We didn't expect anything more than a standard tower case from a PC in this price range, but our iBuyPower Value-Pro came housed in a shiny black Trinity ATX midtower case with a small blue-backlit LCD in front and a big window on the side--the latter illuminated by a matching blue-LED fan. A large door hides the system's drives (but thankfully not its power button), making for a smooth, solid-looking face. Several other case options are available, adding or subtracting anywhere from $9 to $78 from the cost.
The stock Trinity ATX case plays hard to get, at least where access is concerned. Two screws hold the side panel in place; once you've removed them, you still have to disconnect a power cord from the panel's cooling fan. Once inside, there's plenty of room for expansion in this spacious tower: USB and audio connections are available on both the front and rear of the system. The front ports (two USB 2.0, one microphone, and one headphone) are helpfully mounted on the right side, keeping cables from sprouting from the front of your PC.
iBuyPower stocks the Value-Pro with a 2.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 3500+ and 1GB of 400MHz DDR SDRAM--twice the amount of memory of other $999 systems we've reviewed. You also get a 160GB hard drive--not the largest in the group, but certainly better than the 80GB in the Sys MediaMax S2600. We were impressed to find a built-in Wi-Fi adapter as well, a feature we'd love to see on more desktops. Just connect the antenna, and you have easy access to a home or office wireless network.
The iBuyPower Value-Pro's video card is one of the few concessions to the $999 ceiling. Although the Nvidia GeForce 6200 comes with an impressive 256MB of onboard memory, we'd much rather have a GeForce 6600, which would better accommodate visually demanding games. iBuyPower offers a 256MB version of the 6600 for just $58 extra--a decidedly worthwhile upgrade. Both video cards pair well with the included ViewSonic VA712b monitor. The 17-inch dual-interface display (VGA and DVI) delivered commendable images despite its relatively low 450:1 contrast ratio. The VA712b's stellar 8ms response time makes it perfect for games and movies.
Speaking of games, our system included a coupon for the full version of Half-Life 2 (which must be downloaded). Although the video card isn't up to the task of running it at high resolutions with antialiasing and other visual effects turned up, the iBuyPower Value-Pro still ran the game at a respectable 58fps on our 800x600 resolution test, easily the best of the budget group.
Half-Life 2 is the only software iBuyPower provides with the Value-Pro, save for a handful of system utilities and Nero Express, a "lite" version of the robust Nero disc-authoring suite. But the no-name 2.1 speaker system is the biggest letdown. Leave it off your configuration, and iBuyPower will knock a whole $4 from the price, which should give you some idea of the sound quality. Actually, they're impressively loud speakers, but anyone who cares even slightly about audio fidelity will want to consider one of the company's numerous add-on Logitech or Klipsch speaker options.
Although iBuyPower's parts warranty expires after one year, the company covers labor for three years. What's more, the first year includes onsite service, a rare perk for a budget system. Equally gratifying, the company offers real-time online support in the form of a live chat window, something normally available only from big-name vendors, along with toll-free telephone support Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PT.
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BAPCo's SysMark 2004 rating | |
SysMark 2004 Internet-content-creation rating | |
SysMark 2004 office-productivity rating |
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1,024x768 with no antialiasing and no anisotropic filtering |
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800x600 with no antialiasing and no anisotropic filtering |
Find out more about how we test desktop systems.
System configurations:
Product Specifications:
Product Description:
IBuyPower Value-Pro Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2 GHz - 17 in TFT active matrix
Type:
Personal computer
Product Form Factor:
Mid tower
Dimensions (WxDxH):
7.9 in x 16.9 in x 17.3 in
Weight:
14.5 lbs
Processor:
1 x AMD Athlon 64 3500+ / 2.2 GHz
Cache Memory:
512 KB L2 cache
Cache Per Processor:
512 KB
RAM:
1 GB (installed) / 4 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 400 MHz - PC3200
Storage Controller:
Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-150 ) ; IDE ( ATA-133 )
Floppy Drive:
None
Hard Drive:
1 x 160 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-150
Hard Drive (2nd):
- None
Optical Storage:
DVD±RW (+R DL)
Optical Storage (2nd):
None
Card Reader:
6 in 1 card reader
Storage Removable:
None
Monitor:
LCD display - 17 in - TFT active matrix
Printer:
None
Graphics Controller:
PCI Express x16 - NVIDIA GeForce 6200 TurboCache supporting 256MB - 256 MB
Audio Output:
Sound card - 7.1 channel surround
Communications:
None
OS Provided:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Manufacturer Warranty:
3 years warranty
Product Basic Spec:
Processor:
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (2.2 GHz)
RAM installed:
1 GB DDR SDRAM
Cache size - type:
512 KB L2 cache
Hard drive:
160 GB Standard
2nd hard drive:
None
CD / DVD drive:
DVD±RW (+R DL) IDE
2nd optical storage type:
None
Monitor type - technology - form factor:
LCD display TFT active matrix
Display (projector) diagonal size:
17 in
Viewable screen size:
17 in
Video RAM installed:
256 MB
Graphics Processor / Vendor:
NVIDIA GeForce 6200 TurboCache supporting 256MB
Audio output:
Integrated Sound card
Cabinet form factor:
Mid tower
Dimensions (W x D x H):
7.9 in x 16.9 in x 17.3 in
OS provided:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
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