Mesh Elite Ice 5 Pro review
in Desktop PCs
Verdict
Superb performance, great peripherals and even an SSD for a remarkable price
Review Date: 22 Sep 2009
Reviewed By: Mike Jennings
Price when reviewed: £869 (£999 inc VAT)
Features & Design
![]()
Value for Money
![]()
Performance
![]()
![]()
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Part Code | Elite Ice 5 Pro |
| Review Date | 22 Sep 2009 |
| Price ex VAT | £869 |
| Price inc VAT | £999 |
| Overall rating |
|
| Performance |
|
| Features & Design |
|
| Value for Money |
|
| Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 1 yr return to base |
| Basic specifications | |
|---|---|
| Total hard disk capacity | 814 |
| RAM capacity | 4.00GB |
| Screen size | 24.0in |
| Processor | |
|---|---|
| CPU family | Intel Core i5 |
| CPU nominal frequency | 2.66GHz |
| CPU overclocked frequency | N/A |
| Processor socket | LGA 1156 |
| HSF (heatsink-fan) | Intel low profile cooler |
| Motherboard | |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | Asus P7P55D |
| Motherboard chipset | Intel P55 Express |
| Conventional PCI slots free | 2 |
| Conventional PCI slots total | 2 |
| PCI-E x16 slots free | 1 |
| PCI-E x16 slots total | 3 |
| PCI-E x8 slots free | 0 |
| PCI-E x8 slots total | 0 |
| PCI-E x4 slots free | 0 |
| PCI-E x4 slots total | 0 |
| PCI-E x1 slots free | 1 |
| PCI-E x1 slots total | 2 |
| Internal SATA connectors | 6 |
| Internal SAS connectors | 1 |
| Internal PATA connectors | 1 |
| Internal floppy connectors | 1 |
| Wired adapter speed | 1,000Mbits/sec |
| Memory | |
|---|---|
| Memory type | DDR3 |
| Memory sockets free | 2 |
| Memory sockets total | 4 |
| Hard disk | |
|---|---|
| Hard disk | Samsung SpinPoint F1 |
| Capacity | 760GB |
| Hard disk usable capacity | 698GB |
| Internal disk interface | SATA/300 |
| Spindle speed | 7,200RPM |
| Cache size | 32MB |
| Hard disk 2 make and model | OCZ Vortex SSD |
| Hard disk 2 nominal capacity | 64GB |
| Hard disk 2 formatted capacity | 59 |
| Hard disk 2 spindle speed | N/A |
| Hard disk 2 cache size | N/A |
| Hard disk 3 make and model | N/A |
| Hard disk 3 nominal capacity | N/A |
| Hard disk 4 make and model | N/A |
| Hard disk 4 nominal capacity | N/A |
| Drives | |
|---|---|
| Optical drive | Samsung SH-S223B |
| Optical disc technology | DVD writer |
| Optical disk 2 make and model | N/A |
| Optical disk 3 make and model | N/A |
| Rear ports | |
|---|---|
| USB ports (downstream) | 10 |
| FireWire ports | 1 |
| eSATA ports | 1 |
| PS/2 mouse port |
|
| Electrical S/PDIF audio ports | 1 |
| Optical S/PDIF audio output ports | 0 |
| Modem |
|
| 3.5mm audio jacks | 6 |
| Graphics card | |
|---|---|
| Graphics card | HIS ATI Radeon HD 4890 |
| Multiple SLI/CrossFire cards? |
|
| 3D performance setting | High |
| Graphics chipset | ATI Radeon HD 4890 |
| Graphics card RAM | 1.00GB |
| DVI-I outputs | 2 |
| HDMI outputs | 0 |
| VGA (D-SUB) outputs | 0 |
| DisplayPort outputs | 0 |
| Number of graphics cards | 1 |
| Monitor | |
|---|---|
| Monitor make and model | Iiyama ProLite E2407HDS |
| Resolution screen horizontal | 1,920 |
| Resolution screen vertical | 1,080 |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Pixel response time | 2ms |
| Contrast ratio | 1,000:1 |
| Screen brightness | 300cd/m2 |
| DVI inputs | 1 |
| HDMI inputs | 1 |
| VGA inputs | 0 |
| DisplayPort inputs | 0 |
| Additional Peripherals | |
|---|---|
| Speakers | N/A |
| Speaker type | N/A |
| Sound card | ATI HD Audio |
| Peripherals | N/A |
| Case | |
|---|---|
| Chassis | NZXT Hush |
| Case format | Full tower |
| Dimensions | 193 x 513 x 418mm (WDH) |
| Power supply | |
|---|---|
| Power supply | X-Power ATX-700TW |
| Power supply rating | 700W |
| Free drive bays | |
|---|---|
| Free front panel 5.25in bays | 3 |
| Front ports | |
|---|---|
| Front panel USB ports | 2 |
| Front panel FireWire ports | 1 |
| Front panel memory card reader |
|
| Mouse & Keyboard | |
|---|---|
| Mouse and keyboard | Logitech Deluxe 660 wireless keyboard and mouse |
| Operating system and software | |
|---|---|
| OS family | Windows 7 |
| Recovery method | Recovery disk and partition |
| Software supplied | Cyberlink video editing suite |
| Noise and power | |
|---|---|
| Peak noise level | 36.0dB(A) |
| Performance tests | |
|---|---|
| Overall application benchmark score | 1.89 |
| 2D graphics application benchmark score | 2.11 |
| Encoding application benchmark score | 1.67 |
| 3D performance (crysis) low settings | 49fps |
| 3D performance setting | High |
From around the web
If you buy a Mesh, I hope your "buying experience" is a lot less gut wrenching than mine's been.
