CyberPower Infinity i3 Apollo XT review

The Infinity i3 Apollo XT is based on Intel’s Core i3 530 processor and even with only 2GB of RAM, the Infinity i3 Apollo XT was very quick compared to its competitors at this price point, with an overall score of 120. It also comes with a Full HD 22in monitor and has plenty of room for expansion, both inside and out.

As we’ve come to expect from CyberPower, the Infinity i3 Apollo XT’s case is padded with rubber foam and despite four fans the PC produces a hum that’s barely audible. The four fans are well placed to provide cooling for the overclocked processor, directing air from front to rear. There’s plenty of room inside the case, as CyberPower has opted to use the Core i3’s built-in graphics chip, which leaves the PCI-E x16 slot free for a dedicated graphics card.

There’s also room for extra RAM, hard disks and expansion cards. Externally, there are eight USB ports but no FireWire or eSATA ports. Audio is well catered for, with a set of 7.1 outputs. The Logitech keyboard and mouse use PS/2 ports, but are budget models that you may want to upgrade; the keyboard has a very light, spongy action and the mouse is a simple two-button unit which we found too lightweight.

Intel’s Core i3 530 may be only a dual-core processor, but it supports Hyper-Threading which doubles the number of effective cores. It doesn’t support Turbo Boost like the more expensive Core models, but with a modest overclock by CyberPower it managed a score of 145 in the single-threaded image-editing test, and 112 in the multi-tasking test – all with only 2GB of RAM.

The built-in graphics chip isn’t powerful enough for gaming, but it can handle HD content. Plus, applications that support GPU acceleration will get a small boost. With a free PCI-E x16 slot, however, you will be able to add a dedicated graphics card in future. This makes the Infinity i3 Apollo XT ideal for gamers who may already have a decent graphics card but are looking to upgrade their base system.

AOC’s F22s+ monitor may look impressive with its unusual design, but its image quality wasn’t as good as other 22in monitors. Colours are muted, partly due to the matt finish on the screen that reduces reflections, and partly due to the backlight, which is uneven and not as bright as the best. Still, it has a Full HD resolution and gives you plenty of desktop space.

The Infinity i3 Apollo XT is more powerful than other PCs that cost almost £200 more, and the free PCI-E x16 slot makes it easy to install a graphics card. If you buy the base system for £418 you can put the money you save towards a decent monitor, making this an excellent deal, and earning it our Budget Buy award.