Product Reviews:
Desktops
very good
8/10/2009
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Price:
$1,479.00
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$1,479.00
Specs:
Intel Core i7 920 (2.66 GHz), 6 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1000 GB Standard, nVidia GeForce GTX 260 1792MB, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
The Dell Studio XPS 435 successfully overcomes our bias against desktops that claim to be experts at everything through charming case design and a strong configuration at a relatively fair price. It misses greatness because of a handful of minor missteps, but if you need a do-it-all mainstream tower system, this Dell more or less covers all the bases.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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8/5/2009
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Price:
$389.00
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$453.99
Specs:
Intel Atom (1.6 GHz), 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB Standard, Intel GMA 950, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
The Averatec D1130's wimpy processor and paltry features give consumers little incentive to choose this Nettop over a faster budget PC or the mobility of a Netbook. If you're dead-set on a Nettop, the Lenovo C300 is a less terrible decision, but you can stretch your dollar much further with a budget slim tower system like the Gateway SX2800-01.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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good
7/15/2009
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Price:
$359.99
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$416.99
Specs:
Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz), 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB Standard, Intel GMA 950, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
If 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.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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good
7/2/2009
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Price:
$549.99
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$549.99
Specs:
AMD Phenom X4 9750 (2.4 GHz), 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 1 TB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 4650, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
Gateway'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.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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ok
7/2/2009
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Price:
$249.00
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$249.00
Specs:
Intel Celeron 450 (2.2 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, Integrated Intel GMA x4500 Graphics, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic SP1, 32-Bit
The Bottom Line
You 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.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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good
7/2/2009
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Price:
$689.99
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$689.99
The Bottom Line
We've never loved HP's Pavilion Elite PCs, and this desktop offers the same scattershot configuration that has always put us off. That said, we suspect a dorm room might actually be an appropriate place for a midtower that offers acceptable speed on top of Blu-ray capability. Just know that faster, more specialized desktops are available for less.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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good
6/30/2009
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Price:
$429.99
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$452.31
Specs:
Intel Pentium E5200 (2.5 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, Intel GMA X4500, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
Despite 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.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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good
6/30/2009
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Price:
$399.96
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$449.99
Specs:
Intel Pentium E5300 (2.6 GHz), 6 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, Intel GMA 3100, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
HP'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.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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Price:
$448.53
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$486.96
Specs:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 (2.33 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, Intel GMA X4500, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
Gateway'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.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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good
5/29/2009
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Price:
$199.99
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$199.99
Specs:
AMD Athlon 2650e (1.6 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE, EPA Energy Star, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
We cringe at the idea of recommending such a slow PC when you can get significantly better performance for just a few more dollars. That said, it's hard to argue with the eMachines EL1300G-01w's low price, clean good looks, and relatively complete budget feature set. As long as you have no ambitions for this PC performing anything resembling serious work, it will make a fine second or third home system.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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very good
5/7/2009
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Price:
$999.99
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$1,899.99
Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 (2.80 GHz), 4 GB DDR II SDRAM, 500 GB Portable, NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT, EPA Energy Star, RoHS, EPEAT Silver, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Media center
The Bottom Line
You can find more-cost-effective large-screen all-in-ones for general productivity, but Sony's Vaio LV250B is our favorite for home entertainment. Loaded with unique features geared toward digital media convenience, this system will meet the needs of anyone looking for a PC to use as an entertainment hub.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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good
3/18/2009
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Price:
$802.99
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$802.99
Specs:
Intel Pentium T4200 (2 GHz), 3 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500 GB Standard, Intel GMA 4500, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
The heart of Lenovo's IdeaCentre A600 is in the right place, offering a 21.5-inch LCD-based all-in-one for less than $800. But a faster competitor and a careless design turns us off from this particular A600 configuration. You might consider a different A600 build if you can live with the design, but we can't recommend the $749 version.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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excellent
3/3/2009
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Price:
$3,078.88
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$3,299.00
Specs:
Intel Xeon (2.26 GHz), 6 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce GT 120, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Gold, Apple MacOS X 10.6, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
Apple's new eight-core Mac Pro demonstrates marked improvements over the older model in high-intensity digital media and multitasking scenarios. We also love the design tweaks that improve on Apple's already industry-leading sensibilities. Any Apple-bound design professional would welcome this new tool in his or her arsenal.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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very good
3/3/2009
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Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo (2.66 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Gold, Apple MacOS X 10.5, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
Apple made a number of changes to this $1,499 iMac, but making a 24-inch screen available at this price is the most impressive. The rest of the updates are welcome, and Apple's multitasking capability remains unmatched. Provided you like your all-in-ones best as straightforward desktop computers, the iMac will meet your expectations with speed and elegance.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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very good
3/3/2009
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Price:
$835.99
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$835.99
Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo (2 GHz), 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Gold, Apple MacOS X 10.5, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
Apple's newest high-end Mac Mini maintains its small, stylish footprint, and as with the cheaper version, this $799 model has impressive multitasking capabilities. You'll like this desktop if juggling apps with attractive hardware is important to you, but you get much better all-around value in a Windows PC for the same price.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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good
2/25/2009
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Price:
$669.99
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$669.99
Specs:
AMD Phenom X4 9850 (2.5 GHz), 8 GB DDR II SDRAM, 750 GB Standard, NVidia GeForce 9600GS, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP 1
The Bottom Line
The HP Pavilion Elite m9515y is not an elegant PC, but it has enough features where it counts to set it apart. If performance or seamless living room integration are your goals, look elsewhere, but anyone after digital media functionality will find this HP more capable than its competition.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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very good
2/9/2009
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Price:
$841.99
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$999.99
Specs:
Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 (2.5 GHz), 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS, EPA Energy Star, RoHS, EPEAT Silver, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
Instead of succumbing to the latest fads, the Sony Vaio JS250J all-in-one PC stays the course pioneered by its models from last year, delivering capable performance and best-of-breed home entertainment features at a better price than its all-in-one competition. The Vaio JS250J will appeal to anyone in need of a multipurpose home PC.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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very good
2/3/2009
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Price:
$549.99
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$589.00
Specs:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 (2.33 GHz), 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce GT 120, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
The affordable Gateway LX6810-01 scores high points for offering high-end components right off the shelf. We recommend this system for multimedia editors and light gamers who can make use of its hard-working Nvidia 3D card and full 8GB of RAM. However, if you're looking more at straightforward performance, Dell offers a system with a faster CPU and a similar feature set for about the same price.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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2/3/2009
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Price:
$459.96
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$459.96
Specs:
AMD Phenom X4 9100e (1.8 GHz), 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 3200, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
While the Gateway might appeal to users who value storage over speed, you can find more features in PCs that cost just a little less, and more performance for just a little more. That leaves this Gateway with little to recommend it.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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very good
1/29/2009
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Price:
$329.95
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$329.95
Specs:
Intel Pentium Dual Core E2220 (2.4 GHz), 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce G100, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer
The Bottom Line
The Acer X1700-U3700A is slightly slower than the competition, but it gives you almost every component you need in either a basic desktop or a light-duty home theater PC. If you prefer functionality to performance, we recommend this model out of the three systems in the current lineup.© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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