Arbico CD 4850 budget desktop PC
PC ADVISOR BEST BUY AWARD. OCTOBER 2008

The Arbico CD 4850 budget desktop PC was reviewed in the October 2008 issue of PC Advisor magazine. The review starts, “This time around, choosing our Best Buy PC has proved tougher than usual. However, we’ve plumped for Arbico’s CD 4850. The seemingly unbeatable Core 2 Duo E8500 from Intel powers this system to an impressive WorldBench 6 score of 126 points – the same level of general office performance you’d get from the best of our power PCs and significantly faster than some contenders with the same processor.”

PC Advisor then goes on to say, “The Arbico CD 4850’s graphics are provided by ATI’s new Radeon HD 4850, which delivers a significant boost in performance over the graphic cards we saw last time, such as nVidia’s GeForce 8800 GT, without an increase in overall system price. The Arbico CD 4850 has eight USB ports and, with a massive 750GB hard drive, you’ll have plenty of room for a large media collection.”

Finally the reviewer states, “With an almost identical specification – even the Logitech S220 speakers are the same model – the runner-up delivers identical performance to the Arbico CD 4850. However, what clinched it for us is Arbico’s inclusion of a Creative Audigy sound card. There can be only one winner and this is the result of our photo finish. The LG W2242S monitor supplied with the Arbico CD 4850 offers a good contrast ratio. The Arbico’s CD 4850 is a well-balanced PC with excellent performance.”

You can buy this PC or similar PCs on www.arbico.co.uk

A full copy of this review can be found at www.pcadvisor.co.uk

Arbico Elite 4870 XFire Custom Built Desktop Computer Reviewed by Personal Computer World AUGUST 2008

The Arbico CD 7900 Pro Custom built computer was reviewed in the November 2006 issue of Personal Computer World. The review starts, “Crossfire, the dual-graphics card technology from AMD’s graphics arm, ATI, hasn’t had the best of times in recent years. Despite its complete monopoly on Intel’s chipsets (SLI only works on Nvidia’s chipsets) and AMD working furiously on the drivers to allow four graphics cards to work together, SLI has had the biggest market share by far.”

Personal Computer World then goes on to say, “The reason is that until the Radeon HD 4800 series of graphics cards, AMD’s performance has lagged behind Nvidia’s. AMD has made big strides though and today a Radeon HD 4850 beats an Nvidia Geforce 9800 GTX in most scenarios and a Radeon HD 4870 competes comfortably with the Nvidia Geforce GTX 260, the slightly less powerful of the two wonder cards in Nvidia’s new GTX 200 series. Arbico has put two Radeon HD 4870s in this PC, each with 512MB of GDDR5 Ram ticking over at a terrifically fast pace of 3.6GHz.”

You need a fast CPU to keep such powerful graphics cards fed, so Arbico has fitted a Core 2 Quad Q9450 processor with 12MB L2 cache. By default, it runs at 2.66GHz, but Arbico has pushed the front side bus from 1,333MHz to 1,800MHz (with a 0.1V bump to 1.26V) so that the processor runs at 3.6GHz. Despite this big increase, the CPU temperature remained at 37°C after two days’ usage.

Finally the reviewer states, “Other components include 4GB OCZ Ram clocked at 900MHz (synchronised with the FSB), a Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer sound card and a Gigabyte X48 motherboard that provides astounding connectivity, including eight USB ports, two Firewire, two Gigabit Ethernet ports and two spare x1 PCI Express slots, so you could add both a TV tuner and Wifi card. Vista Home Premium comes installed on a Super Talent 64GB solid state drive (SSD), while a second 500GB hard drive is provided for extra storage.”

At last, “Gaming on this PC is, for the most part, awesome. Arbico has bundled a 24in Samsung 245B monitor, with an all-important 1,920×1,200 pixel resolution. Games look fantastic. A 3Dmark06 score of 20,297 is superb, as is the PCmark05 score of 13,696 (11,523 in the CPU section) and at 1,920×1,200, World in Conflict played through at 57fps (frames per second) with high settings. Crysis, on the other hand, didn’t suffer from such stutters and looked fantastic, producing 28.55fps on high settings. A £2,000 PC might sound like a lot, but considering the high calibre case and components, its top-notch 24in monitor and the fact you would struggle to buy the separate components and save any money, it’s excellent value for money.”

