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, graphics chip, Gateway Inc., Dell, Ethernet LAN, Ethernet, HP Pavilion, Intel, HP, 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
Reviewed on August 17, 2009If you must buy a Nettop, the eMachines EZ1601-01's large screen and category-competitive components make a decent argument for its value among other systems like it. One look at a true budget desktop, or even a Netbook, and the appeal of this system diminishes quickly.TAGS:eMachines Inc., ASUS, graphics chip, optical drive, display, Intel, 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 September 29, 2009Extra performance by way of a low-wattage AMD chip helps Averatec's D1133 All-In-One stand out from its dismal Nettop competition, but it remains a below-average deal in the grand scheme of budget desktops. We see the appeal of Netbooks, but the benefits of Nettops like this Averatec continue to elude us.TAGS:Averatec, Lenovo, graphics chip, touch screen, AMD Athlon, ATI Technologies, speakers, LCD, movie, CPU, AMD, PC, Intel
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, Dell, Acer Aspire, Intel Pentium, desktop computer, 64-bit, Intel, hard drive, CPU
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, Ethernet, 64-bit, Dell Inspiron, Intel, port, adapter, Dell, PCI, hard drive, video