Novatech Zu - first look HD4890 rig

Zu's very big in Sumeria...

You can tell that AMD is really back on its feet in a technological sense by the fact that PC builders are actually putting together gaming rigs fully kitted out with AMD componentry for over a thousand pounds. Over the last few years when a company did that it was with a view to flogging off a few £300 workhorses with no processing or graphical oomph whatsoever. Now we've got machines with the latest kit for big money without them getting laughed off the interweb.

The Zu (mythical Sumerian dragon for those who fear Google) combines the latest HD4890 graphics card along with AMD's AM3-based quad-core, the Phenom II X4 810. The choice of AM3 motherboard means that we've also got some seriously spanking 1600MHz DDR3 memory backing it all up.

The way the Phenom II CPUs have managed to capture our collective imaginations in the face of stiff, Core i7-shaped competition has been because they offered a cheap, though powerful, alternative chock-full of upgrading potential. Indeed, even jamming the latest AM3 chip and mobo combo with the requisite DDR3 isn't a bank-buster.

The problem with this configuration of the Zu though is that it's been stuck with a Blu-Ray drive and Vista Ultimate, the expensive OS especially taking the price up over the thousand pound mark. If you're after a Zu as a gaming machine then that unfortunately is wasted money. Money which you could easily use to fund an improved GPU that would give you the performance benchmarks you need to justify the price-tag.

With Novatech's configuration options though you don't need to have either of these pricey extravagances, dropping the price back down below the thousand. Nestling here it's a more realistic option. Still, it's garnering lesser performance figures than AdvanceTech's Intel Q8200-based Wahdita, which is only £70 more expensive than this option; performance and price increase both mainly down to that machine's HD4870x2.

If you're a real high-def obsessive, and still lack the PS3 in your lounge, then the added Blu-Ray drive might seem a benefit rather than a drawback, but the choice of Vista Ultimate is a definite waste. With Windows 7 so very close, and so far so very worthy of an upgrade, you'll likely be replacing whatever version of Windows comes with your next PC if you buy in the next few months very quickly.

Novatech Zu Specs:

Price £1,020
Manufacturer Novatech
CPU Phenom II X4 810 AM3
Mobo Asus M4A78T-E
Memory 4GB 1600MHz DDR3
Storage Seagate 500GB
Graphics PowerColor HD4890 1GB GDDR5
Optical Sony Blu-Ray
OS Vista Ultimate 64-bit