Group test: The Top 5 Power PCs of March

The best 5 desktop PCs you can buy

By Pc Advisor Staff, PC Advisor UK
March 10, 2010 11:14 AM ET

Number 5: Eclipse Titan X58 i795R585

Scoring 150 points in WorldBench 6, the Eclipse Titan X58 i795R585 is pleasingly fast. Its HD 5850 delivers a great gaming experience and DirectX 11.0 support, but lags behind the competition. Three 500GB hard drives are provided, with two combined in a Raid 0 array. This setup provides a good balance between performance and data security. The 23.6in full-HD monitor perfectly matches the resolution of the Blu-ray drive - but no speakers are supplied.

Full review of the Eclipse Titan X58 i795R585

Number 4: Chillblast Fusion Eagle

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At £1,599, the Chillblast Fusion Eagle is the most expensive PC here. It comes with a set of 5.1-channel speakers, a Blu-ray drive and a 24in Acer monitor. We were surprised to find a 3.06GHz Core i7 950 CPU under the hood rather than the 3.2GHz 960, but its 150-point WorldBench 6 tally is impressive nonetheless. Two 500GB hard drives are configured in a Raid 0 array, while a third is supplied for backups. Gaming performance is excellent.

Full review of the Chillblast Fusion Eagle

Number 3: CyberPower Gamer Infinity i7 Heaven

The CyberPower Gamer Infinity i7 Heaven is the only PC here to combine the fastest CPU with the most powerful graphics card. Its Core i7 960/Radeon HD 5870 combo results in excellent performance across the board, recording 153 points in WorldBench 6 and some top-notch gaming framerates. But here's the catch: the CyberPower is expensive at £1,499 but lacks external speakers and a Blu-ray drive. Its 1TB hard drive also seems stingy.

Full review of the CyberPower Gamer Infinity i7 Heaven

Number 2: Arbico Elite 9655 HD

Making good use of Intel's 3.2GHz Core i7 960 processor, the Arbico Elite 9655 HD records a blistering 156 points in WorldBench 6. The Arbico packs three 500GB hard drives and a powerful 850W PSU, while its 24in full-HD monitor is an ideal companion for the Blu-ray drive. Completing the multimedia credentials is a set of 5.1-channel speakers. Only the graphics card prevents this PC from taking top honours: Arbico has plumped for the HD 5850.

Full review of the Arbico Elite 9655 HD

Number 1: Mesh Ice7 5870 HD

The 2.8GHz clock speed of Mesh's Core i7 860 seems rather pedestrian, but it's easily fast enough for most users and offers several cost-saving advantages. Mesh has thus been able to splash out on the graphics, and the HD 5870 is a formidable DirectX 11.0 card. Also included is a 1.5TB hard drive and a 64GB SSD, with the latter significantly improving startups. A Blu-ray drive and full-HD monitor offer a good multimedia experience.

Full review of the Mesh Ice7 5870 HD