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When it comes to PCs, you sometimes get more than you pay for. And that's good news if you're looking for the least-expensive desktop you can find--if you need a second office PC, say, or one for someone brand new to computing.

We compared two similar ultrabudget PCs, the Compaq Presario 4000 and the EMachines T1150. Both systems performed basic tasks very well, and one system provided excellent overall value.

Each of these shipping systems comes equipped with a 1.3-GHz Celeron processor, 128MB of RAM, and Windows XP Home Edition. Both can comfortably handle Internet access, word processing, and most other everyday computing duties. The Presario 4000 scored 89 on PC WorldBench 4, outperforming the T1150 (which scored 87) by 2 percent. Both scores weren't too far below those of some more-expensive systems using Pentium 4 processors.

But like most very inexpensive PCs, the Presario 4000 and the T1150 forgo a full-featured graphics card for less-expensive, integrated graphics chips that use regular system memory. As a result, fast-moving games and other graphics-intensive programs are best left to a more powerful (and more expensive) PC.

Both systems also exhibit similar style; their minitower cases and monitors are charcoal black with matte silver trim. And each PC has four USB ports, including two ports conveniently located on the front of the case, which makes using USB peripherals easy. But the similarities in the two systems end there.

The $833 EMachines T1150 delivers solid value, with a 40GB hard drive and a 24X/10X/40X CD-RW drive as standard equipment. Images on the T1150's optional 17-inch EView 17F Flat CRT monitor looked crisp and flicker-free at 1024 by 768 resolution with 24-bit color. (A $175 rebate good through July 31 drops the system's total price down to $658.)

It's a snap to add extra cards and drives; for such a small case, you get unusually easy access to the T1150's two free PCI slots and its external drive bay. And the chassis holding the hard drives is rotated to face the user, which facilitates installation as well.

In contrast, the $749 version of the Presario 4000 that we tested came with a 15-inch Compaq 5500 CRT display, a 20GB hard drive, and a less-versatile 48X CD-ROM drive.

On the positive side, the Presario 4000 has a sturdier keyboard than the T1150 and comes with an AGP port for adding a graphics card, an option unavailable with the EMachines PC.

The T1150's Achilles' heel could be service; EMachines received an Unacceptable rating for service in PC World's 2001 Reliability and Service Survey. Compaq earned a slightly better rating of Poor. But EMachines says it has recently made concerted efforts to improve its customer service, including extending the length of time it provides technical support from only 15 days to up to one year. Meanwhile, in the same survey, EMachines earned a rating of Good in reliability, which bested Compaq's Fair rating.

So is it worth it for you to pay extra for Compaq's name? Hewlett-Packard seems to think so (and says the Presario line should be around for a while). But I'll stick with the better value every time.

SUMMARY

Compaq Presario 4000 Compaq's least-expensive desktop is still a bit pricey for buyers on a tight budget. List: $749

SUMMARY

EMachines T1150 The T1150 offers lots of features at a good price that gets even better with a $175 rebate. List: $833

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