AOpen 1556A - no CPU - 15" TFT

Advantages: Tailor Made Spec, Robust Quality build. Nice looking, Good Value, Easy to upgrade
Disadvantages: Needs a high level of technical competance. One or two parts can be difficult to obtain.

...will find is that the centrino CPU can be a bit tricky to find. The other problem is that, if like me, you choose a non-standard DVD-writer in place of the AOPEN reccomended model, then you will have to make up a small retaining bracket which isn't supplied with the case. Reasonably easy to do... but you do need some technical skills. Assembly took about 2 hours once I had realised the need to make a retaining clip for the DVD drive. There are no instructions supplied. But if you use common sense it is pretty obvious how it all comes apart and goes back. Just DONT force anything. If you have to strain it then you are trying the wrong way... ! You can also find hints on the web by via a google search (sorry but I cant recall the URLS) As far as performance and quality in use is concerned, the end result is excellent and I am well pleased... Read review

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Advantages: Very silent, very stylish and very good at performing
Disadvantages: Not too many expansion possibilities, no DVI.

...Great little thing, this machine. I have always been a great fan of Shuttle computers - mainly for the thought that lays behind the systems and the designs. However two things have always been annoying about Shuttle: The price and the noise. AOpen has been pioneers when it comes to Pentium-M and this fact made me confident in buying a small form factor (SFF) system based on the Pentium-M. The system is brilliant and I use it for all my computing-tasks which are surfing on the Net, text- and powerpoint-handling as well as games every now and then and some audio recording and editing. My system is equipped with a 1.6 GHz Pentium-M (bought cheap from eBay), 1GB of Corsair RAM (two different types!), 533 MHz fsb. The system runs with Windows XP Home SP2 - and does so brilliantly. The good things about this machine: - Costs way less than... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap and lots of features
Disadvantages: average overclocking ability

...The AOpen AK77-600 Max has a unique feature of having double bios chips, specially these days when virus attacks are common these days. With having twin bios, the second bios can store a good bios version that can be used when the first bios other one fails. It is also bundled with a Norton virus 2003, s very helpful software which can protect you from e-mail worms and viruses. This board has via kt600 chipset instead of an nforce 2. The motherboard has a little heat sink at the middle which helps to avoid overheating. All the headers of this motherboard are place on the near bottom of the motherboard. The USB 2.0 header s located at the second third PCI slots. A total of 6 USB ports are located at the back panel of this board. There is also a printer port and 2 ps/2 ports. Four mounting holes are located in CPU sockets, which free... Read review

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