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Packard Bell OneTwo L I8524 review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £850
inc VAT

A relatively powerful processor, good looks and a large touchscreen display make the I8425 a good all-in-one PC, but it's too expensive.

Specifications

3.2GHz Intel Core i3-550, 4GB RAM, 23in 1,920×1,080 display, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

http://www.currys.co.uk

The remarkable thing about Packard Bell’s OneTwo all-in-one is its specification: it actually has one worth giving a second look to, with a Core i3-550 processor and 4GB RAM. This means that, unlike most all-in-one PCs, the I8524 achieved some respectable results in our benchmark tests, achieving an Overall score of 108. Naturally, a standard desktop PC is still much better value, but the I8524 has a few more things going for it.

Packard Bell OneTwo

It looks great, with a glossy black case that wouldn’t look out of place in any living room. You can even use the I8524 as a TV thanks to a built-in Freeview tuner, although it’s a shame there isn’t a second for recording two channels at once. It also comes with a media centre remote control.

We don’t like glossy displays as a rule, as they’re prone to distracting reflections of the room in front of them, but we were impressed by the bright, evenly lit and vividly coloured 23in screen. It’s a touchscreen with a resolution of 1,920×1,080. We’d have liked a Blu-ray drive to go with it, but weren’t surprised not to find one at this price. An integrated Nvidia GeForce 315 with 512MB RAM isn’t up to serious gaming, although its Call of Duty 4 frame rate of 12.5fps indicates that you might be able to get some old titles to work at low quality settings.

The integrated speaker at the base of the unit is also surprisingly good for its size – it’s not the clearest sound we’ve ever heard, but it puts out a decent amount of volume and isn’t entirely lacking in bass. A plastic panel at the back of the computer can be removed to reveal three 3.5mm stereo ports, which can be used for true 5.1 analogue surround sound. There are another two 3.5mm connections – for mic and headphones – at the right-hand side of the screen. If you need to display your desktop on a projector or larger screen, there’s a VGA output on the back.

Packard Bell OneTwo left hand ports

There’s also a pair of PS/2 connectors, so you can free up one of the I8524’s USB ports if you replace the supplied wireless mouse and keyboard with a wired PS/2 set. The set is functional and reasonably attractive, but we found the keyboard uncomfortable to use in any position, so replacing them isn’t a bad idea. For once, USB ports aren’t too hard to come by. There are only two at the front right, but another six can be found on the back – we’ve seen full-sized desktop PCs with fewer.

The I8524 is a fine all-in-one PC. The problem is the price – it isn’t good value compared to a desktop PC, which will perform far better for £200 less. If price is no object, space is tight and you need one device to serve as your PC, TV and general entertainment and work centre, this isn’t a bad choice.

Basic Specifications

Rating *****
Processor Intel Core i3-550
Processor external bus 133MHz (DMI)
Processor multiplier x24
Processor clock speed 3.2GHz
Processor socket LGA1156
Memory 4
Memory type PC3-10600
Maximum memory 8GB
Motherboard Packard Bell oneTwo L5851
Motherboard chipset Intel H57

Ports

USB2 ports (front/rear) 2/4
Firewire ports (front/rear) 0/1
eSATA ports (front/rear) 0/0
Wired network ports 10/100/1000
Wireless networking support 802.11n

Internal Expansion

Case all-in-one
PCI-E x1 slots (free) N/A
PCI-E x16 slots (free) N/A
Free memory slots 0

Hard Disk

Hard disk model(s) WDC WD10 EADS-22M2B0
Interface SATA II
Total storage capacity 980GB

Graphics

Graphics card(s) 512MB Nvidia GeForce 315
Graphics/video ports VGA

Sound

Sound Realtek HD Audio
Sound outputs 5.1 line out, stereo line out, mic in
Speakers integrated

Removable Drives

Supported memory cards SD, SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo, MMC, xD
Optical drive type(s) DVD+/-RW -DL

Display

Viewable size 23 in
Screen model integrated
Native resolution 1,920×1,080
Screen inputs none

Other Hardware

Keyboard Acer KG-0570
Mouse Acer MG-0570T

Software

Software included Adobe Photoshop Elements 8, Nero 9 Essentials, Microsoft Office Starter, Microsoft Touch Pack, Packard Bell TouchPortal
Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Operating system restore option burn own restore disc

Buying Information

Warranty one year RTB
Price £850
Supplier http://www.currys.co.uk
Details www.packardbell.co.uk

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