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CNET editors' review
- CNET editors' rating: stars OK
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 11/23/2009
Editors' note: This review is part of our 2009 Retail Laptop and Desktop Holiday Roundup, which covers specific fixed configurations of popular systems found in retail stores.
The $680 Pavilion P6230y is another midrange HP desktop PC that looks good on paper, but can't keep up with the competition in price and performance. It can certainly handle its own in day-to-day use, but the competing Asus Essentio CG5270-BP004 makes this Pavilion look slow and overpriced.
Not a whole lot has changed on the P6230y since we reviewed its cheaper sibling, the p6110y. Most of the desktops that take a turn through our labs have a similar black, glossy case; but HP adds flashy accents, like a soft-blue LED-lit power button and a sliding panel on the face of the system that conceals the media card reader and front USB 2.0 and audio ports. Aesthetically speaking, we're confident that this system will fit anywhere without causing a stir.
| HP Pavilion P6230y | Asus Essentio CG5270-BP004 | |
| Price | $680 | $650 |
| CPU | 2.6GHz AMD Phenom II X4 810 | 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 |
| Memory | 8GB 800MHz DDR3 SDRAM | 8GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM |
| Graphics | 256MB (shared) ATI Radeon HD 4200 integrated graphics chip | 32MB (shared) Intel GMA X4500 integrated graphics chip |
| Hard drives | 750GB, 7,200rpm | 1TB, 7,200rpm |
| Optical drive | dual-layer DVD burner | dual-layer DVD burner |
| Networking | 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless, 10/100/1,000 Ethernet LAN | 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit |
The most glaring difference in a side-by-side comparison with the Asus Essentio CG5270-BP004 is the HP's diminutive quad-core AMD chip, which is left in the dust in performance and power efficiency tests by the Asus' quad-core Intel CPU, even despite a slightly faster clock speed. For $30 less than the HP, Asus offers more storage room to offset the lack of built-in wireless, which can be easily added thanks to the Asus' ample expansion space.
Since the Asus actually costs less than the HP, the Pavilion P6230y essentially offers less computer for more money than the competition. Thankfully, HP is more generous with its port offerings than its computing power. You get two USB ports on the front of the tower, with six more ports around the back, along with 7.1 analog audio, coaxial digital audio, FireWire, VGA, DVI, Ethernet, and a built-in wireless-networking card. Neither system has an eSATA port, nor do we suspect that most people would miss it. However, you can definitely find it on other PCs in this price range.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
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Before you make a buying decision in favor of HP, consider that the P2630y comes in second to the Asus in almost every test, except for the Cinebench tests that give credit to the highest clock speeds. The only system that gives the Asus a run is the ZT Affinity 7334Ma, but keep in mind that the extra processor speed will cost you $120 more than the HP and $150 more than the Asus.
Anyone still intent on buying this PC for whatever reason will find ample room inside the tower for future upgrades. You get a free 16x PCI Express graphics slot, three 1x PCI Express slots, and room for one more hard drive if you can get past the awkwardly placed cage that stands vertically against the back wall of the interior. Also, keep in mind that if you plan to upgrade memory down the line, you'll need to discard the existing RAM, since all four slots are currently occupied.
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HP Pavilion P6230y: 
