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HP desktops
Updated November 29, 2005
HP offers a wide range of home PCs, which the company sells direct from its Web site and through retailers such as Best Buy and Circuit City. You'll find both customizable and fixed configurations on HP's Web site. HP is aggressive with its pricing as it battles Dell for PC market share supremacy, but not at the expense of innovation. Recently, HP introduced unique features to its desktops, such as a removable hard drive it calls a Personal Media Drive and LightScribe DVD burners that laser etch labels onto discs you create. HP is also unique in offering both AMD- and Intel-based PCs; Dell, Sony, Gateway, and Lenovo sell only Intel-based systems.
HP divides its desktops into five consumer PC lines and one business line. The five consumer lines--Pavilion, Compaq Presario, Pavilion Slimline, Media Center Photosmart, and Digital Entertainment Center--span many uses and prices. The Pavilion line is HP's flagship home PC line and runs the gamut between the most basic entry-level systems to fully loaded dual-core performance PCs. The Presario line overlaps a great deal with the Pavilion line but is generally more focused on basic productivity rather than serving as a versatile multimedia-friendly home PC. The newest PC line, announced in October 2005, is HP's smallest and slimmest PC. Aptly named, the Pavilion Slimline PC is a budget PC for space-constrained consumers. Rounding out HP's desktop offerings are two lines that use Microsoft's Media Center OS. The Media Center Photosmart PC line comes housed in a standard desktop midtower case, which shares a similar styling with the Pavilion line. And for a true living-room PC, HP sells the Digital Entertainment Center line that looks more like a DVD player than a PC. What you won't find among HP desktops is a gaming PC. A tricked-out Pavilion is about the closest you'll get, and it offers neither dual graphics, such as Nvidia's SLI, nor even an option for a current-generation single graphics card. HP backs its consumer PCs with a standard one year of parts-and-labor coverage; most of the company's business lines are backed with a three-year warranty.
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Pavilion Slimline |
Compaq Presario |
Media Center Photosmart |
Digital Entertainment Center |
HP Compaq Business Desktop |
HP Pavilion
HP's Pavilion line covers a wide price spectrum and is available in a confusing array of configurations. The entry-level model costs less than $300, and the high-end d4100y we reviewed was priced at $1,899. HP assigns a model number to its various Pavilion offerings based on the processor it uses. For entry-level systems, you can choose between the Intel Celeron D-based Pavilion a1100y and the AMD Sempron-based a1100e. Moving up a step but still firmly rooted in the budget category are the a1110y, whichuses Intel Pentium 4 500-series chips; the AMD Athlon 64-based a1130e; and the a1150y with Intel Pentium 4 600-series chips. Residing at the top of the line are the Pavilion d4100y and d4100e, which use dual-core Pentium D and Athlon 64 X2 processors, respectively.
All but the two entry-level systems give you the option of Microsoft's Media Center OS (with remote control), and the two dual-core systems allow you to add a TV tuner. The two dual-core Pavilion d4100y and Pavilion d4100e also use a slightly larger case that offers more expansion room; the other Pavilions all share the same silver case that provides a useful 9-in-1 media card reader, room for two optical drives (HP's LightScribe DVD burner is offered on all models), and front-panel USB 2.0 and audio ports. Overall, we find Pavilions functional, stylish, and fairly priced, but we wish HP offered more advanced 3D graphics hardware on the high-end models, if not for gaming then for intensive graphics work or video editing.
- Price range: $249 to more than $4,000
- CPU: All varieties of AMD and Intel CPUs offered
- Chipset: Intel 915GV and i945P; ATI RS482/SB400 and Radeon Xpress 200P
- Memory: DDR or DDR2 memory available; most systems expandable to 4GB
- Graphics: Integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2 (OptiPlex 170L only) to 256MB ATI Radeon X600
- Hard drive: 80GB 7,200rpm EIDE (OptiPlex 170L only) to 2x 250GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA II drives
HP Compaq Presario
Once a company and now just a brand, the Compaq name has been relegated to HP's productivity line. HP positions the Pavilion line for multimedia and creative uses, while Compaq Presario PCs are your straightforward, everyday office workhorses. Muddying the picture are common features found on both Pavilion and Presario PCs, such as the LightScribe DVD burner and accompanying Sonic disc-creation software, the removable Personal Media Drive, 5.1 speakers, the Media Center OS, and productivity apps such as Microsoft Works or Office. What you won't find offered on Compaq Presarios are dual-core processors, discrete graphics, and large 400GB or 500GB hard drives.
Like its Pavilion line, HP organizes the Compaq Presario line by processor. The SR1030V uses Intel Celeron D chips, the SR1020Z series uses AMD Sempron, the SR1030Z uses AMD Athlon 64, and the SR1020T offers both Pentium 4 500- and 600-series chips. The two AMD-based models use integrated ATI graphics; the two Intel-based models use Intel's own integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 900. You don't have the option of configuring a Presario with even a budget graphics card, and none of the systems offer an AGP or x16 PCI Express slot for a future graphics upgrade. Presario PCs will appeal to budget-conscious consumers who need a PC for basic day-to-day computing tasks.
