WHAT'S HOT: Equipped with a 2-GHz Athlon XP 2400+ CPU and 512MB of DDR400 memory, the Mega 2 racked up a score of 129 running PC WorldBench 4. That's relatively quick for a PC with this configuration, and it's one of the highest scores we've seen for a system priced under $900. With an NVidia MX440-based Asus V9180TD graphics card, the Mega 2 earned comparatively high graphics performance scores in our 3D gaming tests. (Most of the machines in this group rely on integrated graphics.) It's by no means a gaming system, but at low resolutions (1024 by 768) it's quick enough to make most games playable.

Six open bays (three for hard drives and three for removable-media drives), one free memory socket, and three available PCI slots give the Mega 2 plenty of upgrade capacity. And working on the system is fairly easy, thanks to its neatly arranged interior.

WHAT'S NOT: NuTrend offers telephone tech support for only 9 hours on weekdays--much shorter than most other vendors offer. And the company recently trimmed its standard parts warranty from three years to one. (It still offers a lifetime labor warranty, however.)

WHAT ELSE: The CTX PL7A, a short-depth 17-inch CRT monitor, produced accurate colors when displaying our test photo, but it faltered a bit on text, which had a lead-gray cast instead of the pitch black we typically see on better-performing monitors. And font sizes below 9 points appeared blurry in places; this monitor may prove a challenge to the eyes if you spend a lot of time in front of it.

Our Mega 2 included a Labtec Pulse-420 speaker set (consisting of two satellites and a subwoofer) that created strong, discernible bass notes in game play and DVD movies. Vocal tracks in our CD audio tests sounded thin, however. The thumbwheel control for adjusting volume levels is hidden behind one of the small globe-shaped speakers; it's awkward to reach.

Though the Mega 2's case is standard beige, silver trim spiffs it up a bit. The front features two USB 2.0 ports, but no audio ports. The Microsoft keyboard has seven hot-keys for quick access to Internet-related applications, but no controls for adjusting audio settings.

NuTrend's documentation includes a large setup poster and a user's manual--with general information relevant to all NuTrend systems--that has brief sections for troubleshooting common problems and upgrading components. Component manuals and accompanying CD-ROMs are filed in sturdy, color-coded, zip-lock sleeves, and the information is all neatly organized in a large binder.

UPSHOT: NuTrend's limited support hours make this system best suited for experienced PC users who have tight budgets.

SUMMARY

NuTrend Mega 2 $