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Want to buy a new PC without having to take out a second mortgage? These budget PCs strike a balance between performance and cost, covering the basics at affordable prices. Good for home office use, sending e-mail, and surfing the Net, a budget PC gives you the features that you need and none that you don't. -- Rich Brown, Associate Editor
Budget PCs | Mainstream PCs | Media Center PCs | Performance PCs |
Business PCs
Need help finding the right computer? Let CNET's ExactChoice tool guide you to the perfect desktop or laptop. Shopping by brand? According to CNET editors, here are this category's major players: Apple | Dell | Gateway | HP | Lenovo | Sony |
| Desktops | Editors' rating | Price | Summary |
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IBuyPower Value-Pro Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2 GHz - 17" TFT
Released: 06/15/2005 |
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Nearly everything about the iBuyPower Value-Pro suggests a price tag higher than $999, making this a top choice among sub-$1,000 systems.
Specs: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (2.2 GHz) , 2.2 GHz, 1 GB DDR SDRAM , 160 GB Standard , NVIDIA GeForce 6200 TurboCache supporting 256MB , Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition , Personal computer
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ZT Group Pro A7055
Released: 06/17/2005 |
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Dual optical drives (including a DVD burner) plus generous hard drive storage and several PCI slots make this a good choice for upgraders and digital pack rats, even if there isn't much left in the budget for audio and video features.
Specs: AMD Athlon 64 3400+ , 512 MB DDR SDRAM , 200 GB Standard , NVIDIA GeForce MX 4000 , Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition , Personal computer
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Apple SuperDrive Mac Mini (1.42GHz)
Released: 07/26/2005 |
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The Apple SuperDrive Mac Mini addresses some of the shortcomings of its $499 predecessor, making it a well-rounded home PC at its base configuration.
Specs: Motorola PowerPC G4 (1.42 GHz) , 1.42 GHz, 512 MB DDR SDRAM , 80 GB Standard , ATI Radeon 9200 , EPA Energy Star , Apple MacOS X 10.4 , Personal computer
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EMachines T6420 - Athlon 64 3400+ 2.2 GHz
Released: 01/19/2006 |
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The eMachines T6420 delivers major bang for your buck, including a roomy 200GB hard drive and upgradability in a fixed-configuration retail box. Still, we wish it were able to outperform the model it replaces.
Specs: AMD Athlon 64 3400+ (2.2 GHz) , 2.2 GHz, 1 GB DDR SDRAM , 200 GB Standard , NVIDIA GeForce 6100 , Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition , Media center
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