Reviewed on May 1, 2008A slight bump to the specifications for the same price in addition to a much appreciated option to upgrade the graphics means the 24-inch iMac keeps the Editors' Choice it earned last year when the brushed-aluminum-and-glass design was first introduced.TAGS:Apple iMac, bus, Intel Core 2 Duo, Apple Computer, Adobe PhotoShop, Gateway Inc., 3D, Intel, CPU, PC
Reviewed on June 25, 2008HP's new-and-improved TouchSmart all-in-one PC refines the touch-based concept it introduced last year. Faster all-in-ones, and Apple's iPhone, make the TouchSmart seem a bit behind the times, but the convenient software and its kitchen-friendly design offer functionality that's unavailable elsewhere.TAGS:HP TouchSmart, Averatec, Intel Core 2 Duo, Apple iMac, RSS reader, HP, CPU, Intel
Reviewed on July 11, 2008The Dell Inspiron 1525-121B is the textbook example of a midsize, mainstream laptop. Switching to slower CPU knocks a little off the performance, but also takes $80 off the price and adds battery life, compared with Dell's more mainstream configurations.TAGS:Dell Inspiron, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Pentium, Dell, dual-core, Intel, laptop computer, keyboard, CPU
Reviewed on October 28, 2007The CPU market is due for a lot of upheaval over the next 12 months, so you might be wise to wait for a clearer picture before plunking down $1,000 or so on Intel's new Core 2 Extreme QX9650 quad-core desktop processor. But if you want to claim ownership of the fastest multicore CPU around today, look no further.TAGS:Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Duo, transistor, Intel, quad-core, digital media, CPU
Reviewed on November 1, 2006If you thought dual cores were over the top, get ready. Intel presents the Core 2 Extreme QX6700, a single CPU with four distinct processing cores. At $999, the first quad-core CPU will remain an enthusiast part for a while, but as a glimpse of the future, it's clear that clock speed is out and core counts are in.TAGS:Intel Core 2 Extreme, multi-core, quad-core, clock speed, digital media, dual-core, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel, CPU, AMD, PC
Reviewed on December 10, 2007AMD's new Phenom quad-core CPU has little to recommend it over competing chips from Intel. The Phenom is marginally less-expensive, but not enough to make up for its subpar performance. Unless AMD drops prices more aggressively, it looks like Intel will maintain its grasp on the CPU market for the foreseeable future.TAGS:Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD, quad-core, Intel, dual-core, CPU, PC
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 Core 2 Duo, Intel, 64-bit, CPU