Product Reviews

Cyberpower's Gamer Infinity Crossfire HD is among the increasing number of PCs we've seen to come with 4GB of memory. The rest of the specification is equally generous, and the result is a well-rounded PC that's ready to take on any task.

Four gigabytes of RAM is more than enough to satisfy memory-hungry software such as photo and video editors, or keep several applications running without everything slowing down. Only the 64-bit version of Windows Vista can handle this much RAM, and that's what Cyberpower has installed. Be aware that not all programs are ready to take advantage, and some software, such as drivers for existing peripherals, won't work with 64-bit Windows at all, so you'll need to check compatibility before choosing a 64-bit system.

Thus equipped, the Infinity blazed through our performance benchmarks. The Core 2 Duo E8400 processor has been overclocked from its usual 3GHz to 3.6, so it did especially well in our image editing and multiple applications tests, adding up to a 2D (general) score of 274%.

Gamers won't be disappointed, either. The Radeon HD3870X2 graphics card uses two graphics chips instead of one, so it's almost as fast as a PC with two separate graphics cards. Scoring a record-breaking 368% in our 3D test, it should cope fine with even the most graphically detailed games for some time

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to come.

Sound is almost as important for an enjoyable gaming experience, and it hasn't been overlooked. The Creative SoundBlaster X-Fi card can produce more realistic and immersive effects in games that support its EAX processing; a list of compatible games can be found at tinyurl.com/4rz7tf. The Creative T6100 5.1 surround speakers had plenty of bass and volume, so games and movies sounded great. They were less than ideal for music, though, making our test tracks sound rather muddy.

Gamers won't be so pleased with the cordless Logitech Deluxe 660 keyboard and RX 650 mouse. We've seen them bundled with numerous PCs, and they're fine for everyday use, but not quite responsive enough for games that require quick reflexes. Typists won't like the spongy keyboard.

Display of judgement

The supplied 22 inch widescreen display was a mixed bag. Colours looked bright and rich, and the 1680x1050 pixel resolution is ideal for watching DVDs as well as fitting in two or more applications side by side. Our photos looked a little grainy, so demanding creative users might want to shell out for a better monitor, but it's more than good enough for everyday use.

If the 500GB hard disk isn't large enough to accommodate all your files, you can add up to three more using the empty bays and SATA ports inside the case. There are five spare bays for more optical drives, which is more than enough. The Infinity doesn't have an endless array of expansion slots, but the two spare PCI and empty PCI Express x1 slot should be sufficient for most people.

We were greatly impressed by the Infinity. It's fast in both games and Windows, has a dedicated sound card, and comes with a reassuringly lengthy warranty: although Cyberpower doesn't provide onsite service, the warranty lasts three years. The £900 asking price is a bit high, but it buys you an excellent PC that should serve you for years.