Reviewed on July 10, 2009Gateway's SX2800-01 offers a strong combination of performance and features all wrapped up in a design that fully embraces the merits of a slim tower PC. We recommend this system to anyone looking for a fast, affordable desktop for the home office, the living room, or anywhere in between.TAGS:HP Pavilion SlimLine, Gateway Inc., Dell Inspiron, clock speed, HP Pavilion, Dell, 64-bit, HP, Intel, PC, video
Reviewed on October 6, 2009The Gateway One ZX6810-01 makes a strong first impression for Windows 7-based all-in-ones PCs, with fast performance and an attractive case design. Its touch input and accompanying applications fall flat, but there's enough respectable computer here that it's worth a look. Our only suggestion is that you wait to inspect the rest of the new Windows 7 crowd once they are released.TAGS:Windows 7, Gateway Inc., Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel, Microsoft Windows, PC, Microsoft Corp.
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 in regards to both performance and features.TAGS:HP Pavilion SlimLine, Dell Inspiron, Gateway Inc., graphics chip, Dell, Ethernet LAN, HP Pavilion, Ethernet, Intel, HP, PC
Reviewed on November 19, 2008You can find flashier PCs than Dell's $1,299 Studio XPS, but few have as much power where it counts. We don't recommend its small, pared-down case for upgraders, but this PC will satisfy anyone who needs a loaded, powerful PC for gaming and consumer-level digital media editing.TAGS:Dell Studio, Intel Core Microarchitecture, Gateway Inc., configuration, Dell, 64-bit, hard drive, Intel, PC
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, Adobe PhotoShop, Apple Computer, Gateway Inc., 3D, CPU, Intel, PC
Reviewed on July 15, 2009The Dell Inspiron 545s cuts a more robust profile than other budget Inspirons by offering better upgrade options and some decent performance for its price. It has a hard time challenging Gateway's strong budget slim tower, but this Dell might sway you, depending on your needs.TAGS:Dell Inspiron, Gateway Inc., Dell, Intel Core 2 Duo, 64-bit, dual-core, Intel, Ethernet, video, hard drive
Reviewed on August 25, 2009Acer's Aspire M5800-U5802A could use some visual polish, but get past its appearance and you'll find a fast, affordable computer that will handle any task you care to throw at it. It's even a decent low-end gaming box. We'd only recommend against this desktop if you demand a computer's appearance match its capabilities.TAGS:HP Pavilion Elite, Acer Aspire, Acer Inc., cover, HP Pavilion, Gateway Inc., 64-bit, ASUS, NVidia, Intel, HP
Reviewed on July 6, 2009You might find a better deal from Dell if you configure an Inspiron 537s online, but this retail only model has little to recommend it. From slow performance to a weak feature-set, this budget slimtower is outclassed by too many other retail desktops.TAGS:HP Pavilion SlimLine, Dell Inspiron, Gateway Inc., HP Pavilion, Dell, 64-bit, ASUS, CPU, Intel, HP, video
Reviewed on June 30, 2009HP's Pavilion p6110y isn't necessarily an offensive system, and its case might even entice you to give it a second look. We just wish HP had taken a more substantive approach to help this desktop stand out. Its FireWire port might sway you, but otherwise you can find more interesting features from other PCs on the shelf.TAGS:HP Pavilion, HP Pavilion SlimLine, ASUS, FireWire, HP, retailer, Intel Pentium, Gateway Inc., HDMI, Intel, motherboard, PC
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 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, 64-bit, Intel, CPU
Reviewed on July 31, 2009The eMachines ET1810-03 isn't the fastest or the most attractive computer, but we can't argue with the low price, attractive design, and a complete (if not slightly barren) set of components. If you can deal with the midtower size, it will make for an excellent general purpose PC for the home.TAGS:eMachines Inc., Gateway Inc., optical drive, fax, Ethernet, Intel, modem, Apple Computer, hard drive, PC
Reviewed on July 2, 2009The Asus Essentio CM5570-AP002 isn't an overly remarkable desktop, but it has a few extra features that help it stand out. Its Wi-Fi and HDMI video out port give it some unique capabilities, and the best part is that Asus still manages to keep the price down. It's hard not to like this system, even though we wish Asus had more comprehensive support.TAGS:ASUS, HP Pavilion SlimLine, Blu-ray drive, HP Pavilion, Blu-ray, Gateway Inc., Intel, 64-bit, HP, Intel Pentium, PC, Microsoft Windows