Gladiator Jupiter 2 6200 review

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Verdict:

With its current specifications, the Jupiter is a capable but not extraordinary PC. But its bevy of expansion options, especially SLI, mean it is an attractive long-term option for gamers on a tight budget and those who plan to customise their PC in the future.

Review Date: 21 Feb 2006

Price when reviewed: inc VAT

Our Rating 4 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

While the Jupiter's performance is generally average, its expansion capabilities set it apart from the crowd.

FEATURES

The Jupiter is one of the few PCs in this group to have 7.1 line out capability, so the bundled Logitech 2.0 speakers can be replaced with a more impressive surround-sound setup that's better suited to watching DVDs and gaming. The coaxial S/PDIF port should also attract audio enthusiasts on a budget.

The wired Logitech keyboard and mouse are comfortable and the inclusion of Gigabit Ethernet, a floppy drive and a memory card reader are all welcome, as are the two free PCI slots. The Hyundai 17" monitor lacks DVI input but still managed to produce a sharp image.

PERFORMANCE

In our overall applications benchmark, the Jupiter scored a decent but not outstanding 103. The 1GB of RAM helps you manipulate very large files, as seen in our image-editing test, where the Gladiator scored a speedy 112. The Athlon 3200+ is a Socket 939 processor, so you should have plenty of options in the future if you decide to upgrade to a more powerful processor.

The Jupiter managed just 6fps in our Doom 3 test, which is what we would expect from a budget graphics card such as the nVidia GeForce 6200. On the plus side, the Jupiter is the only PC in this group to have SLI capability. Although its current 3D performance is weedy, the Jupiter can benefit from a healthy boost in the future by adding a pair of SLI-capable graphics cards.

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