Xi Computer 4200 M-Tower SP

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.