Your Computer is Slow? Learn How to Speed it Up.....

Slow computers are very troubling and counterproductive. Wait up to five minutes for a computer to boot, more than 60 seconds to a software program, or wait 2-3 minutes to connect to the Internet is frustrating. Given the fact that most people use their computers more and more every day wasted this time can be up to.


Two very specific problem areas can cause a slow computer. One is hardware problems, the other is the software configuration. And a large area that we have no control over the software bloat. If Windows for the first time in 1995 there were around one million lines of code, and it took a few megabytes of disk space.

The latest version of Windows Vista can take up to several gigabytes. The most popular Office suite, Microsoft Office, is the same story. As a software extensions occur more and more code and disk space is eaten up. All files are larger and hardware requirements are greater.

Another factor, with huge computers that any Windows operating system is the registration authority to inflate. Every single aspect of the user, software, hardware and operating in a database called the registry. So, how to use your computer and software more and more (added software) this database swells in size. And the more options, the more time required for this database be loaded and executed.

Let us take the easy way first in the acceleration of your computer. Most people are either using Windows XP or Windows Vista. Each have recommended hardware requirements for efficient operation. We ignore the manufacturer's recommendation, since they estimate based on my experience.

Since you already have the equipment, we skip the processor upgrades, since it is not for the user upgrades. Although the chipset is important, upgrading can be a very technical and are a user-unfriendly situation. If you buy a new machine, go to the fastest and RAM chip in your budget range. Especially now that at least Duo channel RAM with a chip set of four-digit number in 2000 and later (my last purchase was a quad-processor with a 9500 designation).

You want to add the fastest RAM your motherboard. You must check with the memory (or computer / motherboard manufacturers) to find out what that might be, but the higher the number, the better. DDR is the most cost-effective and compatible RAM and will really speed up the reaction of most computers.

Graphics cards are available in all kinds of flavors, some cost as much as the computer itself. But you can be a pretty PCI (make sure you have an open PCI slot) graphics card for about $ 70 online. The GeForce 9500 with 512 DDR3 RAM is a good choice for most business users.

Windows XP-based computer should have a minimum of 512 megabytes of RAM and a graphics card (or shared video chipset on the motherboard) with separate RAM from 128 megabytes. Windows uses resources for both areas of RAM in almost every operation. Better would be 1 gigabyte of RAM and a dedicated graphics card with 256 megabytes of RAM.

Windows Vista (32 bit) computer should have a minimum of 2 gigabytes of RAM and a joint or graphics card with 256 megabytes of RAM, 64-bit version would be minimum 4 gigabytes of RAM and a graphics card with 512 megabytes of RAM. There are very few 64-bit software out there, I'm not even sure that the 64-bit is necessary, not yet.

Now comes the software configuration part, which may be a little more complicated. If your computer first boots, there are certain software programs that start on what operating system you use. Some of these programs are necessary for basic operations, some are used to help with other applications that are installed. Then another group, which are installed by the user for a particular purpose.

The three most common programs are installed users instant messaging, news headlines and weather status. Each of these can be a tremendous resource hog. All three together can really slow down the boot process, as they mount huge amounts of information in real time, as it starts.
So if you want to boot up your system, then you need to have the resources. More RAM, faster chipset and a dedicated graphics card with RAM or expect to wait. No way to avoid slow down, although you may find ways to optimise each if you do a little research. This may help some, but the bottom line is they require a lot of power.

There are what we call services (processes, to support joint programmes to work faster), which automatically starts when you some software programs. Depending on your job, you can be removed.

You can see the different programs, services and processes that are running and starts in automatic mode with a utility Msconfig, the Windows. Msconfig can be started by going to the command "Run" and entering the name, and then press Enter. You can access the Windows help file for more information on Msconfig.

Msconfig Once you start to see a panel with multiple tabs. Each type represents the services, boat information, and processes now underway. Unfortunately, the naming convention you can not always see what service or process belongs to what application. It is a challenge to decide what you might remove like it or not, be loaded at boot time.

And if you made something away, you can definitely shoot yourself in the foot-and-stop-a necessary feature of Windows or other software. And now you've got a real problem because Windows may not start again without this service or process is running. Therefore, I advise extreme caution if any adjustments.

Another simple solution to speed up your computer to reboot every once in a while. Theoretically, Windows loads files in RAM when you start a new program, then unloads the necessary files when closing the application. But that's not always true, and you can sometimes get RAM areas cluttered with software that you no longer need.

