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Mainstream desktops slim down
Rich Brown,
Senior Editor
November 10, 2008
The slim tower PC trend makes perfect sense to us. For those who only need a basic desktop, why bother with a clunky midtower design?
Each of these trimmed-down PCs will provide all you need to get online, create documents, and play around with your digital media. And all but two of these units (bad show, Slimline and Inspiron) invite you to bring them into your living room and connect directly to your television via an HDMI output.
None of these sub-$1,000 desktops is a multimedia powerhouse, so forget about watching HD video, 3D gaming, or intensive editing. But for the basics, in a small, easy-to-like package, these slim tower desktops have a lot of appeal.
| Product name | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | Check Prices | $499.00 |
| CNET editors' rating |
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| Average user rating | ||
| Review date | October 28, 2008 | July 28, 2008 |
| The Bottom Line | The Asus Essentio is perhaps the best conceived of the recent round of living-room-friendly slim tower desktops. It's just powerful enough, and it comes with the right mix of features to allow it to do what living room PCs do best, without overreaching. | If you're considering all of the computers in the $700 to $1,000 price range, the Dell Studio Hybrid is not very compelling. However, if you limit yourself to the very specific niche of small PCs, you'll appreciate this system's clever design and its relatively powerful hardware. |
| Similar Products | Compare more products | Compare more products |
| Features | ||
| Storage Removable | Info unavailable | None |
| Manufacturer Warranty | Info unavailable | 1 year warranty |
| Floppy Drive | Info unavailable | None |
| Optical Storage (2nd) | Info unavailable | None |
| Storage Controller | Info unavailable | Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-300 ) ; None |
| Type | Info unavailable | Personal computer |
| Hard Drive (2nd) | Info unavailable | - None |
| Printer | Info unavailable | None |
| Optical Storage | Info unavailable | DVD±RW |
| RAM | Info unavailable | 2 GB (installed) / 4 GB (max) - DDR2 SDRAM - 667 MHz |
| Hard Drive (3rd) | Info unavailable | None |
| Cache Memory | Info unavailable | 1 MB L2 cache |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | Info unavailable | 8.3 in x 7.8 in x 2.8 in |
| OS Provided | Info unavailable | Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Service Pack 1 |
| Processor | Info unavailable | 1 x Intel Pentium Dual Core T4300 / 2.1 GHz |
| Hard Drive | Info unavailable | 1 x 160 GB - Standard - S-ATA |
| Weight | Info unavailable | 4.9 lbs |
| Product Description | Info unavailable | Dell Studio Hybrid - Pentium Dual Core T4300 2.1 GHz |
| Voltage Required | Info unavailable | AC 120/230 V |
| Graphics Controller | Info unavailable | Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 4.0 |
| Card Reader | Info unavailable | 8 in 1 card reader |
| Product Form Factor | Info unavailable | Desktop slimline |
| Communications | Info unavailable | None |
| Audio Output | Info unavailable | Sound card - 5.1 channel surround |
| Cache Per Processor | Info unavailable | 1 MB |
| Environmental Standards | Info unavailable | Yes , EPEAT Gold |
| Monitor | Info unavailable | None. |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
| Buying choices | ||
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