Graphics and Sound
Budget computer makers typically save money by eschewing sound cards and graphics cards with dedicated video memory in favor of basic processors integrated on the motherboard and dependent on system memory. However, today's integrated graphics systems do surprisingly well for most tasks, offering full color depth for movies and photo editing. All the budget PCs we reviewed except the Sys TaskMaster could support 1600 by 1200 resolution, enough for a 21-inch monitor. The Sys topped out at 1024 by 768, about right for a 17-inch CRT; at the flickering 60-Hz setting, though, it can go up to 1280 by 1024. Except for the Dell and the EMachines, all the PCs here offer an AGP slot for adding a graphics card, which can make a big difference.
These systems can run 3D action games, but not fast enough to make them enjoyable. For example, frame rates in Unreal Tournament 2003 at 1024 by 768 resolution and 32-bit color were painfully slow, ranging from an almost palatable 44 frames per second on the Polywell to an abysmal 6 fps on the Compaq and the HP. Evaluations by the PC World Test Center show that 30 fps is acceptable for first-person shooter games but 60 fps is required for smooth play. On several of the budget machines, complex textures broke up at times, making scenes look blocky. Worse, the graphics sometimes couldn't keep up with game play. By the time you see an opponent aiming at you, he may have already fired a fatal shot.
Low-impact games, however, were no problem. In our informal tests, all the PCs offered smooth play in the popular The Sims 2 and the movie-inspired title The Incredibles: When Danger Calls.
Integrated audio suffers even less compromise. These low-cost PCs provide analog output for stereo, and all but the Dell and the EMachines support 5.1 surround sound that will produce impressive results if paired with midrange speakers (such as Logitech's $60 X-530) or if fed into a good home theater system. Integrated audio has no effect on digital music sent to a sound system via a wired or wireless streamer like the Apple AirPort Express with AirTunes; in that case, the audio processing takes place in the streamer itself, not the PC. For audiophiles who desire a beefier setup, these budget systems offer a few free PCI slots that can accept a sound card, such as the $80 Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2. Adding a sound card should automatically disable the integrated audio; at worst you'll have to change a BIOS setting or adjust a jumper on the motherboard.
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