A restart every once in a while makes sure that you have so much RAM available as possible. After too many programs open at once can affect the speed of the computer. Depending on your available resources, with 5 or 6 large applications (such as MS Office, Photoshop, accounting software, etc.) can be opened a real slow down too. They are all very video RAM and intensive programs.

Windows Vista has a new feature called Aero enables the transparent window (you can see through each window into the underlying window), and this is a very major resource hog. You can turn it off by this:

1st Click on Start and then click Control Panel.

2nd Click on display and personalization.

3rd Under personalization, click Change the color scheme.

4th In the browser settings dialog to Windows Vista Basic, and then click OK. " Or you can on Windows standard, and then click OK. "

It takes a great burden from your graphics card and resources. But good graphics is part of the reason for Vista for so many who may not be an option. But it can speed up operations on Vista computer. Vista also comes with automatic indexing switched on (that is, where the OS has any file for a faster download).

Vista users often complain about the disk churning all the time, even if the computer sits idle. This can be done by the Windows search. Vista has an indexing scheme, which constantly pursued by files and locations. This can be a never-ending struggle with so many files in the OS alone.

The best way to Windows search is to disable the service. Run Services (only type "Services" on the search bar), right click on the Windows search service and select Properties. Then click on "Disabled" for the launch, you can use this service by a right-click it and select Stop.

The last recommendation I can speed up a slow computer, and the most radical, is therefore a backup copy of all your data and do a System Restore once a year. That's right, clean, all those spider webs, the remains of activities and software installations. They do, to sit and watch all system updates the operating system, re-install all your software and then restore your data.

But you have a very clean registry and a fast computer. Be prepared, it will probably take at least a few hours to do the whole routine. But for many people, it is very easy, since it is much time and effort to accelerate that computer back up and save time every day.




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Computer Monitor...Computer Monitor....Computer Monitor Buying Guide

You are able to have the best computer in the world, but without a monitor you can not even use it! Much times people can get so caught up trying to find the exact computer, they forget all about the monitor that goes with it. The truth is, while using your computer; the monitor is what you will be looking at all the time. If you've a great computer but a bad monitor, it may be time for an upgrade. The question is what do you search in a computer monitor?


Below, you will find some things that our product specialists recommend our buyers to look for when shopping for a computer monitor.

Screen Size: while purchasing a monitor, it is important that you get a screen that's big enough for you to be able to see details with ease. We recommend monitors 17 inches and up, but having one slightly smaller can still work for you.

Screen Type: usually you've 2 types of screens that you are able to choose from, CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). CRT's have traditionally given better color quality and response times, but as technology has advanced there are many LCD's that can compete. The advantages of an LCD (flat panel) monitor is that it almost always takes up less desk space and is more energy efficient than a comparable CRT monitor.

Response Time: With the older LCD models, or the base LCD models, you will often see slow response times. The response time is how fast the pixels within the monitor turn on and off. With slower response times, you are able to see trails left behind of quick moving objects while watching a film or playing a video game. We recommend getting an liquid crystal display monitor that's a response time of lower than 16 ms (milliseconds). The faster the response time (the lower the number), the better results you'll get as far as response time goes.

Inputs: Most monitors come with a one standard VGA style connection, but some can come with many more options. These include inputs for S-Video, Composite, Component, and even HDMI. The most crucial thing to consider is whether or not your computers video card will be compatible with at least one of these inputs.

Format: Most monitors come in either the 4:3 (Standard) format or the 16:9 (Widescreen) format. If you do not have a particular preference for either one, you should go with the 16:9 as this is the format used for high-definition television, and it allows you to view more on the screen at once. We recommend the 16:9 format because if you upgrade your computer in the future day (which might have a HD or Blu-Ray DVD Player), you will not have to upgrade your monitor as well. This will prolong the time you use your monitor and you will get more from your investment.

Extra Features: You may prefer to consider a monitor that has more capabilities than just the standard features. Some of nowadays monitors come with USB hubs, memory card readers, and even built-in speakers. If you prefer to save desktop space this can be a effective option for you, but note that the cost associated with these extra features will be higher.

Definitions:

CRT (Cathode Ray Tube): An electronic vacuum tube containing a screen on which graphic or alphanumeric information may be displayed.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display): Refers to a flat panel technology that uses liquid crystals sandwiched between 2 glass plates.

Response Time: A measure of how quickly a screen can display a change in the brightness of the screen image.

VGA (Video Graphics Array): A monitor standard that has evolved into a term used to designate an image consisting of 640 pixels wide by 480 pixels tall.

S-Video (Separated Video): An analog video signal that carries the video data as two separate signals.

Composite: A single video connector that combines all the color and brightness signals into one cable using a single RCA male connector. Often color-coded yellow, it's the most common type of analog video connection between older VCRs and TVs.

