Gateway DS50 Core i3 desktop PC

Gateway was keen to point out the warranty that comes with the DS50. It covers the machine on-site, next-business-day for a full year and continues covering parts for two years after that, so is more comprehensive than many.

Its 3D scores aren't up to gaming, but certainly capable for video work

Looking at discounted prices, the DS50 comes in at around £420, which is better than competitive. Compared with a machine like Novatech's SFF iBizz, for example, the DS50 has a lower spec and an apparently higher price, until you notice the iBizz doesn’t come with an OS. It may be ideal if you want to load up Linux, but the cost rises to over £500 with a copy of Windows 7 Pro, as pre-installed on the DS50.

Verdict

This is a well-made, reasonably well-equipped, compact business PC, designed for business multimedia editing. As long as that’s 2D multimedia and you’re not asking too much of its graphics, it should be able to keep its head up in this environment. It’s a bit heavyweight for simpler office work, though. ®

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