Advice on audio and video on Novatech PC

Jolly_Roger

I want to buy a PC from Novatech, which as a supplier is highly rated by Which?
I use my PC for word processing, internet surfing, email, listening to music and watching streamed tv. The Novatech iflame pro appears to be most suitable for me. However, in the spec there is no mention of a video or sound card, although for gaming PCs obviously there is. Should I be worried? Has anybody else bought this machine and found it OK?
Thanks for the feedback.
This is the spec on their website:

Technical Specification Processor
Description
Intel Core i5 650 Processor Cache
4MB Clockspeed
3.20GHz Manufacturer
Intel No. of Cores
2
Memory
Description
2 x 2GB DDR3 1333Mhz Memory Speed
1333Mhz
Harddrive
Description
500GB 3.5" 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive Interface
SATA
Case
Description
Novatech Micro ATX Case With 350w PSU Colour
Black Dimensions
180*379*406mm Drive Bays 3 1/2"
1 External, 4 Internal Drive Bays 5 1/4"
2 Form Factor
mATX
Optical Drives
Description
22x DVD Writer Interface
SATA
Motherboard
Form Factor
Micro ATX CPU Support
Intel Core i7,Core i5,Core i3 processors, Socket LGA1156 Chipset
Intel H55 Chipset Motherboard Audio
7.1 channel HDA IO
1 x PS/2 keyboard port
1 x PS/2 mouse port
1 x VGA connector
1 x DVI connector
1 x Audio jack supports 6 jacks
6 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x RJ45 LAN port
1 x Serial port LAN
Gigabit LAN Socket Type
1156 USB
6 SATA Ports
6 PCI
2* PCI PCI-EX
1* PCIe2.0 x16, 1* PCIe x1, Max FSB
1600 Memory Slots
4 Max Memory Capacity
16GB
Keyboard & Mouse
Description

Description
Novatech Wired Keyboard And mouse Keyboard

Mouse
Novatech USB Wired Mouse

pompeyfaith

Novatech are a very good PC supplier as is there customer support so I would ring or email them and ask.

The sound must work of the mainboard which is ok but if you want more enriched sound they can put a sound card in the machine for you before delivery.

closed

7.1 channel HDA

pompeyfaith

This is the intel page to the audio chipset this machine has

http://www.intel.com/products/desktop/chipsets/h55/h55-overview.htm

KillerWatt

Jolly_Roger wrote: »

there is no mention of a video or sound card

The soundcard is already listed as 7.1 HDA (High Definition Audio).

As far as the video goes, the only mention of that is the actual connectivity (VGA & DVI connectors).
For the money that system costs, I'll bet it's onboard video rather than a dedicated video card with it's own memory.

timleroy

I work for Novatech and can confirm that it does come with video, graphics and sound cards as standard. If you're a hardcore gamer and want more punch or power we can upgrade the cards to your spec. Just get in touch... 02392 322 500 or use our live chat which is on our website (sorry cant post a link)
Cheers Tim
PS I bought one for my mum and she loves it.
And she's not a gamer!

Jolly_Roger

Thank you all for your contributions.
RussJK, I had another look at the spec, and, following Tim's advice too, phoned Novatech, who confirmed that a slightly cheaper version of the iFlame would do everything I needed, so I will go ahead and buy that instead! The sound card looks to be fine for what I need and, if the graphics don't live up to expectations, I shall put in a new graphics card

bigbloke45

I know this an old post, sorry to bump, but I'm trying to find a PC for my cousin. She has a rather old Dell and is looking for a budget replacement.

She wants to use her existing keyboard and display and has been considering a laptop but using the existing keyboard and display. My first thoughts were, why not just get a new desktop? The iFlame fits the budget at £400 to include Windows 7.

But, laptops must be outselling desktops now so the economies of scale should mean that, even though you are buying a display and keyboard with a laptop, it could still work out cheaper than a desktop on it's own for essentially the same spec.

Any views or recommendations gratefully accepted.

scheming_gypsy

not really, desktops will generally have a better spec than a laptop of the same price. You're also limited to the upgradability of a laptop compared to a desktop

Jolly_Roger

FYI the IFlame has proved to be a very good computer!