Mesh Matrix XP 2000+25

The Matrix is a powerful and appealing PC aimed at the serious gamer.

Price: £1526

Manufacturer: Mesh

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Verdict

Pros:

Great graphics and sound; plenty of storage; powerful processor.
Cons: Expensive; limited software.

James Royles, Computeract!ve 28 Jun 2002

Every six months, nVidia releases a new range of graphics cards which are usually met with wide acclaim.

The latest GeForce4 series has just arrived to take over from the former GeForce3 and this system from Mesh is one of the first machines to feature the powerful new nVidia GeForce4 Ti 4600 card with 128Mb of memory.

For most people, though, a well-balanced PC package is more important than just the graphics card. The Matrix is built around a powerful Athlon XP2000+ processor from AMD.

This is backed up by 512Mb of DDR memory and, in our overall performance test, this excellent new processor achieved a commanding score. This is a considerable amount of memory but, if you do fancy adding more, there's a spare memory slot inside.

Very few applications can use all this power properly at the moment which might seem a waste, but it does mean that the Matrix will cope with new applications and programs for years to come.

Whether installing games, playing with video or downloading tunes from the internet, plenty of storage is a pre-requisite. Mesh has seen to this with an 80Gb hard disk.

The DVD-Rom drive means that bulkier software packages and films are on the menu while removable storage needs are catered for by the 24-speed CD-RW drive.

There is no getting away from the fact that this system is all about graphics and the Matrix shone in our 3D tests. The GeForce4 Ti 4600 really is deserving of the plaudits it will doubtless receive from the game-playing public.

It is the best graphics card on the market at the moment and is set to stay that way for the six months or so until the next round of new launches. It clocked up a phenomenal score, trouncing the outgoing GeForce3 cards and making the previously impressive ATi Radeon 8500 look pretty ordinary.

Although much of the actual technology is the same as the GeForce3, the new card has made great improvements in a few key areas.

Improved 'bump mapping' ensures that scenery and textures look more realistic than ever while better anti-aliasing smooths jagged edges on curved objects. All this is done without sacrificing speed, so games play smoothly.

Such crisp graphics would be wasted on a bad monitor but the 19in Mitsubishi model supplied makes everything look sharp and crystal clear. For a PC at this price, you might expect to see a slimline TFT display, but any gamer will tell you that conventional CRT displays are the only way to play, thanks to the high resolutions.

Sound is also important for most users, so the Matrix's Creative DTT 2200 5.1 surround speakers and Creative Audigy sound card are welcome. The Audigy also features a FireWire port and there are four USB ports. Disappointingly, there is no software aside from Windows XP Home, a DVD movie player and a CD-creation package.

Like any PC of this high specification, the price is inflated by the cost of having the very latest components. If that doesn't deter you, and games are your favourite pastime, the Matrix is an appealing and powerful PC.

Price: £1,526

Contact: Mesh 020 8208 4707
www.meshplc.com

Also consider: Time Machine 1800+XS FLEX
A great PC hampered only by lack of memory. £1,649 - Worth it.

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