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More…With a CRT monitor and a single-core processor that appeared in the fastest, high-end PCs just a couple of years ago, the T5048 feels like a throwback system. Now, this machine--with its 3.06-GHz Pentium 4 CPU and 512MB of memory--costs just $600 (as of November 6, 2006). At the time of our review, you could have shaved $100 from that price with the available mail-in rebates.
eMachines T5048
- Spec Navigator
- Processor
- Memory
- Storage
- Multimedia
- Software
- Optical Drives
- Expansion Slots
- Display
- Modem / Networking
- Case
- Other Features
- Interface Connection
Multimedia
| Audio Adapter Model | Integrated realtek HD |
| Audio Channels | 5.1 surround |
| Graphics Board RAM Type | Using main memory |
| Video chipset | ATI Radeon Xpress 200 |
| Video bus | Integrated |
Software
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition |
| Included Software |
|
Expansion Slots
| Open PCI Express X16 Slots | 1 |
| Number of PCI slots | 2 |
| Open PCI Express X1 Slots | 1 |
| PCI Express Slots | 2 |
| Slots | 3 |
| Other Storage | Five-in-one media-card reader |
Display
| Included monitor | No |
| Monitor model number | eMachines eView 17F3 |
| Display type | CRT |
| Display size | 17 inches |
- Lab Tested
- How We Test Desktops »
Pros
Reasonable performance for the price
Cons
CRT monitor produces lackluster images
Bottom Line
Inexpensive system contains low-end components that delivered lackluster performance.
eMachines T5048
T5048 Review, by Richard Baguley November 20, 2006
Systems with newer processors are much faster. The T5048 garnered a WorldBench 5 score of 77--slightly lower than the mark earned by the similarly priced Dell Dimension E521. That's adequate for many uses (such as Web browsing or word processing), but you can expect video or image editing to proceed extremely slowly. Despite having only 512MB of memory, the T5048 passed our informal multitasking hands-on test, simultaneously playing a movie DVD smoothly and encoding an MP3 file.
Performance on our graphics tests was weak: The T5048, which relies on integrated ATI Radeon Xpress 200 graphics, topped out at an unplayable 6 frames per second on our Doom 3 test, at 1280 by 1024 resolution.
At this price, eMachines bundles its 17-inch eView 17F3 CRT monitor with the T5048. The monitor is very heavy (nearly 40 pounds) and bulky (at a depth of about 17 inches) but produced adequate image quality. Still images and movie disc images lacked sharpness and had dull, unappetizing color.
The T5048's case is much more appealing. It has a striking silver design, with a panel at the bottom of the front surface to cover the headphone and microphone socket; a front-mounted USB 2.0 port; and multiformat memory card reader. Thumbscrews hold the side of the case on, but you'll need a screwdriver to install a hard drive in the vacant internal drive bay, or a second optical drive (or other device) in the external drive bay (it comes with a dual-layer DVD burner). Another limitation is the audio output, which supports stereo speakers only. To support multichannel sound, the T5048 would need a sound card added to one of its two available PCI slots.
The company bills the system as Vista-capable; eMachines offers Vista upgrade information on its site.
The manufacturer does not allow you to customize the system before you buy. You have to buy the system as is, and then add or replace components yourself. The T5048 is an attractive, inexpensive system with modest features, to be sure--but for a little more money, you can get a much better performer.
Richard Baguley
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PCWorld Lab Results
- Rating Breakdown
-
48
-
67
-
72
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar Desktops
48
79
89
Performance
| ACD Systems ACDSee | 715 |
| Adobe Photoshop | 407 |
| Adobe Premiere | 605 |
| Ahead Nero | 913 |
| Discreet 3ds Max DirectX | 413 |
| Discreet 3ds Max OpenGL | 685 |
| Doom 3 with AA, 1024 by 768, 32-Bit | 2.4 |
| Doom 3 with AA, 1280 by 1024, 32-Bit | 2 |
| Doom 3, 1024 by 768, 32-Bit | 7.6 |
| Doom 3, 1280 by 1024, 32-Bit | 6.3 |
| Far Cry with AA, 1024 by 768, 32-Bit | 8.08 |
| Far Cry with AA, 1280 by 1024, 32-Bit | 4.95 |
| Far Cry, 1024 by 768, 32-Bit | 17.41 |
| Far Cry, 1280 by 1024, 32-Bit | 11.63 |
| Microsoft Office XP | 574 |
| Mozilla | 629 |
| Multitasking | 869 |
| Musicmatch Jukebox | 540 |
| Overall Graphics Score | Poor |
| Return to Castle Wolfenstein, 1024 by 768, 16-Bit | 38.6 |
| Return to Castle Wolfenstein, 1024 by 768, 32-Bit | 28.47 |
| Return to Castle Wolfenstein, 1280 by 1024, 32-Bit | 19.1 |
| Roxio VideoWave | 329 |
| Unreal Tournament, 1024 by 768, 16-Bit | 82.95 |
| Unreal Tournament, 1024 by 768, 32-Bit | 47.44 |
| Unreal Tournament, 1280 by 1024, 32-Bit | 28.96 |
| Windows Media Encoder | 426 |
| WinZip | 447 |
| World Bench 5 Score | 77 |
| World Bench 5 Word Score | Poor |
User Reviews
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