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OP3 Europa review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £550
inc VAT

Plenty of connectivity options and a high-quality monitor, but performance isn't as good as other £550 PCs.

Specifications

3.8GHz AMD Phenom II X2 560, 4GB RAM, 22in 1,920×1,080 display, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Unlike most of the PCs we’ve seen recently, which have Intel Core i3 processors, the Europa uses an AMD chip. OP3 has taken full advantage of the Phenom II X2 560 and its unlocked multiplier by overclocking the processor to 3.8GHz. This is 500MHz faster than the standard clock speed: a healthy increase for an AMD chip.

In our benchmarks, performance was reasonable but, despite the overclock, it was still only as fast as a Core i3 processor running at its standard clock speed. It’s fast enough for most applications, but it will struggle with multi-threaded programs where a quad-core processor will cope better.

OP3 Europa

Instead of using the motherboard’s integrated graphics, the Europa has a Radeon HD 5570 dedicated graphics card. It’s a dual-slot card that has a massive heat sink to avoid the need for a cooling fan. The silent operation is great for keeping noise levels down, but performance isn’t wonderful. It managed 17fps in Call of Duty 4, so most games should be playable with a few detail and resolution tweaks.

Overclocking the processor creates more heat, so the CPU cooler has been upgraded to a large tower-style heat sink. Oddly, it’s been installed facing downwards, which blows hot air back inside the case. An 80mm exhaust fan will help keep temperatures down, but it’s been fitted to a 120mm fan mount; a larger fan would be more efficient and quieter.

If you plan on upgrading the graphics card, or any other part of the Europa, it’s important to contact OP3 before opening the case. You’ll void the three-year warranty if you break the sticker on the side panel without permission. It’s worth going through this small hassle, as the warranty covers both parts and labour for all three years.

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Basic Specifications

Rating ***
Processor AMD Phenom II X2 560
Processor external bus 230MHz (2,300MHz HyperTransport)
Processor multiplier x16.5
Processor clock speed 3.8GHz
Processor socket AM3
Memory 4
Memory type DDR3
Maximum memory 16GB
Motherboard Asus M4A88T-V EVO/USB3
Motherboard chipset AMD 880G (SB700)

Ports

USB2 ports (front/rear) 3/4
Firewire ports (front/rear) 0/1
eSATA ports (front/rear) 0/1
Wired network ports 1x 10/100/1000
Wireless networking support none

Internal Expansion

Case midi tower
PCI-E x1 slots (free) 1 (1)
PCI-E x16 slots (free) 2 (1)
Free Serial ATA ports 3
Free memory slots 2
Free 3.5in drive bays 3

Hard Disk

Hard disk model(s) Samsung HD103SJ
Interface SATA II
Total storage capacity 1,000GB

Graphics

Graphics card(s) ATI Radeon HD 5570
Graphics/video ports VGA, DVI, HDMI

Sound

Sound Realtek ALC892
Sound outputs 7.1 line out, optical S/PDIF out
Speakers none

Removable Drives

Supported memory cards USB flash drive, CF, SD, MMC, Memory Stick Pro, xD
Optical drive type(s) DVD+/-RW +/-DL

Display

Viewable size 22 in
Screen model BenQ G2222HDL
Native resolution 1,920×1,080
Screen inputs VGA, DVI

Other Hardware

Keyboard Logitech K120
Mouse Logitech M120

Software

Software included BullGuard Internet Security
Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Operating system restore option burn own restore disc

Buying Information

Warranty three years RTB
Price £550
Details www.op3.co.uk

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