Entered CNET Catalog: 01/03/2008
SKU: 0883585560967
Manufacturer: HP
Manufacturer description
Get all the power and functionality of a fully loaded desktop PC in a space-saving design that's one-third the size of a conventional tower.Product summary
The good: Outstanding price-to-feature ratio; Blu-ray/HD DVD combo drive; small, flexible case; great performance thanks to a speedy dual-core AMD CPU
The bad: Begs for an integrated IR receiver
The bottom line: The HP Pavilion Slimline S3330f delivers a remarkable combination of features, value, and flexibility. It excels as both a traditional desktop, and a full-fledged living room PC, complete with a Blu-ray and HD DVD drive. Any nongamer in the market for a sub-$1,000 PC should put this system at the top of their list.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: Yes
- Reviewed on: 02/28/2008
We've been anxious to get our hands on the $949 HP Pavilion Slimline S3330f ever since it was announced just prior to this year's Consumer Electronics Show. Now that we've given it a thorough going over, and compared it with some of its competition, we're happy to report that this tiny PC lives up to our high expectations. It brings more entertainment capability, and at a better price, than any other system on the market. We'd recommend it to anyone looking to purchase a home theater PC, sub-$1,000 or otherwise.
HP's Pavilion Slimline series has done well here at CNET recently, despite versions, however, have been Editors' Choice winners. The S3330f continues the trend. On the surface, this PC stands out for the fact that it costs less than $1,000 and comes with a Blu-ray/HD DVD combination optical drive. For those reasons alone, it might be worth purchasing for some of you.
There are desktops on the market that come close to this one. We configured a Dell Inspiron 530s to match this HP almost exactly and got a price of $1,098 (after instant rebates). That system comes closest to the Slimline. Sony also offers the similar VAIO TP20, but for $1,600. We haven't received either of those systems to review yet, so we can't speak to their performance. However, we have reviewed Sony's higher-end VAIO TP25, a small-scale living room PC with a high-flying $3,000 price tag. We wrote in our review of that system that it's not a good deal, and you can see why from its comparison with the Slimline.
| HP Pavilion Slimline S3330f | Sony VAIO TP25 Home Theater PC | |
| Price | $949 | $2,999 |
| CPU | 2.8GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ | 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 |
| Memory | 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM | 4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM |
| Graphics | 256MB (shared) Nvidia GeForce 6150SE | 256MB Nvidia GeForce 8400M GT |
| Hard drives | 500GB 7,200 rpm | 500GB, 7,200 rpm |
| Optical drive | Blu-Ray/HD DVD player with LightScribe DVD burner | Blu-ray player/DVD-burner |
| Networking | 802.11b/g wireless, Gigabit Ethernet | 802.11b/g wireless, Gigabit Ethernet |
| TV Tuner | Integrated ATSC/NTSC tuner | (2) ATI Digital Cable Tuner |
| Operating system | Windows Vista Home Premium | Windows Vista Home Premium |
The VAIO has a different round design, a more coffee-table-friendly keyboard than HP's standard desktop model, and a pair of ATI Digital Cable Tuners, which provide that system with CableCard support for recording HD cable on your PC. Neither the tuners nor the keyboard make up for the TP25's exorbitant price, and the $949 Slimline equals or outclasses the Sony in almost every category. The HP's CPU and graphics card are both faster than the Sony's, and--while it matters less now--the HD DVD compatibility, on top of Blu-ray support in the HP, is still something of a plus. Think of all the cheap HD DVD discs you can buy.
Because of each system's small case, the Slimline S3330f and the VAIO TP25 are particularly well suited for living room use. While you could certainly use the VAIO on your desktop as well, the Slimline's case lets you stand it on end or lay it down flat, giving you many more placement options than the cylindrical Sony system. You might write off the system performance of a living room PC as long as it has the right features, but it's relevant to look at the HP's benchmark scores as you would a standard desktop PC, because its design offers so much flexibility.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
 |
Rendering Multiple CPUs | |
Rendering Single CPU |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
|
1,280x1,024 |
The HP's fast iTunes score surprised us, although it makes sense because that test largely depends on raw CPU speed. The Slimline's 2.8GHz Athlon 64 X2 5400+ chip has a higher clock than the comparison systems. It also performed well on our Cinebench tests, coming in behind only the quad-core Gateway FX7020, which stands to reason given that the HP's Athlon chip is dual-core. The VAIO comes out ahead on Photoshop because it has 3GB of RAM compared with the HP's 2GB, and its Unreal Tournament 3 frame rate is also higher, such as it is. Neither of these systems will do well as gaming PCs because of their lower-end 3D cards, but the HP's application scores show that it competes well against other small PCs, as well as midrange desktops in its price class.
