eMachines ET1810-03 Budget Desktop PC

Oct 23 2009 - At just $370, the eMachines ET1810-03 is certainly quite affordable and the company didn't skimp too much on the features. It's performance is decent considering the age of some of the components within it. Those hoping to use it for graphics or HD video might be a bit disappointed. The system only has an analog VGA connector and the low wattage power supply prevents many video card upgrades. Still, if the system is going to be used for productivity and internet applications, it will do the job just fine.

Oct 23 2009 - The eMachines ET1810-03 is not going to be one of the most powerful systems available in the under $500 desktop market. It uses a somewhat dated Intel Pentium E2210 dual core processor. This has a lower clock speed than many of the systems using AMD's Athlon II X2 or Intel's Pentium Dual-Core E5000 processors. It still still perform well for basic computing tasks such as productivity or internet applications and the lower price tag will appeal to many.

Storage has both good and bad aspects for a desktop system. On the down side, the 320GB hard drive is smaller than the 500GB average in this budget desktop market. For those looking to store lots of media files this may be an issue. On the other hand, the DVD burner supports writing labels directly to Labelflash compatible media.

The biggest flaw with the eMachines ET1810-03 is the graphics. The system has an integrated NVIDIA GeForce 7050 graphics system that is decent for basic work but only has a VGA output. This prevents the system from working with many new HDTV screens or playing back high definition media that requires a digital HDCP compliant connector. To make matters worse, the 250W power supply lacks sufficient power for many higher end graphics cards for those looking to upgrade the system for PC gaming.

Another aspect that some might find annoying is the large amount of trialware applications that come installed on the ET1810-03. These applications tend to eat up systems resources and storage space. It is advised that users remove the applications that they don't want in order to improve performance slightly and free up space.

Overall, the system is fine for those not looking to do much in terms of media or gaming. Just be aware that spending a bit more can open up more features or application options.