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:Gateway Inc., Windows 7, Intel Core 2 Duo, Microsoft Windows, PC, Intel, 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, Ethernet, HP Pavilion, 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, PC, Intel
Reviewed on July 28, 2009Gateway's DX4300-03 is a game attempt at a digital media hub-style PC, but the value proposition just isn't here. Slow performance in particular drags this desktop down, and unless you particularly value a TV tuner, you'll find faster, more capable computers not much farther down the retail shelf.TAGS:Gateway Inc., ASUS, Acer Aspire, wireless networking, optical drive, TV Tuner, 64-bit, networking, Acer Inc., TV, 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, Apple Computer, Adobe PhotoShop, Gateway Inc., 3D, CPU, Intel, PC
Reviewed on July 29, 2009Dell seems to have missed a beat in this year's round of back-to-school retail desktops, and the Inspiron 545 is no exception. Its competition has too much to offer in the way of performance and features, leaving Dell with little but its established online support resources to give it an advantage.TAGS:Dell Inspiron, back-to-school, ASUS, Dell, Gateway Inc., 64-bit, networking, PC
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, HDMI, Intel Pentium, Intel, Gateway Inc., motherboard, PC
Reviewed on October 20, 2009Nvidia's Ion graphics chip gives the Asus Eee Top ET2002 better-than-average video performance for a Nettop, but that does little to spare this system from its weak overall performance and the variety of competitive, more well-rounded alternatives for low-cost video and gaming. Nettops might be competitive someday, but for now this category as a whole is a disappointment.TAGS:ASUS, graphics chip, Xbox 360, Gateway Inc., LCD, NVidia, Microsoft Xbox, keyboard, entertainment, games, Nvidia GeForce, mouse, video, PC
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, HP, 64-bit, Intel Pentium, PC, Microsoft Windows
Reviewed on July 23, 2009The Asus Essentio CM5570-AP006 will give you fair performance and a well-rounded set of features for its price, and we recommend it if you specifically need a midbudget, midtower desktop. In the grand scheme of retail PCs, however, a more affordable slimtower from Gateway gives this system a major challenge on performance and value, which dampens our enthusiasm for the Asus.TAGS:ASUS, Dell Inspiron, HP Pavilion, Gateway Inc., Dell, 64-bit, HP, networking, video card, games, PC
Reviewed on July 16, 2009With more aggressive competition on retail shelves, the HP Pavilion p6130y isn't a particularly compelling desktop computer thanks to underwhelming features and poor performance. We only recommend this system if you truly need the hand-holding that comes with the support of a major U.S. PC vendor.TAGS:HP Pavilion, ASUS, Dell Inspiron, digital audio, quad-core, Ethernet, HP, 64-bit, FireWire, Dell, Gateway Inc., AMD, PC, games
Reviewed on April 28, 2009ZT's smartly configured Affinity 7308Ma offers a Blu-ray drive and fast application performance, both rare for its $699 price tag. You won't show off this midtower PC off for its looks, but we recommend it to those who enjoy the satisfaction that comes with finding a hidden bargain.TAGS:Blu-ray drive, graphics chip, Blu-ray, Dell XPS, Dell Inspiron, quad-core, Dell, Gateway Inc., AMD, PC
Reviewed on February 12, 2009We expect anyone who purchases the Dell XPS 625 will be pleased with its robust midrange gaming components and the software that makes it easy to overclock them. We just wish Dell had been more aggressive with its pricing and that you didn't have to spend more money to make the most of this system's standout features.TAGS:Dell XPS, Gateway Inc., AMD, Dell, motherboard, chipset, 64-bit, Intel, PC