On top of its core features and specifications, the Slimline S3330f has all of the secondary features we come to look for in a living room system in this price range. It has 802.11 b/g wireless networking capability, an analog TV tuner, a spacious 500GB hard drive, a remote control, and a desktop-sized wireless mouse and keyboard set. That list makes the HP as living room-friendly as we'd expect for less than $1,000. The wireless networking and input devices save you from extraneous cable clutter, and the analog TV tuner and 500GB hard drive provide you with at least basic PVR-capability. Even with the slow build-up of PC-based CableCard support, we find in general that we're willing to concede that the PC is still not ideal for full-blown TV reception and recording duties, so the HP's analog tuner is fine, and you could even go without it and gain a low-profile PCI expansion slot for making an alternative upgrade.
As much as we love the configuration of this HP, its design also shines. However, it could also use a few minor tweaks. In addition to its glossy good looks, the HDMI output on the graphics card makes it easy to transmit both audio and video to a modern HDTV (and we had none of the connection issues we found with the last Slimline we reviewed). There's also a DVI input for traditional PC displays. Our biggest gripe is the clunky USB IR receiver for the remote control. It's well past time that HP figured out how to integrate it into the system, as Apple did with Mac Mini two years ago. We'd also like to see HP more smoothly integrate its DVD player software into Windows Media Center. The delay between when you push play and when the software finally displays the content is too long.
Of course, HP's love of crapware icons is alive and well for this system. We count six icons on the Windows desktop hawking some kind of service or product. That said, HP's TotalCare software suite is actually useful in the way it points out system information and leads you to other help resources. For other support, you get a one year parts and labor warranty with the Pavilion Slimline S3330f as well as 24-7 toll-free phone support. You can also go online for system-specific downloads and other kinds of support.
Find out more about how we test desktop systems.
System configurations:
Alienware Hangar18
Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.4GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600; 2GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 256MB ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT graphics card; (2) 1TB 7,200rpm hard drives
Apple Mac Mini
Apple OS X; 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo; 1GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 64MB (shared) Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics chip; 120GB 5,400rpm Hitachi hard drive
Gateway FX7020
Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.3GHz AMD Phenom 9600; 3GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 512MB Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT graphics card; 500GB 7,200 rpm Seagate hard drive
HP Pavilion Slimline S3330f
Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.8GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+; 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 256MB (shared) Nvidia GeForce 6150SE integrated graphics chip; 500GB 7,200 rpm Samsung hard drive
Sony VAIO TP25 Home Theater PC
Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100; 3GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 8400M GT; 500GB 7,200 rpm Western Digital hard drive
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17out of 17 user reviews
great for multimedia
Pros: fast and great blu-ray picture
Cons: The key board and mouse is very delicate
out of 17 user reviews
One Year, Then Crash
Pros: Compact, Versatile, Excellent Features for the Price
Cons: Motherboard problems, RAM problems, worst customer support of any company that I have ever encountered
out of 17 user reviews
Great HTPC for the money. takes some work though.
Pros: Great size for using this machine in your entertainment system. Integrated wireless. Blueray. Finally a PC that belongs on the entertainment shelf.
Cons: Only one tuner and no room for internal expansion. Runs a little hot but has not caused a problem. HDMI takes some massage to get it working, and there is no instruction on why it doesn't work out of the box.
HDMI will not work out of the box. You need to connect a DVI monitor cable to the TV in order to get HDMI to work. It took me a while to figure out that the computer was using the HDMI interface as a second monitor. When you have DVI and HDMI both connected, go into display settings and set the HDMI monitor as the primary. i leave the DVI cable plugged in. If you have PC problems, sometimes the computer will reset to using DVI as the primary monitor. I also had to update the driver and software for the NIVDIA video card in order to get HDMI to view in full screen.
I added a hauppauge hvr-950 external tv tuner to the machine so that I have two tuners. That is the main reason HP missed it on this unit. Who wants something like this with only one tuner? The hauppauge 950 offers marginal picture quality on my Bravia 32 in screen. I think I will look for another unit. Although I wonder how good it can get since I have to use an external tuner. When it is all said and done, I would like someone to show me anything better for the money in an HTPC that you don't have to build yourself.
out of 17 user reviews
Unreliable support. When it crashes... go fish.
Pros: Loaded with features
Cons: NO support from HP on these mini-tower units.
out of 17 user reviews
SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT ANOTHER DELL!!!
Pros: The size is great...can't say there are any other pros.
Cons: After 2 weeks I've done system recovery twice. DVD player works when it feels like it, some software doesn't work, try to upgrade get error message. Cannot download critical HP updates, can't do any HP updates. So many error messages I've lost count.
out of 17 user reviews
Very slim, very awesome
Pros: Much faster than my old machine, in almost half the space
Cons: Seems a little hot
out of 17 user reviews
WORST package computer I have ever bought!!
Pros: Small design frees up desktop space...
