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RL Supplies Modula Performa review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £650
inc VAT

The Modula Performa may have a Core i5 processor, but it's surrounded by underspecified components that would demand instant upgrades.

Specifications

2.66GHz Intel Core i5-750, 2.000000 RAM, 20in 1,600×900 display, Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit

RL Supplies

RL Supplies’ Modula Performa has a powerful Intel Core i5 750 processor, but some obvious sacrifices have been made to accommodate it.

There’s just 2GB of RAM, which limited the PC’s performance in our tests. This was particularly obvious in our image-editing test, where the Modula Performa scored well below several PCs with lesser processors and 4GB of RAM. However, high scores in our video-encoding and multitasking tests led to a good overall score. The 512MB Nvidia GeForce GTS 250 graphics card is reasonably powerful, but is suitable only for undemanding gamers.

The 20in Hannspree HF207’s resolution of 1,600×900 is respectable. Viewing angles aren’t great, though. Colour reproduction is accurate from straight on, but a white screen gained a pink or purple tint as we moved off-centre. This isn’t a major problem, but it’s another niggle. RL Supplies has made odd choices for the keyboard and mouse, with models from Trust and Sweex respectively. The mouse drags uncomfortably and the keys are a bit spongy.

The case is sturdy but does little to insulate against the noticeable fan hum. There are several mounting points, but no case fans have been installed. The hard disk is another casualty of the tight budget; its 250GB is paltry compared with the 1TB disks offered by others for the same price. There’s plenty of room to fit extra drives, with six free 3?in bays and three unused SATA ports. We’d advise you to fit an extra 2GB of RAM before anything else, though.

Memory is inexpensive and easy to add, but that doesn’t mean you should buy the Modula Performa. Mesh’s Matrix II is a much better PC, but if you’re desperate to get your hands on a Core i5-based PC for £650, the Performa is a marginally better choice than Eclipse’s Solar Crossfire i575R487, as the latter’s poor monitor puts it out of contention.

Basic Specifications

Rating ****
Processor Intel Core i5-750
Processor external bus 133MHz (2,400MHz QuickPath Interconnect)
Processor multiplier x24
Processor clock speed 2.66GHz
Processor socket LGA1156
Level 1 cache 4x 64KB
Level 2 cache 4x 256KB
Memory 2.000000
Memory type PC3-10600
Maximum memory 16GB
Motherboard Asrock P55M
Motherboard chipset Intel P55
Power consumption standby 9W
Power consumption idle 113W
Power consumption active 234W

Ports

USB2 ports (front/rear) 1/8
Firewire ports (front/rear) 0/1
eSATA ports (front/rear) 0/2
Wired network ports 1x 10/100/1000
Wireless networking support none
Other ports none

Internal Expansion

Case midi tower
PCI-E x1 slots (free) 1 (0)
PCI-E x16 slots (free) 1 (0)
Free Serial ATA ports 3
Free memory slots 3
Free 3.5in drive bays 5

Hard Disk

Hard disk model(s) Maxtor STM3750528AS
Interface SATA 300
Total storage capacity 250GB
Spindle speed 7,200rpm

Graphics

Graphics card(s) 512MB Nvidia GeForce GTS 250
Graphics/video ports 2x DVI, TV out

Sound

Sound Via VT1708S
Sound outputs 7.1 line out, coaxial S/PDIF out, optical S/PDIF out
Speakers none

Removable Drives

3.5in floppy drive no
Supported memory cards CF, SD, SDHC, MMC, Memory Stick Duo, xD, T-Flash
Optical drive model Optiarc AD-5200A
Optical drive type(s) DVD+/-RW +/-DL

Display

Viewable size 20 in
Screen model Hannspree HF207
Native resolution 1,600×900
Response time 5ms
Screen inputs VGA

Other Hardware

Modem No
Keyboard Trust KB-115 Multimedia Keyboard
Mouse Sweex MI510 Optical Mouse

Software

Software included none
Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit
Operating system restore option Windows disc

Buying Information

Warranty two years RTB
Price £650
Details www.rlsupplies.co.uk

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