Handy Computer Guide

ZDNet have published a review of the affordable eMachines T5274 desktop PC. 'The eMachines T5274 is eMachines' higher-end budget desktop for the back to school season. While it seems like a good deal for $400, the fact is that the low-end PC market has become increasingly competitive this year, which makes it hard for systems such as this one that straddle two different price points. If all you want is basic functionality for a rock bottom price, you can find PCs for $200 to $300 that will do the job (including eMachines own W6350 and T3656 models).

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:24 PM | Permalink

PC Authority have published a review of the Megaware Value Power desktop PC. 'Megaware, a newcomer to PC Authority, uses Intel’s new 2.66GHz E6750 Core 2 Duo processor – essentially an E6700 with a front side bus speed upped from 1066MHz to 1333MHz. Alongside 2GB of PC2-5300 RAM and a 320GB hard disk it, managed 1.15 in our benchmarks – disappointing considering that TI’s competitor was 15% faster with an E6700. But the TI does have two 320GB hard disks running in RAID0 for speed. Also, as of this month, it will also come with an E6750 – the Megaware in comparison is not as fast.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 10:23 PM | Permalink

A review of the affordable eMachines T5226 desktop PC has been posted over at PC Magazine. 'The eMachines T5226 ($550 direct) gives you more of a good thing, for less. It's the successor to last season's eMachines T5224, one of the first budget Vista desktops I tested. They're very similar systems; the main difference is that the new model sells for $30 less. The T5226 is a dual-core (Pentium D)-equipped budget desktop that runs Microsoft Windows Vista Premium. It's a good machine for the light-to-moderate user who wants a Windows system that will last more than a couple of years. The T5226 is my recommendation for an inexpensive Vista system, particularly since Core 2 Duo-equipped systems tend to run a couple hundred dollars more.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 11:56 AM | Permalink

A review of the affordable eMachines T5088 desktop PC has been posted over at PC Magazine. 'Under the hood, the T5088 is almost identical to the T3612. Only the (slightly) more powerful processor, larger hard drive, multimedia card reader, and $50 separate the two systems. They're both built around the same Intel 945GC-based motherboard, and both are in the same squat mini-tower case. The extra $50, however, is money well spent. The multimedia card reader is almost a necessity these days, and a larger hard drive can hold more of your files. The more powerful Pentium 4 processor is a measurable upgrade, even if the P4's clock speed is "slower." This is because of the P4's hyper-threaded CPU and its larger internal L2 cache. All this makes the T5088 a slightly faster and definitely more capable system.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 12:32 PM | Permalink

CNET have published a review of the new eMachines T5226 budget PC. 'The only significant difference between the eMachines T5224 we reviewed earlier in the year and the new T5226 is the CPU. The newer $550 T5226 has a 3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 925 dual-core processor, a slight uptick over the older Intel chip in the T5224. And while we like eMachines' first system of 2007, this update finds itself competing against more-robust competition. We're pleased that most budget desktops these days have modern features--DVD burners, dual-core CPUs, Windows Vista Home Premium--but every little bit of raw CPU performance helps as well, and, similar to our criticism of the T5224, the T5226 falls slightly behind the competition in terms of straightforward computing power.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 4:09 PM | Permalink

The eMachines T5224 desktop PC with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium installed, has been reviewed over at ZDNet. 'The eMachines T5224 is the first true budget-class PC we've seen with Windows Vista on it. We mostly like what we've seen so far, but we can't help but wonder what would happen if Gateway/eMachines took better advantage of AMD's aggressive chip pricing. This $580 PC (before $50 rebate) comes with Vista Home Premium, an older dual-core Intel processor, and a DVD burner, a combination that makes this a capable desktop at a fair price. On top of all of that, a new chassis design gives this eMachines desktop an attractive updated look. Still, a more recent AMD processor would deliver better performance, likely without driving up costs. If you're looking for an affordable Windows Vista PC, the eMachines T5224 will do the job, but you can find a better-looking configuration for the dollar from other vendors.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 11:51 AM | Permalink

PC Magazine have reviewed the budget-priced eMachines T3516 desktop configuration. 'The T3516 comes in a case similar to that of every T-series eMachines PC since the Gateway buyout. Its silver and black facade hides a mostly modern interior, with an EM64T (64-bit compatible) 3.2-GHz Intel Celeron D 352 processor, 512MB of RAM, integrated graphics, and, curiously, an old-school IDE hard drive. Though using an IDE instead of a SATA drive may seem strange, it isn't a problem: Most home users don't tax their hard drives as much as professionals do, and moving the hard drive to a newer PC is a non-issue, since buyers of $400 PCs tend to treat their PCs as appliances. If you're a tinkerer or plan to upgrade the system in the future, you'll find a PCIe x1 and PCIe x16 slot along with another regular PCI, space for two more drives (IDE or SATA), one more optical drive, and a free memory slot.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 11:42 AM | Permalink

PC Magazine have posted a review of the affordable eMachines T5212 desktop PC. 'eMachines has a knack for offering a system to fit every budget point, and the T5212 ($569.99 direct) is its current $500–600 "top-of-the-line" model. It's is a good system for the majority of adult users out there and for the more demanding school-age student.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 2:55 AM | Permalink

A review of the eMachines E4056 desktop PC has been posted over at Trusted Reviews. 'For a budget machine, it doesn't look bad at all! It's in a MicroATX form factor, so it's small and tidy, easy to move around and should fit on even the most cramped of desks. On the front of the case, there is a single USB 2.0 port, 9-in-1 card reader, headphone output and microphone input. Strangely, the headphone output is orange instead of the standard green. There is no reset button, but just a large central power button with a blue LED behind it. A reset button is not necessary, as a power button held down for long enough will shut down even a crashed machine.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 11:28 PM | Permalink

The budget priced eMachines T5048 desktop PC has been reviewed over at CNET. 'Here's what we like about the $400 (after $50 mail-in rebate) eMachines T5048: it has a DVD burner and a media card reader, and its 160GB hard drive offers more storage room than we expected. Compare this model to HP's $400 Compaq Presario SR1910NX, and this latest member of the eMachines family definitely supplies better features for your dollar. Still, we're loath to recommend any PC that doesn't have 512MB of dedicated system memory; this one loses part of its 512MB RAM stash to the freeloading integrated video adapter.

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Posted by HCG Admin at 4:14 AM | Permalink

The eMachines T6536 "top-of-the-line" PC has been reviewed over at PC Magazine. 'The eMachines T6536 continues the value proposition introduced in the earlier T6532 system. It's eMachines' top-of-the-line PC, and includes such high-end components as 1GB of system memory, a 250GB hard drive, a dual-layer DVD burner, and Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. It's what I like to call a "plussed" version of eMachines' value systems—it has the stuff you expect, plus more—and though it costs more than its siblings, it's still a reasonable $590 (direct, without monitor), which puts it squarely in the budget-PC area. The T6536 is a PC for mid-level users looking for another PC for the house, or an advanced novice who wants a computer he can easily modify. It is a good choice for junior-high-school, high-school, and even beginning college students, since the T6536 has the expansion room to grow with their need.'

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Posted by HCG Admin at 4:03 AM | Permalink