WHAT'S HOT: Among the systems we've tested in the under-$900 category, the A7000's pitch-black case and glossy edgings get our nod for enticing looks. Equally eye-catching is the Mitsuko keyboard that this PC came bundled with; typically, this snazzy keyboard is something we see on pricier systems. Deep black like the PC's chassis, the Mitsuko keyboard features 21 hot-keys stretched across the upper edge. Eight of those keys are geared for audio functions, while others navigate CD track playback and access Internet-related applications such as an e-mail client. This minitower system has a surprising number of upgrade options, in that there are six open drive bays, three open memory sockets, and three available PCI slots.

WHAT'S NOT: FreewayTech has phone support for only 9 hours, weekdays. And the documentation is limited in its depth.

The Innovation arrived with the front-mounted audio port disconnected. To make it work, we had to open up the case and thread the cables though the interior and hook them up to the motherboard.

WHAT ELSE: Bearing a 1.67-GHz Athlon XP 2000+ processor and 512MB of SDRAM, this machine wrangled an impressive PC Worldbench 4 score of 115, making it the second-fastest sub-$900 PC we've tested to date. But if 3D gaming is your bag, you'll want to upgrade to faster graphics than the ATI Radeon 7000 board that came with this machine. In tests running Unreal Tournament 2003 and Return to Castle Wolfenstein the Innovation's frame rates topped out at a low 26 frames per second for the former and 15 fps for the latter (at 1024 by 768 resolution and 16-bit color). At higher resolutions and color depth, frame rates went down to single digits. We also noticed image distortions such as a rippling sky and sudden black screens in Unreal Tournament 2003.

The 17-inch ViewSonic E70fb CRT's black exterior nicely matches the Innovation's case, and in image-quality tests its colors looked bright and pleasing. Text looked crisp and dense, though at font sizes of 9 points and below we began to notice slight blurriness. The pint-size XG Power XG-2100 two-speaker and subwoofer combo looked like they were inspired by Star Trek; they didn't emit the best sound we've heard in our audio tests, but they sounded fine for a system in this price range. The software bundle is minimal fare: a DVD software player and an application for burning CDs.

As with most of the systems in this price range, you don't get one of the more-expensive case designs that have tool-less servicing. Keep a screwdriver handy if you plan to upgrade this machine.

UPSHOT: A jack-of-all-trades PC, the Innovation A7000 is well equipped and relatively quick for its price, and it's good looking. FreewayTech's relatively limited support hours, however, may be a problem for less-experienced PC users.