NuTrend Athlon Mega 2

WHAT'S HOT: For $1349, Nutrend's Athlon Mega 2 offers a surprisingly strong combination of speed and features. Configured with an Athlon-850 and Windows Me, it performed well on PC WorldBench 2000 tests, romping to a score of 149; we haven't tested other systems with the same configuration, but this score compares well with pricier systems vying for spots on the Midrange chart. The Mega 2 also made a solid showing on our 3D game tests. Both the speakers and the keyboard--often weak links in low-cost machines--are above average on this system: The Altec Lansing ACS 45.2 speakers sound great, and the sturdy keyboard includes programmable buttons plus audio and DVD-ROM drive controls. Three open PCI slots, one open internal bay, and three open externally accessible bays provide plenty of room for upgrades.

WHAT'S NOT: The 19-inch Lite-On B1996NSL monitor produced rich colors, but DVD movie scenes looked dark. Fine details and small text blurred at the default resolution of 1280 by 1024.

WHAT ELSE: The Leadtek WinFast GeForce2 MX graphics card includes a TV S-Video-out connector for watching DVD movies on your television. Keeping your manuals, software, and other documentation together is easy, thanks to a large binder with transparent plastic sleeves. The user guide briefly but adequately covers maintenance basics, and a well-illustrated instruction poster aids setup. Corel's WordPerfect Office 2000 is included with the system.

BEST USE: This superb, inexpensive system has the speed and performance to handle demanding applications and games.

SUMMARY

NuTrend Athlon Mega 2 PC WorldBench score of 149, Athlon-850 CPU, 128MB of SDRAM, 256KB of L2 cache, Windows Me, 20GB hard drive, 10X DVD-ROM drive, Leadtek WinFast GeForce2 MX graphics card with 32MB of SGRAM, Lite-On B1996NSL 19-inch monitor, Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live Value sound card, Altec Lansing ACS 45.2 speakers, V.90 modem, midsize tower case, WordPerfect Office 2000. Three-year parts warranty, lifetime labor warranty; free, unlimited 24-hour tech support. $1349 800/876-8088 www.nutrend.com