Advent PQD5002 review

Advent's PQD5002 is one of the best-looking PCs here, thanks to its glossy black façade and glowing blue lights.

Unfortunately, it's also noticeably noisier than the other computers on test. The PQD5002 has a matching black and silver 19in widescreen monitor that wouldn't look out of place next to a PC that costs twice as much. Images looked bright, although they also had a greenish cast. Fiddling with the monitor's settings helped reduce this.

The PQD5002 is the only PC on test this month with a quad-core processor, a 2.2GHz AMD Phenom X4 9550, which is a surprise for such a cheap computer. As expected, it made short work of our video-encoding test, where it was the second-fastest PC here after Eclipse's overclocked Solar. It performed less well in our multiple applications tests, falling behind the dual-core Intel-based PCs. This is because not all the software in the test has been written to take advantage of all four cores.

The PQD5002 is one of only three computers here to come fitted with 4GB of RAM, which should be more than enough for running several programs at once. It's also one of only two PCs here with a large 500GB hard disk. If this still isn't enough storage for your needs, its five empty 3½in bays can accommodate additional hard disks. There's also a second 5¼in bay for holding another optical drive.

One of the compromises Advent has made to allow for the quad-core processor is the lack of a dedicated graphics card. The integrated Radeon graphics chip could barely run our demanding 3D graphics tests, so you'll need to spend extra on a dedicated graphics card if you want to play the latest games. Even if you're not interested in games, you'll still need a dedicated graphics card if you want to connect a second monitor for more working space.

The PQD5002 is a good PC if you can put up with its noise and have no interest in games. Most people will be better off with a more well-rounded PC, though, such as Eclipse's Solar or RL Supplies' Modula.