HP's Media Oriented Desktop PC
Wednesday August 8, 2007
Image Courtesy HP Inc.
HP has been a major proponent of multimedia in its desktop PC lineup. Even though it has essentially removed their home theater specific products, they continue to produce media center products in their Pavilion desktops. Their latest Pavilion desktop system even offers a few new features that haven't been seen in most mainstream desktops. Find out more about the HP Pavilion m8120n in the latest review.
Comments
your review…hp m8120n
if not used for heavy video or multitasking quad core is slower than
dual core….. pls. explain.
THANK YOU
Paul Morefield
Most computer programs are still not written to take advantage of multiple core processors. Those that are typically only split the processing to two cores. Many video editing programs tend to be written to use more than two cores. Because of this, a similarly priced dual core processor that has a higher base clock speed for each core will be faster for most applications compared to a quad core processor that has a lower clock per core for most applications.
A similar trend was noted when the dual core processors were first put out and I wrote my article on dual core processors:
Dual Core Processors
I’m looking to replace my current system: P4 3.0GHz, 512K RAM, 80G & 160G HD. I have an extensive DVD collection that I have started to back up recently, after replacing several that have been damaged. I figure it’s cheaper to back them up than to buy new ones. I also convert DVD to avi and vice versa. Both of these tasks take a long time on my current system, and while it’s converting I can’t do anything else. I would say usage is about 75% internet/email/wordprocessing, 25% video. Would the m8120n do well for me, or should I stick with a dual core system? Also, will I be able to add a second optical drive?
Thank you for your time
I myself have been looking at the m8120n and m8150n (I think the later might have a better graphics card). My preference is to create a digital media jukebox, if you will with all the HD, surround sound capacity who find nowadays. What is a good system for that?
Matt,
A dual core system would definitely improve your video encoding from the DVD. It will even allow you to continue working while this is being done. As to whether the quad core would be even more of a boost, I would recommend checking out the programs you use to do this. Some are greatly improved with quad core while others are not.
Jim,
How well the m8120/8150 will work for you depends on how much information you will be storing. The 640GB of space is a lot, but it is possible to get much more than that these days. Also, the Pavilion case isn’t the best choice if you plan to hook it up to an entertainment center. For something like that, I would look at a more dedicated Home Theater PC or even building one yourself from scratch.
I’ve had my m8120n for three weeks, and love the QUIET. Also, none of the reviewers seems to know or mention the RAID capability of the unit: this, the built in wireless, and the excellent price point were the key factors for me.
My big problem is not with the computer, but with Vista!!! I certainly can’t blame the computer for this huge MS disappointment
I went with the 8150 which has the 8500 graohics card. It came w/ vista ultimate. That one should have been in the test. I also run a samsung 221 wide screen, and a 32`hi def tv/monitor. So far so good. (except for this confounded vista.
I answered your questionaire on selecting a computer. Your #2 shoice was an HP Pavilion m8120n. How does this compare to the HP Pavilion m8100n? Would I be OK with the HP m8100n? Thanks.
The main difference with the m8100n is that it uses the AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ dual core processor over the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600. This puts it at a disadvantage to overall performance, especially when dealing with video encoding and mulitasking. The other differences are 500GB drive space vs. 640GB and an integrated graphics vs a low end dedicated card.
I would say that if you aren’t looking to do much 3D graphics or video encoding, then the Paviliom m8100 is a less expensive alternative that can meet the needs of most people, but the m8120n is a better choice for overall performance.
Mark, I just wanted to thank you for your excellent site, and for this review in particular. When I first felt the need for a new computer (too many lock-ups with my 4 YO Dell), I took your quiz, then checked your TP for mainstream computers. The M8120n came up second on your list, and was in an affordable price range for me.
After one too many “blue screens of death” I finally took the plunge. Mine is not out of the box yet. Now I have to go through the laborious process of figuring out which of my huge list of software are compatible with the dreaded Vista.
My computer has never worked right. All of my drives seem to magically disappear. I bought it in July 2007 and have only been able to watch one DVD and that was with the help of tech support. Same with my memory cards. I am truly disappointed. I want to do more with this computer, but it won’t let me. I know I am not a computer whiz, but I never had problems with my Sony Vaio.