Group test: what's the best budget PC?

5. Eclipse Voyager i525H61

• Reviewed on: 8 September 11
• RRP: £499 inc. VAT
• Rating:

Eclipse’s 3.3GHz Intel Core i5-2500K delivers good application performance and adequate graphics power for an excellent multimedia experience and low-level gaming, but you can get better for the money. A standard 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive are fitted to an Asus H61-chipset motherboard. It’s 21.6in HKC 2219A display is marginally larger than the AOC favoured elsewhere and features built-in speakers (external speakers are not supplied).

4. Palicomp Phoenix i5 Sonar Advanced

• Reviewed on: 10 November 11
• RRP: £499
• Rating:

Palicomp promises a lot for your money, with a Core i5-2500K processor, 8GB of DDR3 RAM and a subwoofer-equipped set of Logitech speakers. The system case offers smart, yet relatively sober, looks. We’re far more impressed by the Z68 chipset motherboard, which lets you take advantage of the overclockable CPU. It also offers four memory slots, 6Gbps SATA and, should you want to add an SSD, SRT. At stock speed, the PC turned in 162 points in WorldBench 6.

3. CyberPower Ultra Triton

• Reviewed on: 8 September 11
• RRP: £499 inc. VAT
• Rating:

CyberPower’s Ultra Triton is the first PC in a long while to enter our round-up with an AMD CPU. Its A6-3650 is slower than the Intel equivalent in application performance, but offers significantly faster integrated graphics. The CPU can be overclocked if you crave more speed. A gamer-friendly Azza Orion system case is fitted with a 1TB hard drive and 8GB of memory. Peripherals include the popular AOC F22+ display and a set of Logitech speakers.

2. Arbico eXcel 5250MX V2

• Reviewed on: 10 November 11
• RRP: £500
• Rating:

Arbico’s eXcel has a similar spec to our Best Buy, but pairs its Core i5-2500K with just 4GB of RAM. The effect of this is evident in WorldBench 6, where the Arbico scored 159 points. Gaming performance is in line with the competition, and Arbico also supplies a 21.5in full-HD monitor and a pair of speakers. USB 3.0 support lets you supplement the 1TB hard drive with high-speed external storage. The system case is a budget model (just £13 online), but adequate.

1. Chillblast Fusion Neutrino

• Reviewed on: 10 November 11
• RRP: £499
• Rating:

The Fusion Neutrino is based on Intel’s i5-2500K: a wise choice, particularly when combined with 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. The H61 chipset supports USB 3.0, but is unable to take advantage of the CPU’s unlocked multiplier. As standard, this PC turned in a strong 165-point score in WorldBench 6. It’s no gaming PC, but the Chillblast’s integrated graphics, twin speakers and 21.5in monitor are up to the job of processing HD multimedia.