Mesh Matrix 2800+ RDL review

This machine's imposing black case hides a relatively modest 2800+ processor - still powerful enough to handle everyday tasks with ease - and a whopping 160GB Maxtor Diamond Max Plus 9 (7,200rpm) hard disk.

Like Systemax, Mesh has used the faster 400MHz variety of RAM, which may give the machine a slight overall speed boost.

Mesh has included a Lexmark Z605 printer, which lacks the scanning facilities of the X1150. Although it's not a good model for photo printing, it's fine for letters and documents. The Best Buy award-winning Creative Webcam Pro NX is also included.

You also get 5.1 surround speakers, although the quality offered by Creative's Inspire P580 set is no match for the VideoLogics that come with the Systemax. Although our review machine didn't feature it, Mesh promises that when this PC goes on sale, it will come with a speedy DW-U18A 8X DVD burner, as well as a normal DVD-ROM drive.

The hefty, industrial design of the system's huge 19in Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 930SB monitor goes nicely with the case. More importantly, it's a great display. Although it's a bulky cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor, it produces a sharp image because it uses aperture grille technology. In conventional monitors, the electron beam used to light up the phosphorescent dots that make up the monitor's image is guided with a metal grid. Aperture grille models use fine vertical wires instead, which allows a sharper picture with less glare. The wires are stabilised with two thin horizontal wires that are just visible if you look closely.

With CRT monitors, the size quoted in inches is actually the diagonal size of the cathode ray tube. The viewable area is actually only 18 inches (the 17in TFTs in this test actually have a viewable area of 17 inches). So the extra screen area in the Diamond Pro isn't quite as much as it sounds - but it's still a noticeable advantage, especially for games or DVDs. The monitor has two 'SuperBright' modes which make the display brighter (although also a bit more blurred) - fixing the problem of washed-out video images. The only disadvantage to this monitor is its bulk.

Mesh has included a wireless mouse and keyboard. The Logitech models chosen feel comfortable and responsive. The mouse is slightly longer than usual, but it fits nicely in the hand. The keyboard has a slightly odd arrangement in which the function keys, labelled F1 to F12 on conventional keyboards, can be set to act as shortcuts for various Windows functions - since the F keys are generally used as shortcuts for the program you're currently using, this could be a bit confusing. It's not enough to deny Mesh a full six stars for ergonomics, though.

Like all the systems on test this month, the Matrix 2800+ has a free RAM slot, so you can fit extra memory. Mesh has fitted two identical RAM modules - good news because this machine's nForce2 motherboard can get the best performance out of two separate sticks of RAM. Three PCI slots are free for internal upgrades with two free internal drive bays and room for one more 5.25in drive (the size of CD and DVD units). A horizontal strut makes working in the upper part slightly tricky but, overall, it's well-designed. The hard disk bays are mounted with the rear facing towards you, making it easy to put in the right connectors and clip disks into place. Mesh's machine can take Serial-ATA hard disks. Serial-ATA will allow faster drives to be made in the future. It will eventually become the standard, so a PC that supports it now will allow you to upgrade more easily in the future.