Evesham Axis 64 Force

A powerhouse computer that offers a host of well-thought-out features.

Price: £1299

Manufacturer: Evesham

Ratings

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Verdict

Pros:
Extremely powerful specifications; well designed; large, sharp monitor.

Cons:
No TV capability.

Overall:
A powerful and fast computer with a high overall specification.

Anthony Dhanendran, Computeract!ve 26 Jul 2004

Although Evesham's latest PC isn't the sort of thing you would want to display in your living room, it's fairly stylish as far as 'big box' PC cases go. The added advantage with this model is that it conceals an incredibly powerful computer.

The basis of the PC is the motherboard, which uses nVidia's latest nForce3 chipset. This, along with the top-of-the-range AMD Athlon 64 3400+ processor, forms the heart of the system, around which Evesham has built a beast of a PC. It flew through our tests, as you might expect from a computer with such fancy components.

It comes with an adequate 512Mb of memory and there is space to add more at a later date. Storage comes in the form of a 160Gb serial-ATA hard disk, which will offer quick access to even the most vast collection of digital music and picture libraries.

If you need to back up those files, the supplied Sony recordable DVD drive (which will read and write all common formats except DVD-RAM) is more than capable of the task. Evesham also supplies a second (read-only) DVD drive. Both will, of course, read CDs as well.

The ATI Radeon 9800Pro, which includes 128Mb of memory, is one of the fastest graphics cards available, although a small criticism is that the supplied version does not have TV capabilities. You can upgrade when you order your computer, though. The 17in Philips flat-screen monitor that comes with the computer is sharp and its design matches that of the main PC case. It uses a DVI connection for better picture quality.

Inside the case, everything is neatly stored away and the wires and cables are either tied back or taped to the sides of the case. This means air can flow freely, reducing the risk of overheating. There are two drive bays free if you wish to upgrade later, and there are PCI slots free inside if you want to add expansion cards.

Our review machine lacked FireWire connectivity, but Evesham assures us this will not be the case when shipped to paying customers. You can plug printers and scanners into the two USB 2 ports on the front panel, which also houses sockets for headphones and a microphone. The built-in 5.1 sound card is boosted by a full set of 7.1 surround-sound speakers.

Bundled software included Pinnacle CD/DVD, VideoStudio 9 and Microsoft Works 7. Evesham offers a two-year, on-site guarantee as well as a third year during which you can return the PC to Evesham for repairs should it break down. There is also a 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week telephone support line.

All in all, this is a well-thought-out and powerful computer in a well-designed case. Despite a couple of minor flaws, it really is worth considering if you're in the market for a reasonably-priced powerhouse PC.

Contact: Evesham 0870 160 9503
www.evesham.com

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