Palicomp Phoenix i5 Nitro review
Impressive performance and a big monitor, but not quite the best available at this price.
Specifications
4.7GHz Intel Core i5-2500K, 8GB RAM, 24in 1,920×1,080 display, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
At the top of the PC are two USB ports, an eSATA port and a panel that slides away to reveal standard internal SATA data and power connectors, ready to slot in an internal hard disk. The motherboard’s back panel is home to eight USB ports – two of them USB3 – along with two eSATA III ports, a Firewire port and a pair of PS/2 ports. Audio sockets comprise six 3.5mm analogue stereo ports and both optical and co-axial S/PDIF outputs. An additional backplate provides another two USB3 ports.
The PC comes with a 24in Samsung B2430 monitor, which is nicely designed and does the job, although we noticed uneven backlighting that produced a bright white line along the bottom bezel when we viewed dark scenes. The keyboard and mouse are a generic wireless set from Labtek. They feel a bit cheap but are still comfortable. A compact set of Logitech S220 2.1 speakers is similarly inexpensive, but produces a pleasingly well-rounded sound. The warranty is a basic one-year affair.
The Phoenix i5 Nitro is powerful, well built and comes with a large display. However, the Wired2Fire Hellspawn XFire comes with an even bigger monitor and better graphics card.
Basic Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Rating | **** |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-2500K |
| Processor external bus | 100MHz (Sandy Bridge DMI) |
| Processor multiplier | x47 |
| Processor clock speed | 4.7GHz |
| Processor socket | LGA1155 |
| Memory | 8 |
| Memory type | PC3-10666 |
| Maximum memory | 32GB |
| Motherboard | Asus P8P67 Pro |
| Motherboard chipset | Intel P67 |
Ports | |
| USB2 ports (front/rear) | 2/10 |
| Firewire ports (front/rear) | 0/1 |
| eSATA ports (front/rear) | 1/2 |
| Wired network ports | 1x 10/100/1000 |
| Wireless networking support | none |
Internal Expansion | |
| Case | midi tower |
| PCI-E x1 slots (free) | 2 (1) |
| PCI-E x16 slots (free) | 3 (2) |
| Free Serial ATA ports | 4 |
| Free memory slots | 2 |
| Free 3.5in drive bays | 5 |
Hard Disk | |
| Hard disk model(s) | Western Digital Caviar (WD15EARS-00Z5B1) |
| Interface | SATA2 |
| Total storage capacity | 1,500GB |
Graphics | |
| Graphics card(s) | 2GB ATI Radeon HD 6950 |
| Graphics/video ports | 2x DVI, 1x HDMI, 2x mini DisplayPort |
Sound | |
| Sound | Realtek ALC892 |
| Sound outputs | 7.1 line out, optical S/PDIF out, stereo line out, mic in |
| Speakers | Logitech S220 2.1 |
Removable Drives | |
| Supported memory cards | none |
| Optical drive type(s) | DVD+/-RW +/-DL BD-ROM |
Display | |
| Viewable size | 24 in |
| Screen model | Samsung SyncMaster B2430 |
| Native resolution | 1,920×1,080 |
| Screen inputs | DVI, VGA |
Other Hardware | |
| Keyboard | Labtec Media Wireless Desktop 800 |
| Mouse | Labtec Media Wireless Desktop 800 |
Software | |
| Software included | none |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
| Operating system restore option | Windows disc |
Buying Information | |
| Warranty | one year RTB |
| Price | £999 |
| Details | www.palicomp.co.uk |