New to Lexmark's ever-expanding multi-function device (MFD) line-up, the X5650 is aimed at the home and student markets. Despite its compact design it's able to print, scan, copy and fax.

The chassis is functional as opposed to stylish, with a large control panel dominating the front; this houses a small LCD screen and, among other buttons, a numerical keypad for sending faxes. A multi-format card reader and USB port sit just to the right of this panel, allowing you to print photos without having to switch your PC on.

Considering the low price, it's something of a surprise to find an auto-document feeder (ADF) on the X5650. Located on top of the printer, this lets you copy and fax multi-page documents without having to load each sheet separately. Accepting no more than 25 pages at a time, the ADF's capacity isn't huge, but it can be a real time saver.

As long as you've got a spare USB cable (as with almost all printers, you don't get one included with the X5650), setup is a fairly quick and simple affair, with Lexmark's installation utility guiding you through every step.

Get the latest Dell Coupons and other computer coupons at CheapStingyBargains.com.

Like most Lexmark printers, the X5650 uses two cartridges. Black (£17.44 for 175 pages) and Colour (£18.88 for 150 pages) cartridges are supplied with the package, but you can also purchase a special Photo cartridge (£21.78); substitute this for the Black cartridge and you'll get six-colour printing.

Not one for modesty, Lexmark describes the X5650's photo printing performance as 'brilliant'. We wouldn't go quite that far, but it did perform much better than we expected, producing prints featuring rich, vivid colours even without the optional Photo cartridge.

Close-up inspection reveals a lack of fine detail, but when viewed from a distance they look good and most home users will find them more than adequate. Text quality is reasonable, but not as sharp as we've seen on similarly priced models, especially if you're not using high-quality inkjet paper. We've no complaints about the scanning module, though, with its maximum resolution of 600 x 1,200dpi letting you capture a good level of detail.

Photo print speeds are sluggish, with a 5 x 7-inch colour snap taking just under two minutes to appear at the highest quality settings. The printer managed to output text-only prints at a rate of six pages per minute (ppm), but when we switched to draft quality, or 'Quick Print' as Lexmark calls it, this rose to just under 12ppm.

During testing we found the X5650 surprisingly noisy while printing. It's not such a problem if you're only planning on printing occasional documents, but it will irritate those churning out large volumes. And after a period of inactivity, the X5650 parks the cartridges, creating a sudden loud noise in the process. If you're in a quiet room, this will almost certainly make you jump.

Anyone wanting highest-quality prints will have to look elsewhere, but at £99.99 the X5650 offers a decent set of features for your money and the ADF is a real bonus. We also noticed Lexmark's online store currently has it on sale for just £69.99. At this price, it's an absolute steal.

Its print quality won't blow you away, but the Lexmark X5650 is a solid performer and houses a surprising array of features given its relative low price. A good choice for those short on space and on a tight budget.