Elonex Artisan LX Media Centre PC

Quieter than a church mouse in socks.

After only semi-wowing us with its eXentia Media Centre PC, Elonex has now gone the whole hog by taking the wraps off its little brother, the sleeker, cheaper Artisan.

Like the eXentia, the Artisan is a fully functioning computer with a reasonably high specification. You can use it to do all your computery things - email, games, work and so on - but it's happiest when running Microsoft's Media Centre 2005.

Unlike most Media Centres, which are characterised by their noisiness, the Artisan runs completely silently, thanks to Elonex's crafty case design, clever approach to cooling and the use of a special quiet-running hard disk. It is also one of the few media PCs to feature proper audio connections at the back and a fully working LED display at the front; although the latter is fairly basic by today's flash standards, it's a nice touch - as is the huge hi-fi-style volume dial.

The only external accessories are a cordless keyboard - perfect for using on the sofa, and its USB-connected receiver - which unfortunately spoils the sleek lines a bit. Wi-Fi connectivity comes built into the case itself.

Pre-purchase, you have the option of fitting the unit out with either twin digital or twin analogue tuners - it will cost the same whichever you choose - and there's a lengthy list of other stuff that can be upgraded as and when you require it, including the hard disk and memory.

All in all, the Artisan LX is one of the few Media Centres that are more like a bit of consumer electronics kit than a PC - and that's a step in the right direction. Top marks to Elonex.