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Arbico OC i355 CS review

Our Rating :
Price when reviewed : £550
inc VAT

Connectivity might be limited, but the impressive performance and excellent upgrade potential make the OCi355 CS a great base to build from.

Specifications

3.7GHz Intel Core i3-530, 4GB RAM, 22in 1,920×1,080 display, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

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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.

Arbico OC i355 CS

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.

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Basic Specifications

Rating ****
Processor Intel Core i3-530
Processor external bus 182MHz (3.3GHz DMI)
Processor multiplier x21
Processor clock speed 3.7GHz
Processor socket LGA1156
Memory 4
Memory type DDR3
Maximum memory 16GB
Motherboard Asus P7H55-M
Motherboard chipset Intel H55

Ports

USB2 ports (front/rear) 2/6
Firewire ports (front/rear) 0/0
eSATA ports (front/rear) 0/0
Wired network ports 1x 10/100/1000
Wireless networking support none

Internal Expansion

Case Midi tower
PCI-E x1 slots (free) 2 (2)
PCI-E x16 slots (free) 1 (1)
Free Serial ATA ports 4
Free memory slots 2
Free 3.5in drive bays 6

Hard Disk

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

Graphics

Graphics card(s) Intel GMA HD
Graphics/video ports VGA, HDMI

Sound

Sound Realtek ALC887
Sound outputs 5.1 line out, optical S/PDIF out
Speakers none

Removable Drives

Supported memory cards none
Optical drive type(s) DVD+/-RW +/-DL

Display

Viewable size 22 in
Screen model LG Flatron E2240
Native resolution 1,920×1,080
Screen inputs VGA, DVI

Other Hardware

Keyboard Logitech Wireless Desktop MK250
Mouse Logitech Wireless Optical Mouse

Software

Software included none
Operating system Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Operating system restore option Windows disc

Buying Information

Warranty two years RTB (one year parts and labour, one year labour)
Price £550
Details www.arbico.co.uk

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