Xi 4200 M-TOWER SP

WHAT'S HOT: Instead of RDRAM, the 4200 MTower SP pairs a 2-GHz Pentium 4 with 512MB of PC133 SDRAM (the Intel 845 chip set that the system uses supports the less-pricey SDRAM). Although this combination helps to keep costs down, it also seems to have an effect on the performance, as this system achieved merely average performance results on our tests. It sports 82GB of hard drive space on two drives connected to a RAID controller (so they appear on your system as one drive), and it ships with the latest NVidia graphics chip in the Leadtek WinFast Titanium 500.

The 19-inch Viewsonic G90F monitor displayed brilliant colors in our test images while maintaining crisp, legible 12-point Arial text even at the monitor's maximum resolution, 1600 by 1200.

The Logitech ITouch wireless keyboard and mouse combination that came with our test system offers smooth, quiet input, even from several feet away. The sturdy keyboard also contains three shortcut keys for quick access to Internet applications.

WHAT'S NOT: Our MTower's sticker price landed at just under $2700, leaning toward the expensive side.

WHAT ELSE: Running Windows XP Professional, our test system earned a score of 103 on PC WorldBench 4 tests--a negligible 4 points below the average for 2-GHz systems with 256MB of RDRAM. In light of our tests of other SDRAM-equipped P4 systems, that score was about what we expected.

The two USB ports located under a click-open cover on the case front are convenient; you can use them to connect peripherals such as digital cameras without having to reach around the case. (The PC has a total of four USB ports.) The IEEE 1394 port on the sound card will prove useful for those interested in video editing, as it allows you to import digital video into the computer and out again onto a video recorder after you have edited it.

Removing the sturdy, aluminum-lined plastic side of the midsize tower case to add memory or any other internal expansion device requires only pinching two tabs together and then pulling off the panel. Replacing it, however, takes some maneuvering to get the side lined up and reinserted properly.

With the RAID setup, and with the other components, the interior of the MTower has lots going on--the cabling for the RAID drives makes access to the open PCI slot a little awkward. But many of the other cables are bundled and affixed to the side of the interior, freeing up a substantial amount of room at the rear of the three open bays (all of which can accept removable-media drives).

Xi provides manuals for all of the system's individual components, as well as a thick user manual. While it isn't specific to this model, it does contain detailed chapters on upgrading and troubleshooting, and a comprehensive glossary.

The extensive software bundle that came with our test system included Microsoft's Office XP Small Business Edition. The Creative Cambridge SoundWorks FPS1500 five-speaker set pumps out excellent sound.

UPSHOT: The Xi 4200 MTower SP packages several high-end extras, but provides only average performance. The price will daunt many buyers.

SUMMARY

Xi Computer 4200 MTower SP PC WorldBench 4 score of 103, Pentium 4-2000 CPU, 512MB of SDRAM, 256KB L2 cache, Windows XP Professional, two 41GB hard drives with IDE RAID card, 16X/10X/40X CD-RW drive, Leadtek WinFast Titanium 500 graphics card with 64MB of DDR SDRAM, 19-inch ViewSonic G90F monitor, Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy sound card, Cambridge Soundworks FP1500 speakers, network adapter, midsize tower case; Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition. Three-year parts and labor warranty; free unlimited 24-hour tech support. $2699 800/432-0486 www.xicomputer.com