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Top
10 Power PCs
From the October 2001
issue of PC World magazine
Posted Monday, August 27, 2001
Xi Computer
1400 MTower SP
WHAT'S HOT: Xi's 1400
MTower SP includes an AMD Athlon-1400 processor with 256MB of 266-MHz DDR SDRAM,
and 82GB of storage space available on two hard drives connected to an IDE RAID
card. All this led the 1400 MTower SP to a PC WorldBench 2000 score of 242, the
highest we've seen yet for a Windows 2000 system. Xi supplies a Leadtek WinFast
GeForce3 board for high-end graphics. The 19-inch ViewSonic PF790 monitor
displayed vibrant colors and crisp text in our test images; its maximum
resolution is 1600 by 1200.
WHAT ELSE: Three open
PCI slots and six open drive bays (four readily accessible external bays and two
internal bays) account for the expansion room. The 12X/8X/32X CD-RW drive
permits speedy data backups. The system comes with the Small Business Edition of
Microsoft Office XP (this version, sold only with new systems, includes
Microsoft Publisher 2002). The manual lacks illustrations or system-specific
information, but it contains lots of upgrading tips. Six fans (one on the CPU,
one inside the power supply, two for the chassis, one on the graphics board, and
one more on the motherboard) help keep the inner workings cool. Xi's lockable
swing-out drive door has only one flaw: Its flimsy plastic hinges render the
lock pointless.
BEST USE: This
AMD-powered Xi system delivers more punch than Xi's P4-based MTower SP, at a
lower price. Video editors will appreciate the performance boost that the
RAID-connected drives bestow.
| Buying
Information |
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Xi
Computer 1400 MTower SP

PC WorldBench 2000 score of 242, Athlon-1400 CPU, 256MB of DDR SDRAM,
256KB L2 cache, Windows 2000 Professional, two 41GB hard drives,
12X/8X/32X CD-RW drive, Leadtek WinFast GeForce3 graphics card with 64MB
of DDR SDRAM, 19-inch ViewSonic PF790 monitor, integrated sound, Altec
Lansing ACS21W speakers, network adapter, tower case, three-year parts
and labor warranty, free unlimited 24-hour tech support.
$2949 At the time of the review -- Check
for current pricing.
800/432-0486
www.xicomputer.com
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From the October 2001 issue
of PC World magazine
Copyright ©
2001 PC World Communications. All Rights Reserved.
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