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Sys TaskMaster 600D

New Duron-powered system bodes well for AMD's budget CPU.

  

WHAT'S HOT:

Powered by AMD's new budget Duron processor, this 600-MHz TaskMaster earned a score of 159 on our PC WorldBench 2000 tests--higher than the score recorded by a similarly configured Pentium III-600 PC and close to the average for PIII-733 systems. With a case lock, a network interface card, and Windows 2000 Pro, the TaskMaster 600D ships corporate-ready.

WHAT'S NOT: The computer comes bundled with thorough documentation for individual components, but no overall system manual is included. The system also lacks a reset button. You can order a 10X DVD-ROM instead of the generic 17X-40X CD-ROM drive, but a CD-RW drive, useful for archiving data or backing up the system, isn't available.

WHAT ELSE: Opening this basic minitower requires the removal of two screws. The side panel flexes when twisted, but it slides on and off smoothly. The small but tidy interior has two free PCI slots and two open bays for expansion. Colors appeared rich on the 17-inch Optiquest Q71 monitor; text displayed clearly at the standard resolution, but letters blurred at the maximum resolution of 1280 by 1024. The keyboard offers smooth and quiet typing and has buttons for sleep, wake-up, and power, but the Backspace key is annoyingly undersized.

BEST USE: For corporate users looking to hop on the AMD budget bandwagon, this Sys machine offers a chance to check out the Duron for a terrific price.


SUMMARY
Sys TaskMaster 600D


PC WorldBench 2000 score of 159, Duron-600 CPU, 128MB of SDRAM, 64KB L2 cache, 20.5GB hard drive, Windows 2000 Professional, Gigabyte GA-622 graphics card with 32MB of SDRAM, 17-inch monitor, network card, 17X-40X CD-ROM drive, audio, ACS-21 speakers, 3-year parts warranty (6 years on CPU and RAM), 5-year labor warranty, free unlimited support, 24/7 toll-free support for first year, then limited service hours.

$1195
800/613-9963
www.sys.com

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