Pentium II/333, 8.4GB hard disk, 15-inch LCD monitor, SDRAM. High-End Winstone 98 score: 32.6. $2,939 direct. - June 30, 1998.

SIA Computer Corp.'s SIA P6/333-Pentium II Mid Tower offers enough serviceability and management features to make it a worthy office PC, topped off with average performance. What makes its price higher than that of most others in its class is the included 15-inch ViewSonic LCD panel; with a standard 17-inch ViewSonic monitor, the price drops to $1,994. SIA, the successor to System Integration Associates, customizes hardware for the newspaper industry and offers built-to-order PCs to corporate, government, and individual customers. The company has been in the PC business since 1983.

The unit's tool-free case opens after two thumbscrews are removed. It offers clear access to the Intel AL44OLX ATX motherboard, which carries an integrated audio subsystem with a Yamaha audio chip set. Using the included copy of Intel's LANDesk Client Manager 3.2, the motherboard supports hardware, voltage, and thermal monitoring. The inside of the case has five open drive bays, an intrusion detector, a map of the motherboard, and an add-on thermal alarm. ECC memory is included, and a 3Com Fast EtherLink XL lO/lOOMbps Ethernet card allows Remote Wake-up.

Our test unit came with a Diamond Multimedia Viper V330 AGP graphics card that had 4MB of SGRAM and an nVidia RIVA 128 graphics chip set. The ViewSonic VPA15O l5-inch color LCD monitor has built-in stereo speakers.

The SIA P6/333-Pentium II Mid Tower was an average performer across our tests, save for an above-average score on our Business Graphics WinMark test.

SIA backs the unit with a three-year warranty and 24-hour parts replacement, but standard technical support is available only during weekday business hours. With adequate performance and manageability features, the SIA P6/333-Pentium II Mid Tower is a solid managed PC.—RSA

SIA Computer Corp., Lake Geneva, WI; 262-249-8543, www.siacomputer.com

Reproduced with Permission. Copyright © 1998 Ziff-Davis Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.