinema card instead.

But frustrations aside, let's not forget this is a very capable PC, which will happily whizz through most things, as demonstrated by an adequate 2D benchmark score of 1.49. With the quality cordless Logitech keyboard and mouse, there's no need to be stuck behind a desk either - you can sofa-surf or catch up on your email from the other side of the room.

No entertainment system would be complete without decent games performance and, with the GeForce FX 5200 providing

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DirectX 9 compatibility and a score of 8,108 in 3DMark2001 SE (at 1,024 x 768 in 32-bit), it's certainly got enough power for the moment. The AGP slot is only 4x, but at least it allows you to upgrade, which is more than you can say for many small-form-factor boxes.

There's also a PCI slot and, with integrated 5.1 audio, 10/100 Ethernet and a V.90 modem already present, you're unlikely to need more. And even if you did, there are plenty of ports available. The back panel offers parallel and serial connections, as well as two USB 2 ports; a further two USB 2 ports can be found behind a front panel, along with two FireWire ports and an optical in and out.

While there's no floppy drive, the space is taken up by two (arguably more useful) card readers, able to handle most of the common formats between them. Just above this is a speedy Samsung combo drive, bringing a burst of beige that's thankfully hidden behind a flap.

Not so beige is the black 17in CTX S700B TFT. With a 4cm bezel, the colour helps it appear less bulky, but it's not subtle. The panel is reasonable enough, although it's a little dark, with poor vertical viewing angles and a slight fuzziness at the native 1,280 x 1,024 resolution. The captive VGA cable is a pain too, especially as it's only a metre long. That said, a 17in TFT with a £999 system is a great inclusion, and with a response time of 20ms it gives games and DVDs a chance to work at speed too.

Also good for games are the VideoLogic ZXR-500 speakers, which put in an acceptable, if not earth-shattering performance. They're what we expect to see for £999, but they won't push the home-cinema features to the limit.

There are few good alternatives to this system as it stands, although you can expect that to change soon. Hi-Grade's Xperian 1700-2660 (see issue 105, p58) elegantly solves the problem of access to video and MP3s by using a custom Linux installation and, while it doesn't have AGP or PCI slots, it's much more satisfying overall. Soon, there'll be a wave of new PCs based on Windows XP Media Centre Edition, which will have fully integrated remote-control setups.

This leaves the Encore sitting awkwardly, as it can only play MP3s from CDs, not from the 120GB hard disk, and the two remote controls are hardly an elegant all-in-one approach. Given the price, though, this is a well-specified system, particularly considering the generously sized TFT and overall performance. As an integrated system, the Encore 3602 ultimately fails, but as a TV, DVD, radio or, indeed, a PC it functions well and would make an ideal space-saving system in the study or bedroom.