Reviewed on December 3, 2009The Dell Inspiron 545s-3055NBK improves on previous models with more upgrade options and faster performance. Its modest components can easily handle the most common tasks, but shoppers looking for a home theater PC should consider the Gateway SX2800-01 or Dell's forthcoming Zino HD instead.TAGS:Dell Inspiron, Gateway Inc., graphics chip, Intel Core 2 Duo, IEEE 802.11n, Dell, Adobe PhotoShop, Intel, Apple iTunes, PC, hard drive
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, Gateway Inc., ASUS, Gigabit Ethernet, Intel, 64-bit, Ethernet, Dell Inspiron, Intel Pentium, CPU, Dell
Reviewed on November 6, 2009With similar results as its ancestors, the Dell Inspiron 545s-1476N registers decent benchmarks and offers respectable upgradability, but we hesitate to recommend it over the older Gateway SX2800-01 that leaves Dell in the dust regarding both performance and features.TAGS:HP Pavilion SlimLine, Dell Inspiron, Gateway Inc., graphics chip, Dell, Ethernet LAN, Ethernet, HP Pavilion, Intel, HP, PC
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
Reviewed on July 13, 2009As much as we've appreciated HP's efforts in bringing the slim tower to the mainstream, we cannot recommend this off-the-shelf Pavilion Slimline s5120y. Even considering its low price, its design, features, and performance all come up short next to its retail competition.TAGS:HP Pavilion SlimLine, HP Pavilion, Gateway Inc., graphics chip, HP, port, 64-bit, Dell, Intel, hard drive, video
Reviewed on October 31, 2008The HP Pavilion a6620f makes a decent case for its budget price. We like the design and the built-in digital-audio ports, and if you're on an unbreakable budget, the a6620f will get you through a variety of processes, but we recommend saving up for a system that will give you a more powerful set of components for a negligible price difference.TAGS:digital audio, HP Pavilion, portable hard drive, graphics chip, burner, HP, 64-bit, port, Intel, Ethernet, Dell Inspiron, hard drive, adapter, Dell, PCI, video