Reviewed on November 3, 2008Thanks to an expensive new motherboard requirement, Intel's new Core i7 desktop processors will remain enthusiast and professional-level parts until more affordable complementary hardware comes out later next year. Speed never comes cheap, however, and if you're willing to spend for it now, you'll find yourself in possession of the fastest CPU on the market.TAGS:Intel, Intel Pentium 4, motherboard, CPU, chipset, dual-core, memory stick, platform, Intel Pentium, AMD
Reviewed on November 19, 2009At a glance, the Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003 offers adequate performance compared with other midtower budget desktops, but an older Gateway outshines Asus with faster performance and more versatility for a little more, leaving us unenthusiastic about this system.TAGS:graphics chip, ASUS, Gateway Inc., Gigabit Ethernet, Intel, Ethernet, Dell Inspiron, 64-bit, Intel Pentium, CPU, Dell
Reviewed on August 19, 2009Despite its quirky case design, Acer's Aspire M3800-U3802A is an affordable, feature-competitive midtower that you might find appealing if you're in the market for a cost-effective desktop to use for upgrading. If you want the best PC for your dollar, you can spend just a bit more on another system and get much faster performance.TAGS:Acer Aspire, Acer Inc., graphics chip, Gateway Inc., tray, Intel, Intel Core 2 Duo, 64-bit, Intel Pentium, CPU
Reviewed on January 28, 2009In its present configuration, the Dell Inspiron I530S-119B won't feel at home in a home theater or digital media environment, but it succeeds in providing high performance at minimal cost thanks to a faster processor than the competition. Future upgrades to this system are limited, but if you're shopping for a budget computer for basic functionality, this Dell will do the trick.TAGS:Acer Inc., Dell Inspiron, graphics chip, Acer Aspire, Dell, Intel Pentium, Intel, desktop computer, 64-bit, CPU, hard drive