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Cheap Computers, Best Cheap Desktop Computers

Contents Buying Guide » What to Look For » See Also Desktop Computer Reviews »

Best Cheap Desktops Good Cheap Desktops Compaq Presario CQ5210F starting at $390 Gateway DX4822-01 starting at $500 Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003 starting at $450 HP Pavilion Slimline s5220f starting at $400 Don't Bother Cheap Desktops  »

Cheap Desktop Computers Buying Guide

Desktop computers have been outsold by laptops for a while now, but those so-last-century desktops have a lot going for them. They're easier to repair and upgrade than laptop PCs, and dollar-for-dollar, cheap desktop computers tend to be much more powerful than cheap laptops. Laptop manufacturers use miniaturized parts and add a hefty, expensive battery to their systems, both of which increase the cost of the end product. Cheap desktop computer makers have no such concerns and can install faster, larger parts in comparably-priced systems. If you're looking for value and portability isn't a priority, desktops are the better deal.

There are quite a few desktop manufacturers around, but the big names in cheap desktop computers are ones you're likely familiar with already. Dell, HP, eMachines, Gateway, Acer, Asus, and Compaq are all major manufacturers of cheap desktop computers that have been around for years. We'll discuss which manufacturers make the best cheap computers, but first, let's examine some key features of a good cheap PC.

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What to Look for: Cheap Desktop Computers Features

Cheap Desktop Computers Operating System.

Until recently, most cheap desktop computers were loaded with a version of Microsoft's Vista operating system. Microsoft released Windows 7 in October, 2009, and we're already seeing many budget systems sporting this new OS, which is drawing hearty nods of approval from expert reviewers. An Engadget reviewer says Windows 7 is a big step forward from Windows Vista, and CNET gives the new OS an "outstanding" rating. The Compaq Presario CQ5210F (starting at $390), Gateway DX4822-01 (starting at $500), Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003 (starting at $450, only at Best Buy), and HP Pavilion Slimline s5220f (starting at $460) are all good quality cheap desktop computers that come with Windows 7.

You'll still find plenty of cheap PCs loaded with Windows Vista, however, and the Acer Aspire AX3200-U1790A (starting at $480) is one example. Some systems with Vista Home Premium, including the HP p6110y system (starting at $395), now offer an upgrade coupon to Windows 7. If you have this option when making your purchase, it's worth taking advantage of. Note that you may have to pay a shipping fee to have a copy of Windows 7 sent to you when you cash in the coupon.

Cheap Desktop Computers CPU.

A cheap desktop's CPU (central processing unit) influences a desktop's performance more than any other single piece of hardware. Cheap desktop PCs include a CPU from either AMD or Intel, with Intel CPUs being more common. Both AMD and Intel offer a wide variety of CPUs that are grouped in different classes according to performance. Most budget desktops with an AMD processor have an Athlon CPU, including the Acer Aspire AX3200-U1790A; the Gateway DX4200-UB101A (starting at $480) features a higher performance triple core AMD Phenom CPU.

Intel-based desktops often include a Pentium dual-core CPU, but we found a few models with the older, slower Celeron CPU, such as the eMachines ET1810-01 (starting at $190). The best option from Intel, though, is a Core 2 Duo CPU, which is more powerful than either the Pentium or Celeron CPUs. It's difficult to find a cheap desktop with an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, but there are a few around, including the Systemax V7C2 PC (starting at $400). Cheap PCs almost always use an Intel Pentium dual-core CPU, however; three of our four top picks include Intel's Pentium E5300 dual-core CPU, the only exception being the Compaq Presario CQ5210F, which uses an AMD Athlon II dual-core CPU.

Discount Desktops Memory.

Memory, or RAM, is an essential discount desktops component. If your PC has too little memory, your system's performance will be sluggish. Fortunately, memory is a fairly inexpensive component, so discount PC makers can bump up the system's memory without increasing the overall cost of the system too much. Most discount desktops have 2GB of RAM, but there are some with 3GB, 4GB, even 6GB of system memory; the HP Pavilion Slimline s5220y, for example, features 4GB of RAM, while the Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003 and Gateway DX4822-01 boast 6GB of memory. Although 2GB is sufficient, we prefer systems with at least 3GB of RAM.

