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Cheap PCs aren't what they used to be. Today's budget desktops can handle once-exotic tasks like ripping CDs, touching up photos, and editing simple videos, albeit a tad sluggishly. Might a few hundred dollars buy all the PC you need?

To find out, we tested low-cost systems from Compaq, Dell, EMachines, HP, IBuyPower, Polywell, Sys Technology, and WinBook. Prices for these offerings ranged from $505 to $750. Though not the very cheapest models on the market (we asked the vendors to configure the systems with at least 512MB of RAM, and all but two of them did), their average price is only about half that of the value machines ranked in our latest Top 15 Desktop PCs chart. (Even Apple is getting into the act: As we went to press, it announced the Mac Mini, starting at $499.)

We found many of these desktops fine for most home and office tasks, but less suitable for high-action gaming and heavy-duty graphics or audio work. Advanced users should look at the power machines in the Top 15, though they might also consider a budget box for family members or employees with modest needs.

But even in this low price range, offerings vary among vendors, and every PC we reviewed involves sacrifices. On balance, we found Dell's Dimension 3000 to be the best deal. Its so-so performance was more than offset by the included LCD monitor and inkjet printer--all for $505. See our chart for our other picks.

Positive Developments

Several amenities once considered luxuries are now commonplace. For example, all the systems in this roundup provide at least one USB 2.0 port on the front of the computer, where it is easy to reach, and every model has an ethernet port for a broadband Web connection. (Most also come with modems for dial-up.) The Compaq, Dell, EMachines, HP, and IBuyPower systems also feature front-mounted audio ports (convenient for plugging in headphones), and all except the Dell, Polywell, and WinBook systems come with multiformat card readers that accept media such as CompactFlash, Memory Stick, Secure Digital, and XD-Picture Card from digital cameras, PDAs, and other devices. The Compaq, HP, and IBuyPower PCs even have FireWire ports for plugging in digital video cameras or external hard drives.

While all the systems we reviewed provide at least a few options for upgrades, none can be transformed, swanlike, into dream PCs. Manufacturers typically keep costs low by using older technologies and limited components. For example, most systems here have 250-watt power supplies that are adequate to run the PCs as configured but don't provide much room for growth. And most of the motherboards support neither top-tier AMD and Intel processors nor the fastest RAM. Although most of our test PCs have slots for adding an AGP graphics board, they don't use the new PCI Express system bus for maximum performance from the latest and fastest graphics cards.

Even some of these basic computers, however, provide leeway for tweaking features and performance through component upgrades, either during the initial configuration or after they arrive.

Another trend is improved aesthetics. Though certain models are fancier than others, even the most basic contenders look good. Gone are the chintzy putty-colored cases that identified bargain systems of the past. For example, the HP Pavilion A706n's case is silvery lavender with dark gray. Otherwise, basic black, with gray or silver highlights, is the standard-issue uniform. And for some brands, such as the Compaq Presario series and the HP Pavilion series, the low-end models sport the same smart-looking cases as their upscale siblings.

In This Article

• CPU and RAM
• Storage
• Graphics and Sound
• Peripherals
• Extras
• Cheap Notebooks: What You Get and What You Don't
• Refurbished PCs: Cheap, Capable
• Budget Linux PCs: Too Cheap for Their Own Good?
• Top Cheap PCs (chart)