Reviews of the Polywell MiniBox 430AM2
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CNET Review
The Good: Dual-core Socket AM2 processor; component video outputs; plenty of hard drive space.
The Bad: Plain looking; one empty PCI slot is blocked; you can spend less and still get a PC that will get you through four years of school.
The Bottom Line: It's at the expensive end of the back-to-school market, but the Polywell 430AM2 offers a lot of hard drive space and a decent set of components that should keep you going for several semesters to come.
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alaTest.com
Review Summary: Experts rate this product 66/100. Comparing these reviews to 58724 other Desktops reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 80/100 = Very Good.
Manufacturer: Polywell Computers Inc.
Part number: CNETPOLYWELLMBX430AM2-40
General
- Type Personal computer
- Product Form Factor Micro tower
- Width 11 in
- Depth 14 in
- Height 9 in
- Weight 18.1 lbs
- Color Black
- Desktop type Monitor included, Small-form-factor PC
Processor
- Type AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ / 2.2 GHz
- 64-bit processor Yes
- Installed Qty 1
- Max processors supported 1
Cache Memory
- Type L2 cache
- Installed Size 1 MB
- Cache Per Processor 1 MB ( 2 x 512 KB )
Mainboard
- Data bus speed 2000 MHz
RAM
- Installed Size 1 GB / 4 GB (max)
- Technology DDR2 SDRAM
- Memory speed 667 MHz
- Memory specification compliance PC2-5300
- RAM form factor DIMM 240-pin
- RAM features Unbuffered, Two DDR channels
- RAM configuration features 2 x 512 MB
Storage Controller
- Type 2 x RAID - Integrated
- Controller interface type Serial ATA-300
- Storage controller interface channel qty 4
- RAID level RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 0+1
Storage Controller (2nd)
- Type 1 x IDE - Integrated
- (2nd) storage controller interface type ATA-133
- :Controller Interface Type:Channel Qty 2
Storage
- Floppy drive type None
- Hard Drive 2 x 160 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-300 - 7200 rpm
- Hard Drive (2nd) None
Optical Storage
- Type DVD?RW (+R DL) - IDE
Optical Storage (2nd)
- Type None
Storage Removable
- Type None
Monitor
- Monitor Type LCD display - TFT active matrix
- Diagonal Size 19 in
- Max Resolution 1280 x 1024
- Widescreen Display No
- Image Contrast Ratio 600:1
Graphics Controller
- Type PCI Express x16 - Plug-in card
- Graphics Processor / Vendor nVidia GeForce 7600 GS
- Video Memory DDR2 SDRAM
- Installed Size 256 MB
Audio Output
- Type Sound card - Integrated
- Sound output mode 5.1 channel surround
- Speaker(s) Logitech X-530, 5 x Satellite, 1 x Subwoofer
Input Device
- Type Mouse, Keyboard
Keyboard
- Keyboard interface PS/2
Mouse
- Mouse interface PS/2
- Mouse features Scroll
Audio Input
- Type None
Telecom
- Modem None
Networking
- Networking Network adapter - Integrated
- Data Link Protocol Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
Printer
- Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
- Expansion Bays Total (Free) 2 ( 1 ) x Front accessible - 5.25" x 1/2H, 1 Front accessible - 3.5" x 1/3H, 2 ( 0 ) x Internal - 3.5" x 1/3H
- Expansion Slots Total (Free) 1 ( 0 ) x Processor - Socket AM2, 4 ( 2 ) x Memory - DIMM 240-pin, 1 ( 0 ) x PCI Express x16, 1 ( 1 ) x PCI Express x1, 2 ( 2 ) x PCI, 1 ( 1 ) x SmartMedia Card, 1 ( 1 ) x CompactFlash Card, 1 ( 1 ) x SD Memory Card, 1 ( 1 ) x Memory Stick
- Interfaces 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45, 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 1 x Display / video - DVI-Digital - 24 pin digital DVI, 6 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A ( 2 in front ), 2 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) ( 1 in front ), Audio - Output ( 1 in front ), 1 x Audio - Line-out - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 2 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, Audio - Line-in - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ( 1 in front ), 1 x Parallel - IEEE 1284 (EPP/ECP) - 25 pin D-Sub (DB-25), 1 x Keyboard - Generic - 6 pin mini-DIN (PS/2 style)
Power
- Power device type Power supply
- Power provided 400 Watt
Operating System / Software
- OS Provided Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
- Software Drivers & Utilities
Card Reader
- Card reader 9 in 1 card reader
- Supported flash memory cards Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card, SmartMedia Card, CompactFlash Card type I, CompactFlash Card type II
Sustainability
- Greenpeace policy rating explained The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics (greenpeace.org/electronics) ranks leading mobile and PC manufacturers on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. The scoring is based on the companies' global policies; on their practice of eliminating harmful chemicals; and on how they take responsibility for their products once discarded by consumers.
Product Photos
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