- Price range: $320 to more than $2,000
- CPU: Single-core AMD and Intel CPUs offered
- Chipset: Intel 915GV; ATI RS482/SB400 and Radeon Xpress 200
- Memory: DDR or DDR2 memory available; expandable to 2GB
- Graphics: Integrated ATI or Intel graphics
- Hard drive: 7,200rpm Serial ATA drives from 40GB up to 250G
HP Pavilion Slimline
HP Pavilion Slimline PCs are notable for their size and CPU. Not only is the Slimline the smallest of HP's desktops, it's also the only one that uses a mobile processor. The Pavilion Slimline's budget Intel Celeron M processor turns in respectable performance, keeping up with similarly outfitted systems with Intel's budget Celeron D desktop chip. Still, the Pavilion Slimline won't set any speed records, and its small, closed case means your upgrade options are minimal. The Slimline isn't configurable and doesn't have an AMD-based version. But its small size and quiet operation make it a suitable choice for space-constrained consumers with basic computing needs. Plus, you get some solid mainstream features at a very affordable price. In addition to 512MB of DDR memory, HP Pavilion Slimline PCs feature capacious hard drives, a 9-in-1 media card reader, and either a CD or DVD burner with HP's LightScribe technology. We don't recommend a Pavilion Slimline as a primary PC, but as a second PC for a room in your house other than the office, it's an affordable option.
- Price range: $570 to $630
- CPU: Intel Celeron M
- Chipset: Intel 915G
- Memory: 512MB DDR2
- Graphics: Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900
- Hard drive: 7,200rpm Serial ATA drives from 160GB or 200GB
HP Media Center Photosmart
Similar to the Pavilion d4100y and d4100e, HP's Media Center PCs feature dual-core processors from either AMD or Intel. The m7100y Media Center offers single-core Intel Pentium 4 processors in addition to dual-core Pentium D chips. Likewise, the m7100e gives you the choice between single-core AMD Athlon 64 chips and dual-core Athlon 64 X2 CPUs. HP gives you many options across both platforms, including memory allotments up to 2GB, 80GB to 500GB hard drives, and an entry-level ATI graphics card or midrange Nvidia card. Like the name implies, these systems use Microsoft's Media Center OS and feature a 9-in-1 memory card reader and either a single or dual TV tuner card. You can configure a regular HP Pavilion with the Media Center OS and even a TV tuner; the difference is that those systems use a larger, more expandable case and offer higher-end graphics cards than what you can configure with the Media Center m7100.
- Price range: $799 to more than $4,000
- CPU: Dual-core Pentium D or Athlon 64 X2
- Chipset: Intel i945G or ATI Radeon Xpress 200P
- Memory: 512MB DDR2
- Graphics: Up to a 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6600 card
- Hard drive: 7,200rpm SATA drives from 80GB to 500GB
HP Digital Entertainment Center
There are Media Center PCs and then there are living-room Media Center PCs. Whereas HP's midtower Media Center Photosmart PCs and standard midtower desktops have the ability to display and record TV, the company's Digital Entertainment Centers are destined for home theaters, not home offices. These systems feature cases that look more DVD player than computer. They supply the necessary audio and video connections for hooking up to a TV rather than just supplying standard PC monitor ports (though you get those, too). The Digital Entertainment Centers are also the only HP PCs with an HDTV tuner, which, with the right antenna, can display over-the-air HD broadcasts. The DEC systems come in a number of ready-to-ship fixed configurations, each of which features Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, a 64-bit Intel Pentium 4 600 series processor, a midrange Nvidia GeForce graphics card, a roomy hard drive, and a double-layer LightScribe DVD burner. In addition to the HD tuner, HP supplies a standard-def dual-tuner card, which means you can display a standard TV signal from your cable or satellite box and also record two programs simultaneously.
- Price range: $1,500 to $2,200
- CPU: Intel Pentium 4 600 series
- Chipset: Intel 915P Express
- Memory: 512MB or 1GB DDR RAM
- Graphics: 128MB Nvidia GeForce 6600
- Hard drive: 250GB or 300GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA drives
HP Compaq Business Desktop
In addition to its various consumer PC lines, HP sells PCs meant strictly for business. Nothing is stopping you from using a consumer PC in an office to run your business, but the HP Compaq Business Desktop line offers some features that will interest business users, such as deployment and management software, the Linux operating system (in addition to Windows), and standard warranties that last three years. The entry-level 2000 series features a plain-Jane black microtower case, Intel's budget Celeron D and low-end Pentium 4 chips on the old Intel 865GV chipset, relatively small hard drives, and a one-year warranty. The 5000 and 7000 series are more expensive, but they feature standard three-year warranties, faster processors (including a couple of AMD chips), newer chipsets, and alternative chassis, including small desktop cases. All three lines offer ready-to-ship and configurable models, but you won't find high-end features that may interest home users such as dual-core CPUs, the latest, most powerful graphics cards; huge hard drives, and media-card readers.
- Price range: $379 to more than $1,000
- CPU: AMD Sempron and Athlon 64, Intel Celeron D and Pentium 4
- Chipset: Intel 865GV, Intel 915GV Intel 945G, ATI Radeon Xpress 200
- Memory: 256MB to 1GB DDR RAM
- Graphics: Mostly integrated ATI or Intel graphics; some low-end consumer ATI graphics cards and workstation Nvidia Quadro cards on the higher end
- Hard drive: 40G to 250GB Ultra ATA and Serial ATA
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