“a consumer reports for the cheap” — the new york times
Also see our full Desktops review:
  1. Cheap Computers, Best Cheap PCs
  2. Cheap Desktop, PC vs. Laptop
  3. Cheap PCs CPU, Cheap PCs Operating Systems
  4. Cheap Desktop Computers RAM, Hard Drive
  1. Desktop Computer Reviews, PC Reviews
  2. Desktop Deals
  3. Discount Desktops Features Comparison Table
eMachines ET1810-01 Review
Summary:
This model from eMachines may have a budget-busting price, but to get the price so low, eMachines had to skimp in several areas. The system uses a rather slow Celeron CPU, and it only has 2GB of RAM and a small 160GB hard drive, and uses Vista Home Basic. The price may be attractive, but this system's specifications are not.

"eMachines" and "value" have been synonymous terms for many years, but eMachines may have set the bar a little too low with the ET1810-01. eMachines ET1810-01 reviews by users at both Newegg.com and at Circuit City pan the system for being slow, and one of the Newegg.com reviewers says the systems graphics could be better, as well.

We're not surprised to hear users complain about the eMachines ET1810-01's given that it has an Intel Celeron 420 CPU, one of the slower CPUs in Intel's lineup. eMachines skimped on the hardware in this PC to shave its price to a sub-$300 level, so it only includes 2GB of RAM and a relatively small 160GB hard drive. This low-cost PC also runs on Windows Vista Home Basic, which is probably the least popular (but also the cheapest) of Microsoft's current crop of operating systems.

We understand eMachines was going for a super-low price when it put together the eMachines ET1810-01, but we think they went too far. At the least, we'd like to see an Intel Pentium CPU in this system and any OS other than Vista Basic. Of course, those upgrades would inevitably increase the price of this desktop, but those upgrades are worth the money.

By Cheapism editorsJune 2, 2011
eMachines ET1810-01 Deals
 

Other Recommended Desktops

Asus Essentio CM1630-05
Gold Medal

Asus Essentio CM1630-05

This popular Best Buy-exclusive runs well and boasts a large hard drive and plenty of USB ports. Users praise its multitasking abilities and PC Mag liked it enough to give it an Editor's Choice award -- and we can see why. Read more »
Desktops Deals
Gateway SX2851-41
Gold Medal

Gateway SX2851-41

Gateway's SX2851-41 just hits our price ceiling, but you get a lot of PC for your money, including an Intel i3-550 CPU, a huge 1TB hard drive, and 11 USB ports. Read more »
Desktops Deals

Dell Inspiron 580s
Gold Medal

Dell Inspiron 580s

The Dell Inspiron 580s is a little light on some features but is still a pretty good value overall. The star of this system is the Intel i3-530 CPU but the 320GB hard drive is small compared to most budget PCs. Its six USB ports and 4GB of RAM are pretty standard for desktops in this price range. Read more »
Desktops Deals
HP p6710f
Gold Medal

HP p6710f

In most respects the HP p6710f is an average PC, but this system does sport an ATI Radeon 4200 integrated graphics chip, which is better than what you'll find in most budget desktops. It also has a beefy 1TB hard drive for those who never seem to have enough storage room. Read more »
Desktops Deals