PCSpecialist Nebula Goliath
PCSpecialist gives the best possible platform for Intel’s Core Ultra desktop chips, and the result is a fine PC
SCORE
PRICE £1,999 (£2,399 inc VAT) pcspecialist.co.uk/configurereview/629/ from
These are challenging times for Intel, with the sudden departure of CEO Pat Gelsinger (see p10) and a tough debut for its Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200K series chips. These were meant to be a triumph, bringing a clever architectural design and an NPU to desktops at last, but enthusiasts weren’t impressed by its focus on performance-perwatt rather than sheer performance.
For the first time in recent memory, that means you can’t expect a bump in speed merely because you’re upgrading to the latest Intel family.
Not all these criticisms are merited. Doing the same, and sometimes more, while using less electricity is surely the right way forward. And while it may not make sense to upgrade your three-year-old Intel system – not least because you’ll need a new motherboard, and even the basic ones are expensive right now – there is a better argument to buy an Intel Core Ultra PC from scratch. You’re investing in a new generation of Intel systems, with room for upgrade.