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If we to adopt a relativist approach and consider Nettops apart from the larger desktop market, we might actually recommend the $549 Lenovo C300. It includes an uncommonly large 20-inch wide-screen display and performs better than many of its peers because of a slightly faster Intel Atom CPU. Standing in the way of such a recommendation, as usual, is the compelling price-performance of traditional budget desktops, as well as the cheap portability offered by Netbooks. The primary advantage of the Lenovo C300 is that it offers a large screen in an affordable, self-contained package. That certainly has some appeal, but with such abysmal performance, and better alternatives available for the same price, this system offers further proof of Nettops' poor value.
Lenovo sells a few versions of the C300 with various CPU, memory, and hard-drive configurations. However, each model has a 1,600x900-pixel resolution, 20-inch screen and the display is clearly the series' highlight feature. However, it's not quite as crisp as Averatec's all-in-one PC that has an 18-inch, 1,680x945-pixel resolution screen. We also found that the Averatec's black levels made for a much more vibrant DVD image than the Lenovo's screen. Even if the screen isn't top quality, you will still appreciate two extra diagonal inches in day-to-day use. We also have to credit Lenovo for bringing a 20-inch display to a lower price point than we've seen before.
We'd understand if the large screen entices you to consider the Lenovo C300 as a home entertainment system, but once you experience the tinny audio output, your enthusiasm might dim. Not only is the sound output low quality, but, for example, it also doesn't get nearly loud enough to have a movie on in the background while you're cooking dinner. External speakers might be the solution to the problem, but now you're getting into dicey territory. After all, what's the point of buying a low-cost, self-contained system if you need to add hardware to it to use it the way you want to?
The remaining features around the Lenovo C300 are unremarkable, but not disappointingly so given its low price. You get a handful of USB 2.0 ports, one of which you'll need for the USB mouse, as well as a media card reader, an Ethernet jack, a port for the wired keyboard, and a headphone and microphone jack on its left side. You also get a Webcam at this price (unlike the $349 eMachines EZ1601-01), as well as 802.11g wireless networking. We'd always rather see wireless input devices included, and Lenovo offers no touch capability with the C300's screen. Again, its price makes it hard to complain about its lack of features.
| Lenovo C300 | Averatec D1133 | |
| Price | $549 | $599 |
| CPU | 1.6GHz Intel Atom N330 | 1.5GHz AMD Athlon X2 3250e |
| Memory | 4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM | 2GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM |
| Graphics | 512MB (integrated) ATI Mobility Radeon 4530 integrated graphics chip | 512MB (shared) ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics chip |
| Hard drives | 640GB, 7,200rpm | 250GB, 5,400rpm |
| Optical drive | dual-layer DVD burner | dual-layer DVD burner |
| Networking | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11g wireless | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n wireless |
| Display size | 20-inches | 18.4-inches |
| Operating system | Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (32-bit) | Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (32-bit) |
Next to the Averatec D1133, the Lenovo C300 also looks like a very competitive system. It boasts more RAM, a larger screen, more than twice as much hard-drive space, and it has a slightly faster CPU clock speed for $50 less. Assuming we'd consider a Nettop at all, the Lenovo C300 makes a strong case for itself on paper. Our performance charts shed light on the reality.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Rendering Multiple CPUs | |
Rendering Single CPU |
Let's be clear that we're familiar with the common argument that Nettops aren't supposed to be fast. We see no problem with a category of desktop that trades performance for value, but the issue is that Nettops, including the Lenovo C300, don't hold up the value end of the deal.
The strongest argument against the Lenovo C300 comes by way of the now $449 Gateway SX2800-01, an Editors' Choice-winning slimtower PC that debuted for $510 in our back-to-school roundup over the summer. True, the Gateway has no monitor or wireless networking. If you don't already own one, we've seen 20-inch LCDs available for as low as $125. Wireless USB 2.0 adapters go for as low as $10, and PCI cards for as low as $15. Throw in the Wi-Fi adapter and a display, and the total cost for the Gateway comes in at slightly more expensive than the Lenovo C300--and you won't sacrifice capability, and you'll gain at minimum four times the performance versus the C300.
