Polywell Poly884RF-2600

WHAT'S NOT: Though the system has a total of five PCI slots, only two are freely accessible and available for upgrades; the FireWire card blocks one mounting bracket, and a button that powers the blue neon light inside blocks another bracket.

This model has four fans, one of them rather large; unfortunately, they caused our test unit to sound unduly noisy and might impair sound quality at moderately low volumes. Other systems with five or more fans, such as Northwest's Mach V, manage to be quieter.

WHAT ELSE: Aside from the processor, memory, and monitor, most other internal components are middle-of-the-pack products, including the Leadtek WinFast A250 64MB graphics card, the 80GB hard drive, and the integrated sound. There's less room in the case for expansion than in other systems we've seen, though it should be sufficient for small- or home-office users.

We thought our test photo showed slightly oversaturated colors, and the Nfren monitor's viewing angles weren't as wide as those we've seen on other 15-inch LCDs. Still, an auto-adjust control worked fine to correct most minor image distortions, though colors still remained a bit dark after adjusting. A DVD movie fared somewhat better; we didn't notice any streaking or other artifacts that LCDs can show when the screen must redraw very quickly.

The black-and-silver ViewSonic RF wireless keyboard and mouse complement the system's overall design. In our hands-on tests, both felt responsive. One complaint: The keys reflected so much glare that we couldn't make out the hot-keys' icons without tipping up the keyboard.

This Polywell's documentation includes a thorough manual that explains most of the PC's components, though some sections seemed out of date and the illustrations were crude. The software bundle is limited to Lotus SmartSuite 9.5.

UPSHOT: Sleekly designed, affordable, and a nimble performer, this Poly 884RF would fit nicely into homes and small businesses.