You can buy this PC or similar PCs on www.arbico.co.uk

Arbico Elite 4850 budget desktop PC
PC ADVISOR BEST BUY AWARD. SEPTEMBER 2008

The Arbico Elite 4850 budget desktop PC was reviewed in the September 2008 issue of PC Advisor magazine. The review starts, “Arbico is no stranger to the top of our charts. And the firm has delivered yet another stand-out system this month: the Elite 4850, based on Intel’s Core 2 Duo E8500 processor.”

This value-for-money chip powers PCs across all price categories and provides bags of performance. The Arbico Elite 4850’s processing power, extras and all-round quality set it apart from its more budget-conscious rivals.

PC Advisor then goes on to say, “The manufacturer has spurned the highly popular CoolerMaster Elite 330 case in favour of a GZ-X6 model from Gigabyte for the Arbico Elite 4850. It’s a basic-looking design, but it comes with a glossy black finish, optical drive bay covers and tool-free internal drive bays. The Arbico Elite 4850’s 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics card provides plenty of power to keep even the latest games titles running smoothly.”

Finally the reviewer states, “A huge 750GB hard drive is provided as standard with the Arbico Elite 4850, so you’ll have plenty of room to install a decent games library, as well as a large multimedia collection. Rather than bundle the cheapest 22in monitor available with the Elite 4850, Arbico has opted for Samsung’s SyncMaster 223BW, which provides excellent image quality and stylish looks.”

At last, “With five Cyber Acoustic speakers and a subwoofer, the Arbico Elite 4850 is well-equipped for gaming, music and film playback, and it comes with a Blu-ray reader that also supports the now legacy HD DVD format. DVD burn speeds are a little slower than those of rival PCs, but ‘only’ 16-speed DVD-R doesn’t represent a huge sacrifice in order to enjoy high-definition (HD) movies. The Arbico Elite 4850 is an excellent all-round system that justifies the extra money.”

You can buy this PC or similar PCs on www.arbico.co.uk

A full copy of this review can be found at www.pcadvisor.co.uk

Arbico Elite 8440 budget desktop PC
PC ADVISOR RECOMMENDED. SEPTEMBER 2008

The Arbico Elite 8440 budget desktop PC was reviewed in the September 2008 issue of PC Advisor magazine. The review starts, “Arbico’s PCs are generally top performers, and the 8440 is no exception. Based on a Core 2 Duo E8400 processor, the Arbico Elite 8440 scores 118 WorldBench 6 points.”

PC Advisor then goes on to say, “The new Elite 8440 model comes with an extra 2GB of RAM and one of the latest 22-speed DVD burners from Samsung. It’s great to see 4GB of RAM included at this price.”

Finally the reviewer states, “The Arbico Elite 8440 drops the popular CoolerMaster Elite 330 case in favour of the rather sleeker EZ-Cool H60 model, with concealed optical drive bays. Although the Arbico Elite 8440’s WorldBench performance is good, gaming performance on this system is average. The Arbico Elite 8440 is an impressive all-rounder that offers decent gaming performance.”

You can buy this PC or similar PCs on www.arbico.co.uk

A full copy of this review can be found at www.pcadvisor.co.uk

Arbico Elite 8070 EX budget desktop PC
PC ADVISOR BEST BUY AND GOLD AWARD. AUGUST 2008

The Arbico Elite 8070 EX budget desktop PC was reviewed in the August 2008 issue of PC Advisor magazine. The review starts, “Intel’s superb Core 2 Duo E8500 processor continues to deliver tremendous performance at an appealing price, dominating our desktop PC charts across three categories. Arbico has put the chip to stunning use in the Elite 8070 EX. This system outperforms the competition in the budget price range, then beats all of the power systems for good measure.”

PC Advisor then goes on to say, “The Arbico Elite 8070 EX’s utter dominance when handling general office and productivity applications doesn’t extend to games, but it’s no gaming slouch. With 4GB of DDR2-800 memory and an ATI Radeon HD 3870 512MB graphics card, it’s able to deliver a very playable experience.”

Finally the reviewer states, “This monitor has proved highly popular in our charts. The design is basic, but it delivers relatively good performance for the price and provides the Arbico Elite 8070EX with both analogue VGA and digital high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) inputs. Once again, Arbico has opted for the reliable Coolermaster Elite 330 casing. This is smart and practical, with just enough style to prevent it looking boring and plenty of space inside for expansion. In any case, the Arbico Elite 8070 EX’s supplied 465GB hard drive is ample to be getting on with.”

