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Management

Xi 4306/4160 MTower SP

31 Jan, 2003 By: Ron LaFon

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3.06GHz Pentium 4 workstation

Xi 4306/4160 MTower SP 3.06GHz Pentium 4 workstation pros: Fast, attractive, and affordable system. cons: None significant. price: $2,999 @Xi Computer Corp. 800.432.0486 sales@xicomputer.com

This is the first 3.06GHz Pentium 4 system to come through Cadalyst Labs for testing, and it did not fail to impress. The new Xi Neon case is lightweight and stylish. From the illuminated vertical Lucite bars at the front edges of the minitower to the clear oval window on the easy-to-remove side panel and the tri-color illuminated Lucite ventilation fan in the rear, this system looks like it's ready to get up and move.

Once the system is up and running, get up and move is exactly what it does. The 4306/4160 MTower SP blazed through the Cadalyst Labs C2001 benchmark test at an amazing 108.65. Other test figures were comparably fast, with a SPEC ViewPerf proe-01 test score of 22.14 and averaged MAXBench4 scores of 50.48 with the default driver and 70.12 with Nvidia's speedy MAXtreme v4.00.25 driver for discreet 3ds max.

Equipped with a 120GB 7,200rpm ATA100 Western Digital hard disk and a 403163123123 ATAPI combination CDR/W1DVD drive, this system boasts high-quality components throughout. The AGP 8X Nvidia 980XGL graphics card provides excellent graphics performance, as detailed

The Xi MTower 4306/4160 SP system, based on an Intel Pentium 4 3.06GHz processor, reaches new levels of speed and performance.

in our graphics card roundup on p. 22. The system also includes a standard, black 104-key keyboard and a Logitech 21Wheel three-button PS/2 mouse. The motherboard includes AC97 sound and 10/100 networking. As usual, the price listed here doesn't include a monitor or speakers.

The system is based on the Intel 845 G/E chipset with an AMI/AWARD Flash Bios and has five 32-bit PCI slots in addition to the AGP video slot. Besides being a high-performance system, it's designed for expansion. The $2,999 estimated street price includes a standard three-year parts and labor warranty. This is an excellent price for a system of this speed with such high-quality components.

The system configuration component at the @Xi Computer Web site lets you assemble a system specific to your own needs and budget. @Xi Computer offers a broad range of operating systems, including dual-boot Windows and Linux systems. Each computer includes a very good software selection that adds significant value to the system.

@Xi's systems consistently receive high ratings for speed and value everywhere they are tested, including Cadalyst. One look at this attractive and speedy system, and it's easy to see why @Xi has such a great reputation among groups as diverse as serious gamers and those who want blazing CAD and graphic design performance.