JAL Virgo

Intel's Celeron chip has been overshadowed in recent years by AMD's budget Duron, a modified Athlon processor with a couple of changes that reduce performance but make it cheaper to produce.

For those that aren't concerned about having the fastest PC possible, the Duron is a good budget choice.

The Jal Virgo is a keenly priced system with a 1.2GHz Duron beating at its heart. Assisting the processor is 256Mb of DDR memory and a 40Gb hard disk, which should provide all the necessary disk space for megabyte-hungry multimedia files.

Both CD-RW and DVD-Rom drives are present in two of the Virgo's four 5.25in drive bays. As well as the floppy drive, there's an additional 3.5in external drive bay and space inside for adding a second hard disk.

On the graphics front, gamers will be happy to see the inclusion of a 64Mb GeForce4MX 440 card. As well as being a good budget 3D performer, it has a TV-out socket so the TV can be used for watching DVD films and games playing.

The integrated sound card is less impressive but is only likely to be shown up when playing games or watching DVD movies that support surround-sound.

The tower case and 17in Hansol monitor aren't much to look at but the side of the system case dismantles easily and all internal wiring is neatly tied back, allowing plenty of room. Four PCI slots are free, and the fifth holds the modem.

A keyboard with shortcut buttons for audio playback and web browsing is bundled, as well as a Genius optical mouse. Windows XP Home is the operating system while Microsoft Works 2001 and Nero Burning ROM 5.5 allow for basic office applications and CD recording.

Throw in a two-year on-site warranty and you've got a sturdy, future-proofed, good value PC system.

Price: £699 (inc. VAT)

Contact: JAL Systems 01782 848100
www.jalsystems.com

Also consider: Mesh Matrix 1800+GF4
Not yet reviewed. £774.

See also:

Hi-Grade Ultis P4-C17 CA06

Intel's Celeron comes of age in the battle of the budget processors.  15 Aug 2002

Mesh Matrix XP2000+ SB Plus

If you're in the market for a new PC, look no further than this.  13 Aug 2002

Hi-Grade Ultis P4 C17 PW07

A feature-packed PC at a budget price.  25 Jul 2002

Time Jupiter

An inexpensive way to upgrade if you don't need new peripherals and software.  12 Jul 2002

Hi-Grade Atlas Meridian XP 1800+

The Meridian is a terrific bargain at this price.  27 Jun 2002

Mesh Matrix XP 1800+SB

Good specs, combined with a low price and a three-year on-site warranty, make this a great value piece of kit.  06 Jun 2002

Mesh Matrix XP 1800 Value PC

A high-quality system at a good price.  27 May 2002

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