Micron Millennia 500 Max

Micron Millennia 500 Max

SUMMARY

PRO: First PC on chart with a 6X DVD-ROM drive, impressive multimedia components, good manual CON: Expensive

Of the six systems we tested that carry Intel's new Pentium III CPU at their core, Micron's new Millennia 500 Max debuts with the best overall rating. This loaded system roared to a PC WorldBench 98 score of 237--the highest ever for a PC equipped with 128MB of RAM and running Windows 98.

At $2899, it's also one of the two most expensive systems on this month's chart. That premium price covers one of the first 6X DVD-ROM drives we've seen, a Zip drive, and a 19-inch monitor that displays crisp images. If the 500 Max is too rich for your blood, consider the $2599 Millennia 450 Max, which also comes with a Pentium III CPU. Aside from the 450 Max's slower processor and its somewhat smaller hard drive (14.4GB versus 22GB), the systems are identical. The 450 Max's PC WorldBench 98 score of 219 is 8 percent behind its big brother's; meanwhile, at $300 less, it's a full 10 percent cheaper.

You'll be impressed by the multimedia capabilities of either Millennia Max system. Both ship with the Diamond Viper V550, a recent contender among AGP cards on our Top 10 Graphics Boards list. The Monsoon MM-1000's big subwoofer (itself the size of a compact stereo system) and a pair of satellite speakers produce rich high and low tones.

Micron includes strong documentation and support with its PCs. The warranty covers labor for one year and parts for three years (main RAM and CPU are covered for five years). Micron provides free continuous phone support for the lifetime of the PC. The company's work systems garnered a rating of good in our recent reliability and support survey.