You can buy this PC or similar PCs on www.arbico.co.uk

A full copy of this review can be found at www.pcadvisor.co.uk

Arbico Elite 8400 budget desktop PC
PC ADVISOR BEST BUY AWARD. AUGUST 2008

The Arbico Elite 8400 budget desktop PC was reviewed in the August 2008 issue of PC Advisor magazine. The review starts, “Arbico is used to sitting at the top of the pile when it comes to performance, and this sub-£500 system is no exception. With a WorldBench 6 processing-speed score of 119, the Arbico Elite 8400 is a clear winner in this category, even beating a couple of the latest £751-£1,000 models.”

PC Advisor then goes on to say, “The key to the Arbico Elite 8400’s success is a 3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 processor, which offers exceptional performance for the price and is widely used throughout our charts. The Arbico Elite 8400’s 1,024MB model of the NVIDIA 8600 GT offers a distinct advantage over the 512MB version in other PCs in this chart.”

Finally the reviewer states, “The Arbico Elite 8400 boasts 2GB of RAM – a standard offering at this price point – while sound is limited to the motherboard’s onboard audio, played through the monitor’s rather tinny integrated speakers. The Arbico Elite 8400 comes with Hannspree’s popular and distinctive-looking XM New York flat-panel. It’s a well-made product that’s high on style and low on flimsy plastic components. Image quality isn’t the greatest, but it’s much better than you generally get at this price.”

At last, “Arbico has plumped for the popular CoolerMaster Elite 330 case with the Elite 8400, which has room for plenty of additional drives. The supplied 250GB SATA hard disk is plenty to be getting along with. The Arbico Elite 8400 turns in noticeably stronger gaming performance, and it’s quicker at general computing tasks, managing five more WorldBench points than the second placed PC.”

You can buy this PC or similar PCs on www.arbico.co.uk

A full copy of this review can be found at www.pcadvisor.co.uk

Arbico CD 9800 PRO power desktop PC
PC ADVISOR RECOMMENDED. AUGUST 2008

The Arbico CD 9800 Pro power desktop PC was reviewed in the August 2008 issue of PC Advisor magazine. The review starts, “Arbico has a history of producing top-performing PCs, Arbico has wisely chosen Intel’s superb Core 2 Duo E8500 processor for its CD9800 PRO, which has been dominating our charts since it appeared on the market.”

PC Advisor then goes on to say, “The Arbico CD 9800 PRO is a revamped version of the CD8500 PRO, a Best Buy winner two months ago. The CoolerMaster Elite 330 case makes another welcome appearance, with its ample drive bay capacity and solid construction. Once again, the Gigabyte motherboard delivers excellent performance, and there are a generous number of USB 2.0 ports.”

Finally the reviewer states, “Perhaps the most significant upgrade to the Arbico CD9800 PRO is the inclusion of nVidia’s GeForce 9800 GTX graphics card. The 9800 GTX offers only small performance benefits over the 8800 GTS, but Arbico has managed to include the newer card without bumping up the price.”

At last, “The 500GB hard drive is a notable improvement on the Arbico CD8500 PRO’s 320GB model. A 22in Cibox C2201 monitor completes the package. This is an adequate flat-panel. A WorldBench 6 real-world speed score of 124 is excellent and the Arbico 9800Pro offers a longer warranty than most other PCs in the chart.”

You can buy this PC or similar PCs on www.arbico.co.uk

A full copy of this review can be found at www.pcadvisor.co.uk

Arbico Elite 8480 EX budget desktop PC
Reviewed by Personal Computer World JUNE 2008

The Arbico Elite 8480 EX budget desktop PC was reviewed in the June 2008 issue of Personal Computer World. The review starts, “Not many PCs score a 10,014 in PC mark05 and stay quiet at the same time, but Arbico’s Elite 8480 EX does it with aplomb. A Core 2 Duo E8400 processor overclocked to 3.6GHz, from 3GHz, lends a hand to the great performance, scoring 9,149 in its PC mark05 section – a score more commonly seen from Intel’s mid-range Quad Core parts. In most cases this 3.6GHz dual-core will leave 3GHz models in its wake.”

