Mesh Matrix64 3000+ DUAL review

Our low-cost laptops group test this month emphasises just how much power you can now buy in notebook form. With some stunning specs on show for the same price as this Mesh, it's worth re-examining why anyone would want a full-blown desktop in the first place. For us, there are three key areas: bang-per-buck, expansion and games performance - and this Mesh scores well in all three areas.

Take expansion. Built around Asus' K8V Deluxe motherboard, there are four spare PCI slots (the other one is occupied by a modem), one empty DIMM socket and a single empty SATA connector. With two 3.5in internal bays going free, and Promise's on-board PDC20378 controller, it's relatively simple to create a RAID0 array by adding another 160GB hard disk.

The bang-per-buck is clear for all to see too. The Matrix64's score of 2.37 is almost 80 per cent faster than any of the low-cost laptops on display in this issue, with the Athlon 64 3000+ and 512MB of PC2700 memory combining with their usual vigour.

This machine will also be very comfortable at running the latest games - provided you keep the resolution to 1,280 x 1,024. With ATi's Radeon 9800 Pro in place, the Matrix scored 64fps (frames per second) in Unreal Tournament 2004 and 38fps in Halo. And, unlike a notebook, if you do find it struggles in Doom 3 and its successors, then upgrading to a new graphics card is a relatively simple task.

We suspect you'll want to hang on to the TFT though. It's bright, the colours are accurate and, while there's a certain amount of lag, it has quick enough response times to cope with fast action. Its only problem is lacklustre viewing angles, but the excellent tilting, swivel stand goes some way to making up for this. It even pivots, so you can view pages in portrait orientation. The only reason we wouldn't recommend it is for DVD viewing, which is a shame as Mesh provides 5.1 speakers.

Mesh spares little expense on the DVD writer, which is capable of burning to both DVD-R and DVD+R discs at 8x, and even supports Dual Layer burning, but there's no room in its budget for frivolous extras like a wireless keyboard and mice. Fortunately, the corded Logitech duo it provides are perfectly good: there are some handy shortcuts on the keyboard, and the mouse is an optical version. Just beware that the keyboard is quite rattly.

Mesh's finishing touch is the case. Although we've seen it many times before, it still deserves praise for the large, quiet case fan, which, when coupled with some discreet CPU cooling, makes this is a satisfyingly quiet PC to work on. Even the insides have received some attention, with the lift-off side panel and neat arrangement of cables making internal work hassle-free.

It all adds up to a great value PC that also boasts some panache - neither Evesham or Systemax can come close this month. Add a two-year on-site warranty and a decent software package, including Works 7 and Pinnacle Studio 9 SE, and it's the clear choice for both a Recommended award and a place on our A List.

Author: Tim Danton