Zalman TNN 300

Silent PCs have a natural home in the living room, and to that end Zalman includes an infrared module and remote control for its iMon media-centre-style software. This is no match for Windows Media Center Edition when it comes to slickness, but the large interface is designed for use from a distance, and with control over photos, videos and music it's certainly comprehensive. And although there's no attempt to disguise the TNN 300 as anything other than a PC, it shouldn't have any problem blending in aesthetically with high-end stereo equipment.

We're not without reservations about the TNN 300. On our pre-production sample, the build quality of the pivoting base left something to be desired, and some of the heatpipes were slightly too long or too short, meaning that heat is escaping before it reaches the case. It's also expensive (although the price of £425 is only approximate at this stage, so it might come down in the near future) and, coupled with its hardware restrictions, isn't particularly upgradeable. You won't be able to build a particularly powerful system without adding some extra cooling hardware, but if you're looking for a system that will never make noise the TNN 300's marvellous engineering makes it an obvious choice.

Author: Dave Stevenson