The Bottom Line
IBM's ThinkCentre A30 comes from a company known for quality, but in the $500 budget market there are others that provide more features.
Pros
- Includes AGP 4x Slot
Cons
- Only has 128MB Memory
- Older Celeron 2.0 Processor
- Lacks CD-RW Drive
Description
- Intel Celeron 2.0 GHz Processor
- 128 MB PC2100 DDR Memory
- 40 Gigabyte Hard Drive
- 48x CD-ROM Optical Drive
- SoundMAX Cadenza AC'97 Audio
- Intel Extreme 3D Graphics with 64MB Shared Memory
- v.90 56Kbps PCI Modem and 10/100 Ethernet
- Six USB 2.0 Ports
- Three PCI Expansion Slots (Two Available) and an AGP 4x Slot
- Windows XP Home
Guide Review - IBM ThinkCentre A30
10/15/03 - IBM is well known in the corporate environment for providing high-quality products at a price. Their ThinkCentre A30 budget desktop system may share the same quality, but its hard to compare to other sub $500 systems. It is powered by an older 2.0 GHz Celeron processor and comes with only 128MB of memory. This makes the system much slower than its competitors. The computer also ships with only a 48x CD-ROM leaving users out of the data and music CD burning ability. One area where it does shine over many competitors is the inclusion of an AGP 4x slot. It is one of the few budget systems that allows users to upgrade to a true 3D graphics accelerator. In the end, its limited power really does set it below its competitors.
