Arbico OC i355 CS review

The OC i355 CS is housed in a Cooler Master case, with steel construction that felt particularly sturdy. Arbico has relied on the Intel Core i3-530’s integrated graphics chip, which leaves the single PCI-E x16 slot free to add a dedicated graphics card at a later date.

Intel Core i3 processors are excellent value because they overclock so easily, increasing performance for no extra cost. The i3-530 here has been pushed from 2.93GHz to 3.8GHz, which provides an impressive performance boost. The 4GB of RAM should be enough for most tasks, but there are also two free DIMM slots should you want to add more. In our benchmarks, the OC i355 CS produced an impressive overall score of 129; this level of performance should be enough for almost any task, although multi-threaded applications will be limited by the dual-core design.

Unfortunately, the Core i3’s integrated graphics chip isn’t powerful. It’s fine for 2D applications, but it struggles to decode full HD video content. Playing modern games isn’t possible, as an 8fps score in our Call of Duty 4 test shows. For playing games, you’ll have to buy a dedicated graphics card.

The 22in LG monitor is very slim thanks to the bright LED backlight. Brightness was initially too high, but the intuitive menu made it easy to optimise picture quality. Once we’d tweaked the settings, colours looked natural and contrast was good. The 1,920×1,080 resolution provides plenty of room on the Windows desktop, but the VGA and DVI connections aren’t ideal for connecting a games console or Blu-ray player.

Despite the overclocked processor, the OC i355 CS is very quiet thanks to an upgraded CPU cooler and three ultra-low noise fans. All cables have been neatly organised to further improve airflow. The 650W power supply has plenty of extra connectors for future upgrades, including the six-pin connector used by most graphics cards. The motherboard has a decent range of expansion options too; the PCI-E x16 slot is free for a dedicated graphics card, although if you use a dual-slot card it will obstruct the upper PCI-E x1 slot. There’s also a single PCI slot for older expansion cards. There are three free 5 1/4in drive bays for adding extra optical drives, and six empty 3 1/2in bays for additional hard disks – although it will take some time to fill the included 1TB disk, which is generous at this price. Upgrading won’t affect the two-year warranty, which covers parts only for the first year.

Connectivity on the back of the motherboard is pretty sparse, with only six USB ports. Thankfully the Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse connect through a single dongle, leaving five free ports for connecting other devices. As well as analogue 5.1 line out, there’s an optical S/PDIF port for connecting higher-end audio equipment. There are also VGA and HDMI outputs for connecting a monitor to the on-board graphics chip.

Buying any pre-overclocked PC is a great way to get extra performance for no extra cost, and having a warranty greatly reduces the risk of attempting it yourself. While the OCi355 CS might not be as fast as some of the other systems we looked at this month, it’s definitely the one with the greatest upgrade potential. However, if you’d prefer entertainment rather than 2D performance, the Aria Proteus Inspire is cheaper yet has a Blu-ray drive.