Chillblast Fusion Chaos review

Cheap PCs are getting more powerful by the week, and the Chillblast Fusion Chaos is no exception. It comes complete with a 32nm Intel Core i3-530 processor overclocked from its standard speed of 2.93GHz to 3.8GHz, and this makes it the fastest Core i3-based machine we’ve yet tested, scoring a blistering 2.29 in our application benchmarks.

It’s also quicker than the systems bearing Core i5 chips we’ve reviewed: the £680 exc VAT PC Specialist Aurea i5-650 HD scored 1.94 and the Cyberpower Gamer Infinity i5 Hercules SE returned a score of 1.93.

Chillblast has also found room in its budget for a top-quality graphics card. The Bournemouth-based firm has picked a Radeon HD 5850, a high-end card, and the Chaos produced stellar results in our Crysis 3D gaming tests.

With High quality settings enabled and at a resolution of 1,600 x 1,200 it achieved an average frame rate of 60fps; with Very High settings at the same resolution it scored 37fps, and it maintained a smooth performance of 37fps even when we boosted the resolution to 1,920 x 1,200. In each test, the Chillblast outstripped the Aurea i5-650 by some margin. The rest of the core specification is solid, with 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard disk and a DVD writer, plus external peripherals that include a comfortable Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse set and a pair of S220 2.1 speakers, also from Logitech. The latter, though clearly a budget set, have surprisingly good sound quality.

In terms of build quality, there’s more good news. The Chaos’ Xigmatek Midgard case is solid and looks great. Its matte-black finish, topped off by meshed panels and an orange case fan at the front, is at least as attractive as any of its rivals from Antec and Cooler Master. Inside is an Asus P7P55D-LE motherboard with a PCI-Express 16x slot, three PCI slots and two empty DIMM sockets for future expansion. Three 5.25in bays lie empty, and there are four spare 3.5in hard disk bays, all fitted with plastic caddies so you can add drives without a screwdriver.

Other nice touches include rubber washers on the hard disk trays and power supply to absorb vibrations. The included case fans are among the quietest we’ve heard. The CPU cooler – an Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro Rev. 2 – isn’t too loud either.

The ATI graphics card, however, throws a spanner in the works. While the default fan speed of just over 1,000rpm was enough to keep the chip cool without much noise when idle, it shot up to over 1,800rpm when under load. That’s enough to generate an intrusive amount of noise.

And that’s not the only problem. The Chillblast’s monitor is distinctly below par. It’s a DGM model and, while the 23in screen diagonal and 1,920 x 1,080 resolution are both fine, there’s a noticeably grainy finish across lighter areas, the backlight bleeds along all four edges, and it has a weak, wobbly non-adjustable stand.

It’s a disappointing monitor, then, but it isn’t a complete disaster for the system as a whole. The Chillblast Fusion Chaos provides blistering performance in a superb chassis for an excellent price and that’s just enough to gain it a Recommended award. Upgrade the monitor when you buy it and it will be even better.