Cons: Small design Limits expansion options
I have had this computer less than a year and have already had to send it BACK to HP THREE TIMES... they also informed me that when the warantee runs out, if it happens again that they will gladly take my money for the repairs. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL!
The motherboard has had to be replaced multiple times, the VNIDIA graphics on the MB are bogus, and fail constantly, and the TV tuner that is installed is not detected by windows. Vista is garbage, and so is this computer!!! I tried to get my money from HP and they refused even after I had to have it sent in for repairs three times... You are better off getting a computer from E-BAY!
out of 17 user reviews
Mommy Friendly & Multimedia Rich
Pros: Small and function well
Cons: nothing found just yet
I especially love the multimedia function of this computer(with TV tuner built-in). I can watch DVD, TV, listen to music and don't have to use mouse, and I LOVE the remote control and the TV & movie guide! It helps a lot when I am holding a baby.
So far, so good, very smooth, no problem!
We paid $650 at Fry's. (close out deal, brand new in the box, low price is b/c of HP had newer model came out.)
out of 17 user reviews
Blu-Ray and HDMI output did not work
Pros: cheapest pile of dysfunctional hardware ever made
Cons: I bought it
This is the most disappointing product I have ever purchsed.
out of 17 user reviews
HP makes shoddy products and has very poor customer support.
Pros: Sometimes it works well enough to actually get by.
Cons: It's an HP and HP does not care about quality or the consumer.
On July 11, 2007, I paid about $3,000 for a Pavilion set up. The keyboard and mouse were unresponsive or froze up all the time. The sleep and wake modes never worked and EVERY time you tried to use them, the computer froze up - even when it went to sleep on its own. They never fixed the problem and blamed it on Microsoft Vista. I paid for 2 years of Norton - after six months Norton service expired and HP still has not given me the rest of the time I paid for. I spent way too many hours on the phone trying to get things resolved - probably over 40 hours. Finally, they offered to buy back the machine. After about a month wait, I called the case manager to find out the status of the buy back, but the case manager would not return my calls for over two months. In the meantime I managed to talk to three other "customer service" types including and home office ombudsman. All three assured me that the buy back had been approved and it was only a matter of processing time before I got my mailing labels so I could send back the computer and get a refund - so I bought a Dell. Yesterday, 4-16-08 they called and told me that they would not buy back the computer.
out of 17 user reviews
Great Compact PC S3400X AMD X2 w/ 4 Gig Memory
Pros: Small size Price and Features
Cons: Getting use to Vista
I looked at other compact PC's but I settled on the HP since it was the best price of any of the compact PC's I looked at. I settled on the following configuration: Model s3400z - AMD 4400 Dual Core X2 2.3 Ghz, 4 Gig DDR2-800Mhz Ram, 256M ATI RADEON HD 3450 DVI Video Card, Wireless LAN Card...etc
Purchased from HP direct (Best price I could find and they included FREE Shipping).
I would recommend this PC to anyone who needs a solid Personal and Work (Home Office) computer. It's small size (about 1/3 the size of my Dell) is great and it's built like a tank.
A great all around home and home office pc.
out of 17 user reviews
AWESOME computer
Pros: it rocks !
Cons: i haven't find anything bad about it...yet
out of 17 user reviews
Not quit there yet.
Pros: HDMI output on video card. Small form factor.
Cons: No Wireless N. No gigabit lan. Runs very hot.
out of 17 user reviews
not good enough for this price range
Pros: nothing is good
Cons: dual core for high price
i am agree it has blue ray and hd payback capability
but who need hd paly back now
and processor is only x2 5400+
why dont buy quad core and add LG blue ray burner
which is $300 at few places
out of 17 user reviews
Looks nice!
Pros: Performance of the AMD & Blue-Ray
Cons: 2 mem slots, 2GB 667MHz Inst., lack of breathing room in case
out of 17 user reviews
IF I COULD GIVE IT A 9.9 I WOULD
Pros: WIFE FRIENDLY, COST, HD COMBO DRIVE
Cons: NO WIRELESS N
HP Pavilion Slimline s3200t received a 9 from me. with cons of sound card problems and the wireless n omission. this model on the other hand would've gotten better from me but i cant give it a 10. WIRELESS N IS A MUST HAVE NOWADAYS. yes you can buy it seperate but you should'nt have to. also, the cnet reviewers were correct with the hdmi compatability issues. this is my 11th test of the hp slimline models and this is the first model to work on my Samsung lcd tester right out the box. to be frank:
buy this if- you need a living room pc.
out of 17 user reviews
Photoshop results?
Pros: BD/HD support!
Cons: Cluncky IR interface
"The VAIO comes out ahead on Photoshop because it has 3GB of RAM compared with the HP's 2GB..."
No, it doesn't. Why is it that the slowest of the bunch (2.0 GHz) Mac mini, with only 1GB RAM, comes out ahead of all of them in the Photoshop test?
