The QDI 5968L is another system decked out in clear Perspex and solid silver panels. Side panels allow for easy access, although the large handle mounted on the top of the chassis does nothing but inhibit peripheral installation and replacement. Granted the thick casing does keep the machine running quietly, we do question its ability to cool given its lack of ventilation.
The front panel sports two USB ports, a single FireWire, four 3.5mm audio inputs and an optical Toslink output. Phew. This makes it perfect for easy connectivity in the living room.
The supplied heatsink is rated no higher than a 2.8GHz processor, but that should be sufficient for most media centre tasks.
The hard mounted carry handle means this unit's build quality is sturdy, although a poorly located CMOS reset, sharp edges and only average motherboard layout left us a little disappointed. Its lack of ease to work inside but high feature score helped bring it back just below the overall average score.
Overall, not a bad system, but the quality score lets it down in the end.