TechRadar Verdict
A good desktop replacement but if you need something more portable you may do better looking elsewhere
Pros
- +
Generous storage
- +
Decent RAM
Cons
- -
Keyboard
- -
Heavy
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The Advent 6553 (£430 inc. VAT) is a desktop replacement system. At this price, the most unusual feature is the 17-inch display.
It also features a sharp screen resolution at 1440 x 900 pixels. Colour reproduction could be more vibrant, with darker blacks, but images are sharp and there's enough space to display multiple windows simultaneously.
The Super-TFT coating does cause fingerprints to show up in bright conditions however, but it is fine for use indoors.
Integrated graphics
Don't expect to find desktop-rivalling 3D performance, however, as this machine features the same integrated graphics card as most of the other laptops at this price point. There's enough power for everyday tasks, and you won't have any issues running office software or watching DVDs, but 3D gaming is not a possibility.
The Advent's mix of gloss and matt silver and black plastics works well, looking stylish and well made. The textured finish is also attractive, complemented by a patterned lid.
The plastics are tough and will easily cope with day-to-day use, although the large screen did wobble slightly when we typed. The keyboard has large, flat and responsive keys.
However, the 6553's keys are completely flat, making it too easy to clip the wrong one when typing at speed. The touchpad is big and comfortable to use.
You'll find a 2GHz Intel Pentium Dual- Core processor at the heart of this laptop. However, it's the only laptop here to feature 4096MB of memory, aiding multi-tasking abilities.
Generous storage
The Advent also offers the most capacious hard drive, at 320GB, with loads of space for storing all of your multimedia files. Unfortunately, the poor battery life lets this machine down, lasting for just 155 minutes during our tests.
That said, its heavy 3.5kg weight means it's unlikely to leave the house anyway. Despite the large size, the Advent is limited when it comes to features.
You'll find three USB ports, a DVI-out interface for connecting an external digital display, an ExpressCard slot and 10/100 Ethernet. You'll also find an 802.11g Wi-Fi adapter and a memory card reader, but there are no standout features here.
If you're after a large desktop replacement system, then the Advent is the machine for you. It's otherwise average, however, making it difficult to recommend.
