Hardware II
I won't cover the F900P yet again, it's featured in two previous full system reviews at HEXUS, but I will say that the shipping example didn't experience any problems in displaying a picture from the Radeon 9800SE All-In-Wonder. The picture was sharp, bright (although not as bright as my usual Sony CRT) and had good geometry, focussing well at all four corners, from cold (something my Sony won't do until it's warmed up).The other shipping hardware and the overall bundle is, subjectively at least, extremely impressive.
Discrete manuals for all the hardware components is something I'm always pleased to see in an OEM system. Often they are discarded, but will no-doubt come in useful when troubleshooting or examining specifications of your hardware when planning upgrades. The CD bundle contains everything from customised reinstallation media for Windows XP Home, CDs for the motherboard and graphics card, along with the CDs for the supplied software applications, a Pinnacle suite of media apps and Microsoft Works 7.0. All are there, nothing is missed out. You even get the floppy disk needed to install your OS on the motherboard's SATA ports, something that's all to easy for an OEM like Evesham to leave out, thumbs up for that. Speaker manuals and installation guides round things off, topped off by one of the best large quick start guides I've had the pleasure of reading. Definitely high points of the Axis 64 experience and helpful to any new PC user.
The All-In-Wonder graphics card means the RemoteWonder bundle makes an appearance. The remote and the radio based wireless dongle are supplied in their own separate bag inside the main box, marking them out for attention away from everything else. The RemoteWonder software is preinstalled and ready to go, meaning true Plug and Play operation. Windows applications and the media player software on the Axis are all controllable using the remote and, as seen in previous All-In-Wonder reviews at HEXUS, the RemoteWonder bundle is excellent.
As mentioned on page two, the keyboard and mouse are a joy. After the dreadful self-branded Samsung items that Time like to ship, Evesham stick with the tried and tested Microsoft wireless optical mouse and wireless keyboard bundle.
Human input devices are the single most important class of devices on a PC system, outweighing any processor or graphics card you may want to fit. Investing in a quality keyboard, mouse and monitor is one of the best things you can ever do with a PC, even if it means saving money elsewhere. In this respect, Evesham go above and beyond the norm with the F900P and the Microsoft input devices, two thumbs up.
The speakers are Creative's P580 Inspire set. Six speakers in 5.1 configuration, they are slightly less competent overall than the T7700s I like to rave about, but good enough for the intended Axis 64 audience. With the All-In-Wonder graphics card, using the Axis 64 to watch TV and DVDs is going to be a common task. For that, the P580s are excellent, coping with TV and movie audio sources with aplomb. Only loud music and gaming audio will trouble them.
The Hynix HY5DU56822AT DRAMs used on the modules are 2.5V TSOP 66 parts, CL3 only at DDR400. Therein lies the only weak part in the Axis's performance makeup. The relatively high latency of the memory modules are the weak link for the Axis, the rest of the system is up to speed. The memory controller on the processor will eliminate, to some extent, any inherent disadvantage supplied by the memory modules, but as always, better memory modules would have suited the system much more.
If you look very closely at the cropped shot above, the sticker on the Radeon 9800SE All-In-Wonder designates the card as a Radeon 9800 Pro. Not quite the case, the card is simply mislabeled. It is the famous 256-bit memory bus version that HEXUS made popular here, so the chance of a softmod to 9800 Pro is possible (and it indeed worked on the Axis review sample, it would have been rude not to check), but out of the factory, it's a 9800SE.
