Rich Brown,
Senior Editor
May 15, 2008
Whether you need a basic PC for day-to-day productivity, or you simply want a cheap desktop to play around with, we found that you can find a respectable computer for less than $600.
The eMachines T5254 is our favorite, offering a DVD burner, a media card reader, a large 320GB hard drive, and decent performance for $400. Dell and Hewlett-Packard both compete in this price range and offer decent configurability. And if you really want to save money, Shuttle's $229 Linux-based K-4500 system (the only one of the group without a DVD burner, or any optical drive) is the cheapest complete desktop we know about.
Some of these systems cut corners, but all of them will get you online and otherwise perform most of the basic, non-gaming tasks you expect from a modern PC.
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| Price | Check Prices | $489.00 | $214.25 to $266.22 | Check Prices | Check Prices |
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| Review date | April 21, 2008 | April 18, 2008 | May 09, 2008 | April 10, 2008 | May 15, 2008 |
| The Bottom Line | The eMachines T5254 costs less than similar systems from Dell and HP, and it outperforms them (in some cases), and uses less power while doing so. You can't configure it before making a purchase, but eMachines has chosen this system's specs wisely, and with a level of environmental consciousness that make it a very enticing deal. | PC vendors have very few tricks remaining to differentiate their systems from the competition, which makes the built-in Bluetooth in the Dell Inspiron 530 unique. There's little else that makes this system stand out, but if you need Bluetooth in your budget desktop, we can recommend no other. | Shuttle's KPC K-4500 has appeal as a prebuilt Linux PC for a tech-savvy owner to play around with or as a more or less accessible, basic computer to bestow upon a loved one (for whom you're willing to provide tech support). If you're aware of the potential pitfalls we recommend it, not least because it's so affordable. | The price of the HP Pavilion a6400z is definitely tempting, but you'll be much better off if you spend a little bit more on the right upgrades. This $340 configuration compares well with other PCs in its price range, but for $80 more it becomes a much more compelling desktop. | eMachines T3646 is one of the cheapest desktops available, and unfortunately it shows. It offers some compelling performance, but basic capability is more important in budget systems, and we found this system came up short compared with others in its price range. |
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| Features | |||||
| Graphics Controller |
NVIDIA GeForce 6100 - 128 MB |
PCI Express x16 - ATI Radeon HD3650 - 256 MB |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
NVIDIA GeForce 6100 - 128 MB |
| Storage Removable |
None |
None |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
None |
| TV Tuner Type |
None |
None |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
None |
| Floppy Drive |
None |
None |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
None |
| Optical Storage (2nd) |
None |
None |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
None |
| Storage Controller |
Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-300 ) |
Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-300 ) |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-300 ) |
| Type |
Personal computer |
Personal computer |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
Personal computer |
| Hard Drive (2nd) |
- None |
- None |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
- None |
| Printer |
None |
None |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
None |
| Optical Storage |
DVD?RW (?R DL) / DVD-RAM |
DVD+/-RW |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
DVD?RW (?R DL) / DVD-RAM |
| Manufacturer Warranty |
1 year warranty |
1 year warranty |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
1 year warranty |
| RAM |
2 GB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR2 SDRAM - 667 MHz - PC2-5300 |
2 GB (installed) / 4 GB (max) - DDR2 SDRAM - 667 MHz - PC2-5300 |
Info unavailable |
2 GB (installed) / 4 GB (max) - SDRAM |
1 GB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR2 SDRAM - 667 MHz - PC2-5300 |
| Hard Drive (3rd) |
None |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
None |
| Cache Memory |
1 MB L2 cache | ||||
