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"Not the fastest, prettiest, smartest but a hard worker" on by jrbaytown
Pros: The system has been stable for the past 8 months, unlike many other manufacturers running Windows Vista 32-Bit. Runs demanding simulation games and great MS Office PC. Also works great with multimedia.
Cons: The accessories that came with it (mouse, keyboard, speakers) were so cheap I immediately replaced them. There are no bells & whistles, but this is a PC that you can upgrade somewhat as you can afford it. No investment PC here, just a hard worker.
Summary: Based upon the price of the eMachines Desktop ET1161-03, it is as CNET claims...simply okay. Since I've purchased it, I've added a wireless card, upgraded the RAM and I've been shopping for a dedicated video card to go along with the integrated, but I'm not sure if that will even work or be a good idea. (I've never done it myself but one of the "knowledgeable" staff at Fry's said it could be done. This would help a lot with my simulation games, although the do work great for what I've got.
This machine doesn't crash much, if ever. Many PC's I've had, from Compaq, Sony, Dell and Toshiba have all had there share of problems and crashes...but this has been a trooper!
Bottom line, if you want a computer to get you through a few years of internet, MS Office or whatever program you may use for word processing, etc and for internet use and multimedia...this machine will do it. After a few years...you haven't invested a lot of money into this machine and you can maybe get a more expensive one.... If you want to upgrade this machine (as I've been doing), you'll probably be better off getting a better machine now. I couldn't afford anything more at the time, especially since I had just got the Vaio and had to get this as an emergency backup for work...which I'm glad to have! -
"Great PC for the money!" on by mrlee2009
Pros: Good processing power, 3GB RAM (expandable to 8GB!), PCI Xpress slot (with room for double slot cards)
Unlocked BIOS for customization which is far better than the locked down Compaq/HP BIOS which force performance killers like BIOS video shadowing.Cons: Onboard graphics are weak but easily upgraded.
Comes pre-installed with Google Desktop and IE toolbar addons(performance hit from hell!)Summary: This PC is solid and built with industry standard components that can be easily upgraded. There is a lot of breathing room in the chasis for air flow. I did add an extra case fan at the rear once I added my GeForce 8800GTS to assist with cooling.
I have worked with both the Compaq/HP SR5610f and the eMachine ET1161-03. I bought the eMachine for the unlocked BIOS, multi-media card reader, and easy component upgrades. I find that the performance hits noted by CNET were reduced once I removed the pre-installed junk like Google Desktop...
Overall, great PC with easy to upgrade components. -
"great home PC" on by mtaristi
Pros: got it for my 10 year old 2 years ago and it has been running since , just spent $50 on a graphics card ( got the NVIDIA 520 GT 1024 mb ddr3 ) to replace the onboard NVIDIA 6150 , really big improvement , now I need to upgrade the monitor to take full ad
Cons: none so far and it seems that none is coming after 2 years
Summary: got it planning to keep it for 2 o 3 years , now after this really cheap upgrade it will stay with us a lot longer
just replaced the monitor with an eMachines 23 HD monitor ( $ 149 ) , works great with the Nvidia 520 video card .
Updated on Nov 18, 2011
Also upgraded the system to Windows 7 Home ( $ 62 on Ebay ) , I am surprised with the performance it got on the Windows Experience Index , with the RAM free of the graphics load it has gone up to 5.9 , Desktop Aero 5.3 and graphics 6.5
Updated on Jan 12, 2012another cheap but great update , while browsing Ebay found a used Athlon x2 64 5000+ 2.6 mhz cpu , got it for $25 , easier than expected was the installation ( about 20 min ) , 300 extra mhz for $ 25 , now we have a 4 year old PC that runs great with a $137 worth of upgrades. -
"Agree with Cnet Reviewer" on by gonus78
Pros: Integrated system
Cons: - Poor Performance
- Unable to easily upgrade system (due to Integrated motherboard)
- Poor customer support **** (remember this if you are using VISTA)Summary: Avoid this system if you can. Your better off buying older system, for cheaper price (Eg. older system with ASUS motherboard). Or, as CNET Reviewer states, put a little more money in and buy another system.
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"This is a good computer that, if upgraded, can be great" on by KomputerN3rd
Pros: IF you can add a graphic card, or 2, and change the OS to Windows XP, and get a good screen, mouse, and keyboard, it can be a great gaming machine!
Cons: The hard drive is small, and the keyboard and mouse are really cheap. A better speaker system is recomendable.
Summary: This is a great comupter. You just have to upgrade it a little bit. Get a graphics card, mouse, keyboard, widescreen moniter, and a better sound system. Maybe even Bose.
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