The CPU is kept quiet by an impressive Scythe Katana 2 heatsink, which also kept the temperature down to 28°C. The 8480 EX’s 500GB hard drive is also quietened with a 5.25in anti-vibration caddy.

PC Advisor then goes on to say, “The front-side bus is increased from 1,333MHz to 1,600MHz to make the magic 3.6GHz number, courtesy of an excellent Gigabyte P35 motherboard. The system’s Bios is second to none, although like all Intel motherboards, it doesn’t support SLI (only ATI Crossfire), so you cannot add a second Nvidia graphics card if you wanted to.”

Finally the reviewer states, “Gamers playing on 20in and 22in monitors will find the 8480 EX’s overclocked Nvidia Geforce 8800 GTS graphics card enough to turn graphics settings up to high, reflected by a score of 14,702 in 3Dmark06.”

At last, “Arbico has included an affordable Coolermaster Elite 330 case. It’s a little bland, while its Coolermaster 460W power supply is only rated at 70%+ efficiency, which is just behind modern 80%+-rated power supplies (but the 106W idle power draw isn’t too bad). For £100 less than the 8480 EX, you could buy Chillblast’s Fusion Sentinel desktop with a 3GHz quad core and has a whisperless performance. But it lacks a separate soundcard. The 8480 EX is well built, powerful and has many premium components and extra ports.”

You can buy this PC on www.arbico.co.uk

Arbico CD8520 XL budget desktop PC
PC ADVISOR BEST BUY AWARD. JUNE 2008

The Arbico CD8520 XL budget desktop PC was reviewed in the June 2008 issue of PC Advisor magazine. The review starts, “When it comes to everyday performance, Arbico’s CD8520 XL trounces the competition at this price point, with a WorldBench real-world speed score of 123 – nothing else comes close. It’s also ahead of the field in our gaming tests. Its 512MB nVidia GeForce 8800 GT card even outperforms the newer (but cheaper) 9600 GT favoured by some of its competitors.”

PC Advisor then goes on to say, “The Arbico CD8520 XL uses a 3.16GHz Intel Core 2Duo E8500 processor. Fitted with 4GB of fast PC6400 memory, the Arbico CD8520 XL is your quickest option.”

Finally the reviewer states, “Our Arbico CD8520 XL review model was shipped with a 20in Acer X201 monitor. With a native display resolution of 1,400×1,050 it’s the only monitor in this chart to have a 4:3 aspect ratio rather than the ubiquitous 16:10. This gives you 13 percent more pixels than the equivalent widescreen model. If you’d prefer a 16:10 display, however, Arbico will provide one at no extra cost.”

At last, “The Creative Audigy SE 7.1 sound card is a welcome addition to the Arbico CD8520 XL. The Arbico CD8520 XL is a very tidy system overall, with excellent performance and solid build quality. This is another top offering from Arbico.”

You can buy this PC or similar PCs on www.arbico.co.uk

A full copy of this review can be found at www.pcadvisor.co.uk

Arbico HD8570 X2 power desktop PC
PC ADVISOR RECOMMENDED. JUNE 2008

The Arbico HD8570 X2 power desktop PC was reviewed in the June 2008 issue of PC Advisor magazine. The review starts, “Arbico’s HD8570 X2 is a top performer across the board, using a 3.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 and 4GB allocation of RAM to achieve an excellent WorldBench speed score of 123.”

PC Advisor then goes on to say, “Gaming performance is also impressive, courtesy of the Arbico HD8570 X2’s ATI Radeon HD3870 X2 graphics card. This component is in essence two graphics processors on a single board – a solution that results in a huge amount of processing power.”

Finally the reviewer states, “Audio performance is boosted by the Arbico HD8570 X2’s Creative X-Fi Extreme Audio sound card. There’s plenty of room in the case for additional optical or hard drives. A total of 750GB of storage is provided by the Arbico HD8570 X2’s pair of hard drives, one with a capacity of 250GB and the other 500GB.”

At last, “The Arbico HD8570 X2’s 22in Samsung SM-2232BW is a former PC Advisor Gold award winner. It’s a good-looking monitor that’s perfect for the Arbico HD8570 X2’s powerful graphics. Overall, the Arbico HD8570 X2 is a superb performer at a good price. It’s loaded with features and neatly constructed.”

You can buy this PC or similar PCs on www.arbico.co.uk

A full copy of this review can be found at www.pcadvisor.co.uk