The Bottom Line
Pros
- Four Gigabytes Memory
- Large Desktop Hard Drive
- Well Priced
Cons
- Doesn't Support 802.11n Wireless
- Older AMD Processor Slower Than Newer Desktop Processors
Description
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ Dual Core Desktop Processor
- 4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 Memory
- 500GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 16x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner with LightScribe
- NVIDIA GeForce 6150 Integrated Graphics
- 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11b/g Wireless and v.92 56Kbps USB Modem
- Six USB 2.0, FireWire, 15-in-1 Card Reader
- 13.4" x 10.9" x 4.2"
- Vista Home Premium, Works 9.0, Photosmart Essentials, Cyberlink DVD Suite, Norton Internet Security
Guide Review - HP Pavilion Slimline s3500f Desktop Personal Computer
9/4/08 - Most mini PCs have to use notebook components in order for the system to fit into such a small space. HP has decided to go with a slim profile desktop case instead of a mini in order to use more standard desktop components. This gives it the advantage of improved performance at the cost of space.
Now the Pavilion Slimline s3500f uses an older AMD Athon 64 X2 5400+ dual core desktop processor. This does give it a performance advantage over mobile processors, but it does fall significantly behind the newer Intel Core 2 Duo and even the AMD Phenom desktop processors. To make up for this, HP has packed the system with 4GB of PC2-6400 DDR2 memory that lets the system run more memory intensive applications and multitasking without the need to swap to the hard drive as frequently.
Speaking of storage, the larger Slimline case allows the system to use a 3.5-inch desktop drive compared to smaller 2.5-inch notebook drives. This lets the s3500f use a large and fast 500GB hard drive giving it a lot more storage space for applications, data and media files compared to mini PCs. In addition, it uses a full sized desktop DVD burner. This lets it playback and record DVDs at double the speed of the notebook drives used in mini-PCs. A 15-in-1 media card reader allows it to easily access flash cards.
One big advantage that the Pavilion Slimline s3500f has over mini PCs though is expansion. The system features a PCI-Express x16 slot that would allow users to install a dedicated graphics card. The space is limited for the slot so only specific cards and not the high end 3D cards can be installed though.
Probably the best part of all of this is that HP's Slimline s3500f offers all of these features at a price lower than what many of the companies are charging for their mini PCs.
