Arbico OC i355 CS review

Despite the overclocked processor, the OC i355 CS is very quiet thanks to an upgraded CPU cooler and three ultra-low noise fans. All cables have been neatly organised to further improve airflow. The 650W power supply has plenty of extra connectors for future upgrades, including the six-pin connector used by most graphics cards. The motherboard has a decent range of expansion options too; the PCI-E x16 slot is free for a dedicated graphics card, although if you use a dual-slot card it will obstruct the upper PCI-E x1 slot. There’s also a single PCI slot for older expansion cards. There are three free 5 1/4in drive bays for adding extra optical drives, and six empty 3 1/2in bays for additional hard disks – although it will take some time to fill the included 1TB disk, which is generous at this price. Upgrading won’t affect the two-year warranty, which covers parts only for the first year.

Connectivity on the back of the motherboard is pretty sparse, with only six USB ports. Thankfully the Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse connect through a single dongle, leaving five free ports for connecting other devices. As well as analogue 5.1 line out, there’s an optical S/PDIF port for connecting higher-end audio equipment. There are also VGA and HDMI outputs for connecting a monitor to the on-board graphics chip.

Buying any pre-overclocked PC is a great way to get extra performance for no extra cost, and having a warranty greatly reduces the risk of attempting it yourself. While the OCi355 CS might not be as fast as some of the other systems we looked at this month, it’s definitely the one with the greatest upgrade potential. However, if you’d prefer entertainment rather than 2D performance, the Aria Proteus Inspire is cheaper yet has a Blu-ray drive.