Advent DT1308 review

The PC isn’t very generously supplied with ports but we were pleased to find a pair of USB3 ports conveniently located next to the memory card reader on the front panel, along with mic and headphone ports. At the back are 5.1 analogue stereo outputs, four USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet and two PS/2 ports. The PC comes with a PS/2 keyboard and USB mouse, both of which feel pretty cheap; you’ll probably want to upgrade to a better Microsoft or Logitech set. There are also two graphics outputs – one VGA and one HDMI, but no DVI, unfortunately.

Although the DT1308 has only modest upgrade potential, its performance is up to almost any task you care to throw at it – its 2.9GHz Intel Core i5-2310 processor gave it an overall score of 87 in our benchmark tests. It’s worth noting, though, that the processor’s integrated Intel HD 2000 graphics aren’t up to even low-resolution 3D gaming on most modern titles.

Advent’s DT1308 is a good, simple PC. It has some competition from the Dell Vostro 260 MT, which is £20 cheaper and has a more powerful processor, but a much smaller 320GB hard disk and no graphics upgrade potential. If you want a powerful PC with some future upgrade potential, this is a good buy.