Buying a computer system that included the latest processor from Intel or AMD used to be an expensive business. But as these two giant manufacturers tussle for market share, prices just keep on falling.

The Mesh Matrix XP 1900 is the first system we have seen to include the latest Athlon XP processor. The Athlon XP 1900 actually runs at 1.6GHz and is the fastest AMD processor available.

That should be enough to guarantee great performance on its own but just to make sure, the people at Mesh have fitted an impressive 1Gb of RAM. This is a touch unnecessary but you can't have too much memory, and while it's as cheap as it is at present, it makes sense to shoehorn in as much as possible.

Top scorer

As expected, the Mesh laughed in the face of our benchmark tests and presented us with a fantastically impressive score at the end.

Some systems will include huge memory and a sprightly processor only to scrimp on the sound and graphics cards. This is a £1,600 computer, so there should be very little corner cutting. That proves to be the case here.

Mesh has got hold of the latest graphics card from ATI, the 64Mb Radeon 8500. This card performed phenomenally well in our tests, ruffling the feathers of the GeForce 3 cards we have seen recently.

Linking to TV

You can also link the Matrix to a television using the TV-out port on the Radeon. On top of this, there's a DVI connection so you can connect to digital TFT flatpanel displays that have a DVI connector. However, it's unlikely to get very little use, thanks to the beautiful 19in flat-screen Mitsubishi CRT monitor which comes as standard.

Sounds good

To complement the great visuals, the Matrix is fitted with the top-drawer Creative Audigy sound card. The quality of sound output through the Creative DTT2200 5.1 speakers is tremendous when turned up loud, really bringing game and DVD movie soundtracks to life.

The Audigy also has an integrated FireWire port for super-fast data transfer. If you fancy editing video, the huge 80Gb hard disk will provide you with ample storage space. When the time is right for an upgrade, the screwless case and tidy internals keep things as easy as possible.

Four USB ports and two game ports complement the usual printer and serial ports to ensure the Matrix has all the connectivity options you could ask for. The TEAC CD-RW and floppy drive provide the removable storage, while the Panasonic DVD-ROM drive gives access to hefty software packages and the latest Hollywood blockbusters.

The obligatory modem is present to make getting online a rapid and simple process.

Odds and ends

This is a beast of a machine and although it offers good value, buyers should decide if they would really need such performance before reaching for the credit card. For sending a few emails, letter writing and watching the odd film, a cheaper system will do.

If, however, you will be playing the latest games, using the home cinema setup and video editing in your spare time, this is a great system.Contact
Mesh Computers: 020 8208 4707 www.meshplc.com

ALSO CONSIDER

Tiny 2GHz Extreme
An extremely fast Pentium 4 with all the trimmings.
£1,599
****
Computeractive, Issue 93