Sys Technology Sys Performance 64-3200

Back to that case: It has a flip-open door that covers the drive bays. It swings to the left, making it a bit awkward to reach your optical drives if the system is placed on the right side of your desk. A quick-release side panel snaps off easily, revealing a well-designed, roomy interior. The system has plenty of expansion prospects, with two open RAM sockets, six open drive bays (three internal, three external), and three unoccupied expansion card slots. If you want to add peripherals without cracking open the system, doing so is a breeze via the seven USB 2.0 ports (three front, four rear) and two FireWire (one each front and rear) ports. Plus, the system has a plethora of multimedia ports (VGA, DVI, S-Video, and S/PDIF out).

The biggest flaw we found: Sys Technology fails to include adequate documentation that's specific to the system.

Upshot: The Sys Performance 3200+/64 won't win any design innovation awards, but it handles most computing tasks well. With its sparse documentation, it's a better prospect for more technically astute PC buyers.

Scott Plamondon