Toshiba DX735-D3201 All-in-One review: Toshiba DX735-D3201 All-in-One

The Best Buy-exclusive DX735-D3201 is only Toshiba's second all-in-one in the U.S., but the $899 price tag and its spare configuration suggest that Toshiba has a grip on the basics of the stateside desktop market. Like the 21.5-inch DX1210 I reviewed last month, the 23-inch DX735 doesn't have many interesting extras, but I can recommend this system if all you need it a fast-enough all-in-one with a larger display.

6.8

Toshiba DX735-D3201 All-in-One

The Good

The <b>Toshiba DX735-D3201</b> all-in-one offers a basic set of features, including a touch screen and an HDMI input, for a reasonable price.

The Bad

This system has few standout features, and only baseline acceptable performance relative to others in its price range.

The Bottom Line

The workmanlike Toshiba DX735-3201 won't dazzle you with cutting edge aesthetics or innovative features, but its affordable, capable-enough configuration should have a certain appeal for general purpose users.

The design of the DX735-D3201 is a mirror of the by-the-book DX1210. Glossy black trim rules the day, and while its looks won't win any design awards, it's not particularly offensive, either. As with the smaller model, the DX735 has a set of buttons on the side, on the left in this unit, that allow basic display and audio output control (display settings, volume, etc.). It's better to have them than not, but when you're seated in front of the system you can't immediately see what button does what.

Next to its competition in the same price range, the Toshiba DX735-D3201 seems like a fair enough deal, although it also makes me question the price tag on the similar DX1210 and its smaller display. Last year, 23-inch screens were common at this price, and CPU options ranged from the slow AMD low-power chips in the Dell Inspiron One 2305 to previous-gen Core i5 CPUs in the likes of the Gateway One ZX6951-53.

This year, the lower-end chips seem to have fallen away, and 21.5-inch displays stand next to the 23-inch models in the same price scale. I suspect the screen size spread is due to the fact that 1,920x1,080-pixel 21.5-inch displays have fallen in price, and they allow vendors to save costs on the smaller screen while still allowing to claim 1080p HD resolution. In any case, and despite its own confusing product lineup, Toshiba deserves credit for continuing to offer a 23-inch all-in-one with a decent CPU for under $1,000.

Cinebench 11.5
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

Rendering Multiple CPUs

Rendering Single CPU

Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 91z (2.5GHz Core i5 2500S, Summer 2011)

4.13 

1.25 

Apple iMac 21.5-inch (2.5GHz Core i5 2400, Spring 2011)

3.96 

1.25 

Dell Inspiron 2320 (2.5GHz, Core i5 2400s, Fall 2011)

3.09 

1.16 

Samsung Series 7 (2.7GHz Core i5 2390T, Summer 2011)

2.96 

1.23 

Toshiba DX735-D3201 (2.4GHz Core i5 2430M, Fall 2011)

2.66 

1.14 

Toshiba DX1210-ST4N22 (2.3GHz Core i5 2410, Summer 2011)

2.59 

1.12 

I call the Toshiba's CPU decent because, as our performance charts demonstrate, it falls at or near the bottom when you compare its speed with that of similar all-in-ones. It's not so far out of contention that it's a complete dog, and in fairness, it's also one of the least expensive systems in this chart. I wouldn't use the DX735 for any kind of serious content creation or other performance-sensitive work, but it should serve ably for most day-to-day computing tasks.

Like most all-in-ones these days, the Toshiba DX735 offers an HDMI input, which means you can directly connect an external video component and display its output on the Toshiba's screen. This is a useful feature for dorms, small apartments, or any other space-constrained locale, since it lets you go without a separate TV.

As with the D1210, Toshiba also added a pair of USB 3.0 jacks to this unit, along with four USB 2.0 jacks, an Ethernet output, and an analog audio input/output set. That will satisfy most of you, although those with more exotic audio or data connection needs will of course want to look elsewhere. Also like the D1210, you get only a basic assortment of touch screen apps with the DX735, essentially only Microsoft's spare suite of marginally useful/entertaining Surface apps. The software doesn't hurt at all, but you might also ask why include a touch screen, and its associated costs, to begin with?

Juice box
Toshiba DX735-D3201	Average watts per hour
Off (60 percent)	0.71
Sleep (10 percent)	0.86
Idle (25 percent)	15.53
Load (5 percent)	69.16
Raw kWh	81.70
EnergyStar compliant	Yes
Annual energy cost	$9.27

If its performance isn't overwhelming, at least the Toshiba's power consumption scales accordingly. This is one of the most power-efficient all-in-ones to ever grace the CNET lab, regardless of screen size, CPU, or any other feature.

Standard warranty coverage for the Toshiba DX735-D3201 includes one year of parts and labor. You also get 24-7 toll-free phone support, as well as a variety of diagnostic software and services on Toshiba's Web site and on the system itself.

Conclusion
Toshiba clearly believes that it can make a profit in the U.S. with utterly by-the-book all-in-ones. There's nothing wrong with that idea, just as there's nothing particularly wrong with the Toshiba DX735-D3201 all-in-one. I can't say that there's anything all that exciting about this desktop, either, but if you need a workhorse all-in-one with a large display for general household computing chores, this system is up to the task.

Find out more about how we test desktop systems.

System configurations:
Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Spring 2011) Apple OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.7; 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 2400; 4GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 512MB AMD Radeon HD 6750 graphics card; 500GB 7,200rpm hard drive

Dell Inspiron One 2320 (Fall 2011)
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 2500S; 8GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 1GB Nvidia GeForce 525M; 2TB 7,200rpm Seagate hard drive

Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 91z (Summer 2011)
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 2500S; 4GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 64MB Embedded Intel HD Graphics 2000; 500GB 7,200rpm hard drive

Samsung Series 7 (Summer 2011)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (SP1); 2.7GHz Intel Core i5-2390T; 8GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 64MB Intel HD Graphics 1000 embedded graphics; 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive

Toshiba DX1210-ST4N22 (Summer 2011)
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 4010; 4GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 64MB Embedded Intel HD Graphics 3000; 1TB 7,200rpm Western Digital hard drive

Toshiba DX735-D3201 (Fall 2011)
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit); 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 2430M; 4GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 64MB Embedded Intel HD Graphics 3000; 1TB 7,200rpm Seagate hard drive