On CBS MoneyWatch: Deal or no deal? 8 lousy 'bargains'
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  • Asus Essentio CG5270-BP004 Reviewed on 11/24/09

    Asus Essentio CG5270-BP004

    Massive case notwithstanding, the affordable Asus Essentio CG5270-BP004 delivers a competitive feature set with the horsepower to back it up. We recommend this system for light media editors and anyone who can make use of its straightforward performance and multipurpose features.

    Specs: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 (2.5 GHz), 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 1 TB Standard, Intel GMA X4500, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

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  • HP Pavilion P6230y Reviewed on 11/23/09

    HP Pavilion P6230y

    The HP Pavilion P6230y yields decent scores, but we have a hard time recommending a system that comes at a higher cost and a slower performance rating over competing systems. This system has a few uncommon features for its price, but nothing that makes up for its overall poor bang-for-the-buck.

    Specs: AMD Phenom II X4 810 (2.6 GHz), 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 750 GB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 4200, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

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  • Gateway One ZX4800-02 Reviewed on 11/20/09

    Gateway One ZX4800-02

    Gateway's affordable One ZX4800-02 all-in-one isn't the most feature-rich desktop at this price, but it's fast and capable enough that it will handle most basic consumer tasks with aplomb. Don't get too excited about its touch screen, but there's enough to like about this system that we can recommend it as an everyday PC.

    Specs: Intel Pentium T4300 (2.1 GHz), 2 GB DDR II SDRAM, 750 GB Standard, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

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  • Gateway DX4822-01 Reviewed on 11/20/09

    Gateway DX4822-01

    The Gateway DX-4822-01 makes a convincing pitch with the performance numbers and features to earn its place in your home, but if you're not tied to the midtower design, the older Gateway SX2800-01 offers faster speeds and the option to set it up as a media center PC.

    Specs: Intel Pentium E5300 (2.6 GHz), 6 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1 TB Standard, Intel GMA X4500, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

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    $500 -$530 Check prices
  • Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003 Reviewed on 11/19/09

    Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003

    At a glance, the Asus Essentio CM5570-AP003 offers adequate performance compared to other midtower budget desktops, but an older Gateway outshines Asus with faster performance and more versatility for a little more, leaving us unenthusiastic about this system.

    Specs: Intel Pentium E5300 (2.6 GHz), 6 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 750 GB Standard, Intel GMA X4500, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

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  • HP Pavilion Slimline s5220y Reviewed on 11/12/09

    HP Pavilion Slimline s5220y

    The HP Pavilion Slimline s5220y provides adequate performance for light-duty media editing and entertainment, but its slim tower case leaves little room for future upgrades, leading us to recommend the older Gateway SX2800-01 that offers more features and better components.

    Specs: Intel Pentium E5300 (2.6 GHz), 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, Intel GMA 3100, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

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  • Dell Inspiron i545s-1476N Reviewed on 11/06/09

    Dell Inspiron i545s-1476N

    With similar results as its ancestors, the Dell Inspiron 545s-1476N registers decent benchmarks and offers respectable upgradability, but we hesitate to recommend it over the older Gateway SX2800-01 that leaves Dell in the dust in regards to both performance and features.

    Specs: Intel Pentium E5300 (2.6 GHz), 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, Intel GMA 3100, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

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  • Averatec All-In-One D1130 (black) Reviewed on 10/30/09

    Averatec All-In-One D1130 (black)

    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.

    Specs: Intel Atom (1.6 GHz), 1 GB DDR II SDRAM, 160 GB Standard, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

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    $400 -$600 Check prices
  • Acer Aspire Revo AR1600-U910H Reviewed on 10/30/09

    Acer Aspire Revo AR1600-U910H

    Acer's Aspire Revo 1600 might be the first Nettop we don't actively dislike. We'd rather have an Xbox 360 in the living room, but the Aspire Revo 1600 would be suitable as a PC for young kids or as a low-profile cloud kiosk. Thanks to its $199 price tag, you won't feel too much remorse if it breaks or you outgrow it.

    Specs: Intel Atom N230 (1.6 GHz), 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB Standard, NVIDIA ION LE, EPA Energy Star, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Personal computer

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    $200 -$211 Check prices
  • Averatec All-In-One D1130 (white) Reviewed on 10/30/09

    Averatec All-In-One D1130 (white)

    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.

    Specs: Intel Atom (1.6 GHz), 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB Standard, Intel GMA 950, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Personal computer

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    $389 -$454 Check prices
  • Asus Eee Top ET2002 Reviewed on 10/20/09

    Asus Eee Top ET2002

    Nvidia's Ion graphics chip gives the Asus Eee Top ET2002 better-than-average video performance for a Nettop, but that does little to spare this system from its weak overall performance and the variety of competitive, more well-rounded alternatives for low-cost video and gaming. Nettops might be competitive someday, but for now this category as a whole is a disappointment.

    Specs: Intel Atom 330 (1.6 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, NVIDIA ION, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium / Microsoft Windows 7 Upgrade Option, Personal computer

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    $533 -$600 Check prices
  • Averatec D1133 All-In-One Reviewed on 09/29/09

    Averatec D1133 All-In-One

    Extra performance by way of a low-wattage AMD chip helps Averatec's D1133 All-In-One stand out from its dismal Nettop competition, but it remains a below-average deal in the grand scheme of budget desktops. We see the appeal of Netbooks, but the benefits of Nettops like this Averatec continue to elude us.

    Specs: AMD Athlon X2 3250e (1.5 GHz), 2 GB DDR II SDRAM, 250 GB Standard, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium

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    $450 -$559 Check prices
  • Acer Aspire M3800-U3802A Reviewed on 08/19/09

    Acer Aspire M3800-U3802A

    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.

    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

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    $430 -$460 Check prices
  • eMachines EZ1601-01 Reviewed on 08/17/09

    eMachines EZ1601-01

    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.

    Specs: Intel Atom N270 (1.6 GHz), 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160 GB Standard, Intel GMA 950, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Personal computer

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    $360 -$417 Check prices
  • eMachines ET1810-03 Reviewed on 07/31/09

    eMachines ET1810-03

    The eMachines ET1810-03 isn't the fastest or the most attractive computer, but we can't argue with the low price, attractive design, and a complete (if not slightly barren) set of components. If you can deal with the midtower size, it will make for an excellent general purpose PC for the home.

    Specs: Intel Pentium E2210 (2.2 GHz), 3 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 7050, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Personal computer

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  • Gateway DX4300-03 Reviewed on 07/28/09

    Gateway DX4300-03

    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.

    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

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    $530 Check prices
  • HP Pavilion p6130y Reviewed on 07/16/09

    HP Pavilion p6130y

    With more aggressive competition on retail shelves, the HP Pavilion p6130y isn't a particularly compelling desktop computer thanks to underwhelming features and poor performance. We only recommend this system if you truly need the hand-holding that comes with the support of a major U.S. PC vendor.

    Specs: AMD Phenom X4 9750 (2.4 GHz), 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 750 GB Standard, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

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  • Gateway SX2800-01 Reviewed on 07/10/09

    Gateway SX2800-01

    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.

    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

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    $439 -$449 Check prices
  • Dell Inspiron 537s-002B Reviewed on 07/06/09

    Dell Inspiron 537s-002B

    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.

    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

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    $249 Check prices
  • HP Pavilion P6110y Reviewed on 06/30/09

    HP Pavilion P6110y

    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.

    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

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    $400 -$450 Check prices
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