CyberPower Infinity i5 Silent Edition review

The MSI P67A-C45 motherboard provides a decent amount of room for expansion. There are two PCI-E x1 slots, although one is blocked by the graphics card, and three empty PCI slots. That should be plenty of room for all the sound cards, TV tuners and extra ports you could want. The motherboard itself has a whopping ten USB ports on the back, two of which are USB3. Inside, you’ll find four SATA II ports and two SATA III ports. There’s no support for eSATA, but USB3 is set to take over for fast external storage anyway. A FireWire port is also included; this is something of a rarity these days, but it might come in handy if you have an old video camera. The case’s front panel is wired up with two more USB ports and yet another FireWire connection. We were also very pleased with the case design, which provides enough bays for six more 3.5in drives, two of them external, and three more 5.25in drives. There’s also a liquid cooling system that takes the place of the usual CPU fan and heat sink array; this makes a distinctive hum, but it’s unobtrusive and largely damped by the case’s sound-proofing foam.

It’s phenomenal to find such a powerful and capable all-round PC for £900. The only major compromise is the monitor, a 22in widescreen LG Flatron E2240 with a single VGA input. In terms of image quality, we have no complaints – it’s bright, evenly lit and produces accurate colours. However, it has a maximum resolution of 1,600×1,200, rather than the now-commonplace Full HD resolution of 1,920×1,080 (1080p). If you don’t already have a monitor that you’re happy with, this will do until you get something better, but it’s worth bearing in mind that you can buy the same PC without the monitor for £765. The included keyboard and mouse are simple but effective wired devices from the budget end of Logitech’s range.

Although the LG monitor wouldn’t have been our first choice, there’s nothing not to like about the Infinity i5 Silent Edition PC itself. It’s a perfect combination of power and functionality, and it’s now our Ultimate award winner.