Cheap Desktops Hard Drive.

Like system memory, hard drives are pretty cheap, so budget computers manufacturers often can afford to offer large hard drives without pushing up the overall price of the system too much. Hard drive sizes vary wildly, with some PCs equipped with only relatively small 160GB hard drives (such as the eMachines ET1810-01), while other budget PCs sport hard drives of 500GB or more; the Compaq Presario CQ5210F features a 500GB hard drive, the HP Pavilion Slimline s5220f is equipped with a 640GB hard drive, the Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003 contains a huge 750GB hard drive, and the Gateway DX4822-01 beats them all with a mammoth 1,000GB (1TB, or terabyte) hard drive. If you don't store a large amount of video, music, or photos on your desktop PC, you can get by just fine with a smaller hard drive, and you can always add a second drive later if you find you're running out of storage room. However, if you have a large video, photo, or music collection, you may want to opt for a system with a larger hard drive, in the range of 500GB or more.

Budget Desktops Optical Drives.

An optical drive is, naturally, standard equipment on a budget desktop PC. Indeed, nearly all budget systems include a single DVD recordable drive, which for most users is all you need. DVD recordable drives can read CDs and DVDs and record to recordable CD and DVD media. Some PC manufacturers are adding Blu-ray drives to PCs now (the HP Pavilion Elite E9120F, starting at $820, is one example). Blu-ray drives are not commonly found on budget systems, however, because the drives (and the PCs that include them) are still fairly expensive. Manufacturers that let you configure and buy a PC online, such as Dell, may let you add a Blu-ray drive to your system for an extra fee (in Dell's case, $120).

Cheap Desktops Computers Graphics.

High-end graphics are usually a low priority for cheap desktop systems because high-performance add-in video cards tend to be pretty expensive. (A BFG Tech Geforce 9800GT video card costs about $160, for example.) Many cheap desktop computers, including all four of our top picks, include a built-in video processor. This built-in processor can handle many basic video tasks, such as photo editing and playing DVDs on your PC, but may struggle to run more graphics-intensive programs like video games. If you're not a gamer, don't worry about finding a system with intensive graphics capabilities. A basic built-in video chip handles most video tasks just fine.

Discount Desktops Extras.

Discount computer manufacturers may not add a lot of extra frills to low-cost systems, but there are some basic extras every discount PC includes, such as a keyboard and mouse, and an audio processor. As with video, most discount desktops (including all of the PCs on our list) also feature a built-in audio chip. These audio chips are inexpensive yet still offer good sound quality, and can even process 5.1 channel audio, just in case you happen to have a 5.1 PC speaker system. Audio processors capable of 5.1 channel audio are so affordable that they're practically standard equipment on budget PCs.

A system's inputs and outputs are another feature you'll want to check out. Look for a system with a generous number of USB 2.0 ports; you should insist on at least four; the Compaq Presario CQ5210F and HP Pavilion Slimline s5220f have six USB ports and the Gateway DX4822-01 and Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003 have eight. All budget PCs should also include an Ethernet port and perhaps a FireWire port (a high-speed port for connecting external devices, similar to a USB 2.0 port) or two. Also, many inexpensive PCs, such as the Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003 and HP Pavilion Slimline s5220f, now include a media card reader; the Gateway DX4822-01 features a multi-in-one card reader.

Mid-priced desktops often include a flat panel monitor as part of the package, but this is one extra component that's not commonly found on budget systems. These monitors increase the price of the total package by at least $150, which pushes them beyond the range of the sub-$500 systems discussed here. We do not recommend super-cheap package deals that include monitors.

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Products Mentioned in This Review

HP p6110y
Systemax V7C2
HP Slimline s5220y
Acer Aspire AX3200-U1790A
eMachines ET1810-01
Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003
HP Pavilion Slimline s5220f
Compaq Presario CQ5210F
Gateway DX4822-01

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