- Very Inexpensive
- Two Gigabytes Memory
- Smaller Hard Drive
- Lacks FireWire Port
- Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 Dual Core Processor
- 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
- 320GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 18x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner with Label Flash
- Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
- Intel AC'97 Audio with Stereo Speakers
- v.92 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet
- Six USB 2.0, 15-in-1 Card Reader
- Vista Home Premium, Works 9, Power2Go, Norton 360
10/18/08 - The eMachines T5274 is an extremely affordable desktop PC. For the $400 price tag you are getting a system that is using older technology and doesn't have as many features. This may not be a problem for those looking at a basic system, but it definitely limits the ability of the system to really be upgraded much.
The T5274 is based on the Intel processors, but it uses an older and slower Pentium Dual Core E2180 dual core processor. This definitely limits its performance compared to newer Core 2 Duo processors. The 2GB of DDR2 system memory is a much more limiting factor these days with the Vista operating system. This may have been fine for systems a year ago but today most budget systems even ship with 4GB of memory for a smoother experience.
Similar to the processor, the T5274 also comes with less storage space than its competition. The 320GB hard drive should work fine for most people that aren't using many digital media files such as video. The standard these days seems to be for a 500GB drive though. At least it still comes with a high speed DVD burner that supports dual layer media and can burn labels directly to Label Flash compatible media.
Much of the low costs from the system stem from the older Intel chipset within the T5274. It uses an integrated graphics processor that is two generations behind the latest and one behind what most companies use. Frankly, the GMA 950 graphics aren't really capable of much in terms of 3D or high definition video.
What the eMachines T5274 comes down to is price. The price is definitely going to be the selling point for this system. If you only need a basic machine for web browsing and productivity, then it may work just fine for you. If not, spend a bit more to get a lot more in terms of features.
