MPC (Micron PC) ClientPro 414

In an innovative, space-saving design, MPC mounts the ClientPro 414's computer components--CPU, hard drive, graphics card, and so on--behind an attractive LCD in a single, integrated unit (the LCD comes in 15-, 17-, and 19-inch sizes and a 17-inch touch-screen version; we looked at a 17-inch model). The design blends aspects of notebook portability and relatively light weight with features found in full-size desktops, such as a large, capable display and a wireless keyboard/mouse combo. It makes sense for space-conscious home and small-office users who are not looking for bells and whistles.

We found the sleek, silver LCD a winner, with sharp, clear text at even small sizes and bright, vivid photo colors. DVD playback likewise looks terrific, with rich colors and smooth movement; but the lack of surround sound from the two display-mounted speakers diminishes the experience. That said, the two speakers sounded surprisingly good playing audio CDs, but you may wish to upgrade to the optional Creative I-Trigue 3300 2.1 speakers for an extra $89.

Unlike some of the all-in-one PCs we've tested in the past, our test ClientPro 414 performed well in both our WorldBench 5 and graphics tests. The 3-GHz Pentium 4 530 processor, backed by 256MB of DDR2-533 SDRAM, notched a respectable 79 on our WorldBench 5 tests, just below roughly similar, but more traditional, desktops. The 64MB ATI Mobility Radeon X600 PCI Express graphics card likewise produced decent frames-per-second rates on our Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Unreal Tournament 2003 tests, about the average for PCs with 128MB of graphics memory.

The effort to save space comes with a trade-off, of course: limited expandability. The system has few configurable options: It has no open RAM sockets or open slots, and no open drive bays. The system includes a FireWire port, and you will find six easy-to-access USB 2.0 ports. Like a notebook, this MPC unit includes a PC Card slot.

Upshot: The small footprint, good performance, and capable display make the ClientPro 414 a natural for space-conscious home and small-office users.

Scott Plamondon