Lab

£850 PC Bundles

When buying a PC, you have to be careful not to spend too much or too little. Buying one of the most expensive PCs may guarantee you huge amounts of computing power, but unless you need to use demanding applications you'll be wasting money that could be better spent elsewhere. Similarly, there are real bargains to be found among the cheapest PCs, but if they don't provide the features you need for what you want to do you could end up spending a lot more on expensive upgrades. For most home computer users, the ideal price lies somewhere between £600 and a grand.

We've tested six complete PC systems that cost just £850 including VAT and delivery. At this price, you can be sure of getting a computer powerful enough to steam through easy jobs such as surfing the web, and ready to tackle more demanding tasks such as image editing. Most include extras such as surround sound speakers, printers and even wireless networking.

Whether you want a PC for playing media files in the living room, destroying hordes of brain-munching zombies in a 3D game or tweaking digital video and photographs to perfection, we'll help you pick the perfect PC.

CHOOSING AN... £850 PC

Before you buy a computer, it's always important to consider what you want to use it for. Each manufacturer that submitted a PC for this test has spent its £850 budget in a different way, so while most are excellent value not all will be right for you. By having a good idea of your priorities, you will be able to make sure your new computer is ready for any task you want to throw at it.

BALANCE OF POWER

Two of the most expensive parts of a PC are its processor and graphics card. In the simplest terms, a PC that has had more money spent on its processor will be faster in Windows applications such as Paint Shop Pro or Adobe Photoshop. If the manufacturer spends more money on its computer's 3D graphics card, its will be able to play 3D games faster and at higher detail levels.

If, however, you do not intend to play 3D games, you should pay closer attention to the results of our Shopper application benchmarks. These show how well each PC can run demanding Windows applications, so you should pick one with a high score. If gaming is your passion, take a look at the results of our Doom 3 test. This shows which PCs have the power to run 3D games with high levels of graphical detail.

If you're not sure about gaming, or you would like to dabble in Doom 3 when you're not juggling spreadsheets, look for a PC that scores well in both tests. Two PCs this month, made by Carrera and PC Nextday, are ranked in the top three for both and are extremely versatile computers.

MEDIA STUDIES

Most people think of a computer as a way of browsing the internet, typing a letter and maybe playing some games. Today's PCs can do so much more, though, and Media Center computers are particularly versatile.

Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition is a special version of Windows XP that's designed for playing music, viewing photographs and watching TV. It has a simple, clear interface that is designed to be easily operated using a remote control.

Two computers in this group run the Media Center operating system, but they're very different. HP's Pavilion is a traditional Media Center. It has no screen and is designed to connect to a television. It includes a TV tuner and has a remote control so the system can be operated from the comfort of your sofa. Evesham's Axis RD has a monitor, but no remote control or TV tuner. Its Media Center software provides a simple way to show photos or play music, but it won't replace your television.

SOUND ADVICE

Every PC in this group has an audio processor chip on its motherboard that is capable of producing surround sound. Only two, however, have surround-sound speakers. If you want to play 3D games, having surround-sound speakers is an advantage - it's better to hear your enemy sneaking up behind you, for example, than to stand in blissful ignorance until he shoots you in the head. For listening to music or the amusing bleeping noises that Windows likes to make from time to time, the stereo speaker sets included with the other computers are just as good.

FIREWIRE WORRY

We were surprised to see that three of the PCs in this group do not include any FireWire ports. This isn't a problem for most people, as devices such as external hard disks can be connected just as easily using USB. If you have a digital video camera, though, you'll need a FireWire port to transfer video footage to your computer for editing or to create a DVD. It's a particularly frustrating omission on the Carrera Octan, which would otherwise be ideal for video editing thanks to its dual-core processor and huge hard disk. If you choose to buy a computer without a FireWire port, you should budget £15 for a PCI-to-FireWire adaptor.

WARRANTY WANTED

Warranties are often overlooked when buying a PC, but they become very important if your computer breaks down. Most of the PCs in this group come with onsite service for at least one year, so during that period the manufacturer or vendor will fix the equipment in your home. This is much more convenient than a return to base (RTB) warranty, especially if you use your PC for work.

The table on page 170 shows what kind of warranty is included with each PC, with details of when you can get technical support by telephone.

SOMETHING ELSE

Several manufacturers this month have gone beyond what we usually expect from a PC system by adding some extra components and peripherals. Although these are never as important as picking a computer with the right amount of power and a good monitor, they can be a valuable addition that saves you money in the long run.

Two manufacturers, Evesham and PC Nextday, have included multifunction printers. These devices enable you to copy and scan documents as well as print them. If you're buying your first PC, this is a useful extra.

PC Nextday has gone one step further by including a wireless networking adaptor as standard. This is great if you also have a notebook computer - you'll be able to share files and a broadband internet connection between the two computers without cables.