Group test: what's the best desktop PC?

5. Dino PC Maxosaur 2600K V2

• Reviewed on: 12 August 11
• RRP: £1499 inc. VAT
• Rating:

Dino PC puts the Core i7-2600K to good use in its update to the Maxosaur 2600K. This revision also embraces a Z68 motherboard and is supplied with two 21.5in monitors. Both lack a digital input. Dino PC has fitted a factory-overclocked GTX 580 graphics card, a 64GB SSD and a 2TB hard drive. You also get a Blu-ray drive and some rather attractive Creative T20 speakers. It costs £200 more than its rivals, however.

4. CyberPower Infinity Achilles Extreme

• Reviewed on: 12 August 11
• RRP: £1298 inc. VAT
• Rating:

An Intel Core i7-2600K-based powerhouse, the Achilles Extreme is the first PC we’ve seen to take advantage of Intel’s Smart Response Technology. This uses a low-capacity SSD to boost hard-drive performance. The Z68 motherboard doesn’t support integrated graphics, but a factory-overclocked GTX 580 ensures excellent gaming performance. A very good 24in BenQ display, a Blu-ray drive and a set of Creative speakers are provided.

3. Palicomp Phoenix i7 Stealth Extreme

• Reviewed on: 14 October 11
• RRP: £1399 inc. VAT
• Rating:

Palicomp’s Stealth Extreme offers bags of performance. It costs £100 more than our Best Buy, but includes a superior system case with a top-mounted SATA dock and enhanced cooling. Key to its staggering performance is 16GB of DDR3 RAM and a 120GB OCZ Vertex 3 SSD. You also get a fast GTX 580 graphics card, a 34in monitor, a Blu-ray drive and stereo speakers, although the PC is held back somewhat by its P67-chipset motherboard.

2. Arbico Elite i7 2676 XL

• Reviewed on: 14 October 11
• RRP: £1274 inc. VAT
• Rating:

Save for a few small improvements, Arbico’s i7 2676 XL is identical to its i7-2657 MX mkII. Its lower price makes it the cheapest PC here. Doubling the amount of RAM to 16GB has gained Arbico an extra point in WorldBench 6, while the SSD has been downgraded to an 120GB OCZ Agility 3, without a measurable reduction in performance. A 2TB hard drive is also provided. The weakest component is its graphics card.

1. Chillblast Fusion Pulsar

• Reviewed on: 14 October 11
• RRP: £1299 inc. VAT
• Rating:

The Fusion Pulsar combines stellar performance with a top-notch feature set and premium components. You get 16GB of RAM and a 120GB Corsair SSD, plus powerful gaming framerates from the factory-overclocked GTX 570. The Z68-chipset motherboard supports SSD-based caching and auto-switching graphics. A huge 27in monitor is also provided, along with stereo speakers and a Blu-ray drive. This PC delivers outstanding value for money.