NEC PowerMate ML470

In terms of core components, there's nothing to match the NEC PowerMate ML470 this month. It features one of Intel's new 3GHz Core 2 Duo E8400 processors and 2GB of DDR2 memory, as well as a 250GB hard disk - the largest in the group. And it manages to do so while keeping the price remarkably low.

With that in mind, we were a little disappointed by the benchmark score of just 1.06, and can only assume an XP-based equivalent would have scored higher. Luckily, NEC offers the ML470 with its FlexLoad utility - this automates the downgrading of the OS to XP and does it in around 15 minutes, without the need to purchase additional licences.

The small desktop chassis is a nice compromise between the miniature Lenovo and HP and the unnecessary bulk of the Acer. It's similar to the Dell case, but with a few interesting design touches. After removing the side panel, a plastic hard disk bay sits parallel to the motherboard, blocking access, before opening outwards like a drawbridge to make way.

A fan draws in air from the front of the case and across the CPU heatsink, while the half-width power supply allows room for a PCI riser card for two extra expansion slots. A media card reader sits on the front of the case, while the rear hosts parallel and serial ports. The case has a simple lock mechanism, and for £10 NEC will install an electromagnetic chassis lock. As with all these PCs it comes fitted with a TPM 1.2 module, and it supports Intel's vPro platform.

The five-year on-site warranty with next-business-day response is a cut above the rest, and NEC also offers bespoke disk imaging and network pre-configuration at competitive prices. The ML470 is quieter than most at 22dBA, but consumes more power than all but the Dell (48W).

Overall, we're impressed with the NEC. It's well equipped for the future, occupies the middle-ground in terms of size, and comes with a reasonable price tag. If the size and shape of our winners aren't for you, the ML470 is a good alternative.

Author: David Bayon