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, quad-core, digital audio, HP, Ethernet, 64-bit, FireWire, Gateway Inc., Dell, AMD, games, 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, PC
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 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, Dell XPS, graphics chip, Blu-ray, Dell Inspiron, quad-core, Dell, Gateway Inc., AMD, PC
Reviewed on January 5, 2007We have one major issue with the Velocity Micro Raptor Signature Edition (the price), and two minor ones (it's loud, for one), but those aside, this is one of the most feature-complete high-end desktops we've reviewed. Its performance is media-creation- and game-minded, and anyone buying it for those or almost any other purposes won't be disappointed.TAGS:Velocity Micro, quad-core, Alienware, PC, video card, hard drive
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