PC Specialist is a Yorkshire-based company that specialises in custom built personal computers. We say Yorkshire-based, but really the organisation is Internet-based with no retail premises. The theory is this keeps overheads down, and using hefty bulk orders for components, PC Specialist can keep its prices down. And indeed a PC Specialist machine is more than competitively priced.The online system builder lets you design an Intel or AMD machine, and we chose to construct an Intel beast from scratch. There are also stock configurations that can be ordered if you don't wish to spend the time designing your own.
It's a very nifty system builder, with plenty of options available. There's a good choice of video cards (albeit with more on the Nvidia side), and a selection of cases and power supply units. The one area lacking in choice is the monitor, as you can't specify a brand (only screen size) unless you pick one of the higher spec LG monitors.
We were impressed that the Web site produces a warning if you've done something unwise, such as coupling a wattage-hungry video card with a puny power supply, or ordering 4GB of RAM with a 32-bit operating system that can't fully address that amount. It's also possible to specify extras such as hard drive partitions, a useful touch.
Our review system consisted of an Intel Core 2 Duo E6850, Asus P5K motherboard, 4GB of Corsair XMS2 memory, 160GB hard drive, 16-speed DVD-ROM drive and a 512MB 8800GT graphics card, running 64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium. We plumped for the Sigma case, with the 600-Watt PSU and super-quiet CPU cooler. Monitor-wise, we selected the LG L226WTQ (22-inch widescreen), and in terms of peripherals just a basic mouse and keyboard.
When the machine arrived, first impressions were favourable. The Sigma case is sturdy with a good airflow, and the PC's innards are kept suitably neat and tidy. After we'd configured Vista, the machine booted up swiftly and ran quietly. The welcome pack provided is thorough, including all driver discs and instructions, along with a manual which includes a guide to setting up your machine (as well as sections on troubleshooting and PC recovery should anything ever go wrong).
Vista ran very smoothly on this PC, and installing a couple of our heavyweight applications we immediately noticed improvements. For example, QuickBooks started up in half the time we were used to. However, we designed this machine primarily with gaming in mind, and it certainly didn't disappoint here.
Half Life 2 absolutely flew with all the details cranked up, thanks to the 3.0GHz dual core processor, hefty 4GB of performance RAM (running at 800MHz) and of course the excellent Gigabyte 8800GT video card. We then installed Crysis onto the hard disk and the machine performed commendably, achieving around the 25 frames-per-second mark in a super-detailed punishing benchmark. The LG display was first-rate too, fleshing out those DirectX 10 graphics with vibrant colours and deep blacks.
During the review test period of several weeks, we had zero problems with the machine. In our books, this is a pretty remarkable spec for under a grand (with the price including mainland UK delivery and a one year return-to-base warranty).
