As if to prove that quad-core isn't just a paper launch, Evesham has built a cutting-edge performance system around it. The Solar Quattro 67 takes Intel's latest processor and marries it to a fast graphics card, large screen and an array of quality, named components that you would expect in a flagship machine.

Obviously such kit doesn't come cheap, and £3,000 certainly isn't that, but is it worth splashing out this much money?

There's only one quad-core chip available at the moment, and that's the QX6700, so it's no surprise that this is what can be found at the centre of this system. We've discussed the technical merits of this chip over the previous pages, but as a quick overview: quad-core is two Core 2 Duo chips in one package.

This means you get 8MB of L2 cache for your money, it runs on a 1,066MHz FSB and operates at 2.67GHz. It's not the fastest processor from Intel by clock speed alone, but it potentially out-performs the last generation of chips by a factor of two.

This machine is more than just a processor, though. Evesham has plugged a pair of 1GB PC6400 memory sticks into the Intel 975X motherboard to ensure there's enough memory available for most normal tasks.

Anyone eyeing this up as the basis for a workstation may want to increase this further, but with two slots free, upping the system memory to 4GB shouldn't be a problem. The 500GB hard drive from Western Digital also provides enough space for normal use, with plenty of room to add other devices as you see fit.

The general build quality is up to the standard we would expect from Evesham, with well-routed cables, and plenty of room around the components. Evesham has listened to criticisms of its case design, and has rolled out a new chassis for this quad-core machine that actually looks like it contains cutting-edge equipment as opposed to budget components.

Non-enthusiasts may find the blue glow annoying, but the liberal amount of fan grills - all with filters - is definitely welcome. The machine is surprisingly quiet in operation, despite its contents, so don't assume that it's going to be deafening.