In essence (and to save a great deal of typing) a Slayer Dragon was delivered after a great deal of messing around with a US graphics card.
A month later it is back in for repair with a suspected US graphics card.
A shame as my last Mesh experience some 4 years ago was excellent. I won't be going near them again.
By derekdobson on 29 Oct 2009 ![]()
Great machines. Poor service.
Their ordering system made an error. Deliveries were delayed without informing me. Emails go unanswered. Phone calls can be on hold for 20 minutes. And I still didn't have a PC. I cancelled, that's just too many things wrong.
The specs are very, very good. But woe betide you if you have a problem.
By John_Samuel on 4 Nov 2009 ![]()
Shocking Service
Four weeks after placing my order and no sign of a delivery, I phoned Mesh and was told the processor was out of stock, but deliveries where due and my system would be shipped within four days. Five days later I was told the graphics cards where now out of stock and they could not give me a new delivery date. Needless to say I cancelled my order.
By xxxxx on 16 Nov 2009 ![]()
Continuing supply problems
I've had a similar experience 4 weeks almost and no PC
Apparently there are no graphics cards available
The only comment from my elusive salesman is try ringing next week, my emails go unanswered, helpdesks that don't help or have any answers, try someone else than Mesh if you want a PC on time or at all I’m cancelling mine.
Strange the PC mags have no trouble getting a review PC and have no qualms recommending them either! shame
By Treeboy on 19 Nov 2009 ![]()
MESH problems
I've had a similar experience 4 weeks almost and no PC
Apparently there are no graphics cards available
The only comment from my elusive salesman is try ringing next week, my emails go unanswered, helpdesks that don't help or have any answers, try someone else than Mesh if you want a PC on time or at all I’m cancelling mine.
Strange the PC mags have no trouble getting a review PC and have no qualms recommending them either! shame
By Treeboy on 19 Nov 2009 ![]()
And another long wait
Ordered a similar Ice 5 750CS with i7 860 and 5850 graphics on the 1st Nov and still waiting. Supposedly the status is "Production Pending, Components Allocated to Machine", but it's been like this for over a week. Seemingly you're expected to pay the extra for Fast Track build - hopefully I'm not being further pushed down the queue by other purchasers choosing this option!
By jehu01 on 26 Nov 2009 ![]()
Mesh change graphics card on Ice 5 750 CS
I ordered one of these excellent value beasts on the basis of the great reviews but failed to notice that Mesh have changed the grphics card and are no longer fitting the Radeon 4890 but the cheaper 5770.
Now some might prefer the 5770 but most will agree that the 4890 is a faster card.
I suppose that the change is in response to the shortage of ATI cards (see article on this site) and that ATI says that its 5770 cards are not affected by the shortage problem.
I'm in a quandry - do I press for the 4890 to be fitted and wait - or do I accept that I should have noticed the change?
In my view, the 750CS no longer meets the rave reviews that it had in the mag and on this site.
By redkiteyorks on 28 Nov 2009 ![]()
... another long wait ended
In the interests of fairness, the Ice 5 750CS I ordered on 1st Nov (see above), was dispatched on 4th Dec and arrived the 7th after the weekend.
Everything fine so far, apart from the initial setup of Windows 7 which would hang on a black screen, rectified by rreinstalling from the supplied CD.
Better (any!) communication from Mesh over the delays in delivery would have been appreciated - I'm happy to accept that the system may be delayed as long as reasonable time frames and options are given. None were given in this instance.
By jehu01 on 9 Dec 2009 ![]()
advertisement
- Home-taught skills lead to security success
- Fusion Garage Q&A: Grid10 tablet "makes or breaks" us
- Dell: tablets aren't killing PCs
- Britain's 15-year-old Excel champion
- Q&A: the problems with Amazon's Appstore
- Q&A: How 4G auction money could improve rural coverage
- Q&A: why children need a balanced "diet" of tech
- Q&A: why we're getting more liberal with content sharing
- Q&A: can a £15 computer rekindle the UK tech industry?
- MP: it will take two years to fix Digital Economy Act
- Laptop bag reviews: nine tested
- Sony VAIO T Series Ultrabook review: first look
- Revealed: the military standards and robots HP uses to test its laptops
- Windows 8: multi-monitors and double standards?
- Why is TalkTalk's year-old porn filter suddenly big news?
- Why are laptop screens so far behind mobiles?
- HP EliteBook Folio review: first look
- The shoebox-sized all-in-one printer
- Forget the Ultrabook: here comes the HP Sleekbook
- HP Spectre XT review: first look
advertisement