Component: Video signal in which the luminance and sync information are recorded separately from the color information. Component is superior to composite.

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface): HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio all on a single cable.

Video Card: An adapter card used to manage the display on the monitor.

4:3 Standard Aspect Ratio: The shape of standard (non-widescreen) TVs, which simply means the picture "frame" is 4 units wide for every 3 units tall.

16:9 Widescreen Aspect Ratio: The shape of widescreen TV's, which simply means the picture "frame" is 16 units wide for every 9 units tall. This ratio is used for high definition televisions.

USB (Universal Serial Bus: Connection port on a computer that is universally compatible with many types of electronic devices.




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Computer Desktops With Low Price

Desktop computers are immobile computing devices in the vernacular used in offices and apartments. Although laptop computers are gaining popularity of desktop computers have their own advantages and capabilities. The desktop-computer servers, the purpose of the performance and quality and is cheaper than laptops. We must ensure the correct configuration of desktop computers fit their needs and budgets. It is cheap, but good quality and desktop computers, they can later be updated as the need arises. The life of a desktop computer is usually about 3 years compared to a laptop, which lasts about 1 ½ years, if you have updated software applications.

You can low price desktop computers according to your wishes. You need to narrow down on a configuration that suits your use and fits in your household. You can compromise on the desire for your computer, you can buy at a later date. You need to invest in the CPU (central processing unit) to a good performance from your desktop computer. The line to see what a computer is its processor. This depends on your bet, and if you want more regular applications then an Intel dual-core processor would your needs. For faster performance, you could opt for the Core 2 Duo series, or the Core 2 Quad series of processors. Even AMD processors are well known and are best suited for gamers.

Desktop computers are a good investment if you want to have long-term performance and not crave for mobility. Desktop computers for gamers and multimedia authors. Editing professionals on desktop computers available for advanced configuration and lasting achievement. Desktop computers can be upgraded to a greater extent than laptops and have a greater scope for improvement. You can use the desktop computers are preconfigured of marks or you may also be configured according to your needs from a computer maker. The purchase of brands such as Dell and HP is usually a safer bet, since it guarantees performance and quality.

You can shop for the best desktop computer available online and can change and good business. You can use the desktop computers and online price can get add-on accessories with your purchase. You will find all the prices for a desktop computer on popular online shopping comparison based websites. You can use the computer to your needs and fits your budget.


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New Trend: Emerging Trends in Computer Keyboards

While computers have come a long way in design, appeal and functions their input devices like the keyboards have also evolved. The most popularly used design is the QWERTY layout for most computer keyboards. The name is derived from the left-hand side top six alphabets arrangement. Computer keyboards usually have 104 keys but with advancements more keys are added as shortcuts, multimedia keys or gaming keys etc. Keyboards also come in different languages besides English such as, Hebrew or Latin.

Keyboards have an array of functions to perform besides just typing. The keyboard also performs the commands function. Various combinations of keys are used to give special commands to the computer. Like the Windows+D combination minimizes all the application and shows the desktop. The Alt+Tab combination lets you navigate between the running applications. The keyboard is also used extensively for gaming purpose.

The four arrow keys are usually used as motion controls for most games. Games also have combination of keys to boost special powers in the game. These are usually difficult to combine hence there are special gaming keyboards like the Logitech gaming keyboards, which has a set of keys which you can dedicate for varied set of key combinations. This will ease your gaming and also allow handling of frequently used commands effortlessly.

Most popular keyboards are not quite flexible but there are flexible ones available which can be folded or rolled up and are made of silicon. There are also laser-operated keyboards which can be used in any surface and are extremely portable to carry.

The latest keyboards flaunt various multimedia keys for the often-used applications. These multimedia keys are of media player, web browser, mute, e-mail client, volume control and much more. Many keyboards also have the popular USB ports for quick access to your flash drive. With these additions the cost of the keyboard soars, but they are a good one-time investment for simplifying your functions.

The wired ones are the most popularly used but the wireless keyboards are also gaining acceptance. The wireless ones run on infrared or Bluetooth technology but they need to have set of batteries for functioning. There are many unique options available in the market, like the LED flash keyboards which can be used in the dark; there are gaming keyboards and application centric keyboards so on.

You can buy computer Keyboards online through popular online shopping based websites. You can get the Computer Keyboards at good deals and can also find low price computer keyboards if you are on budget.



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Tips on Buying a Desktop Computer

Whether your old computer is shot or you have never bought a computer on your own, you feel a bit nervous about the whole thing.

The purchase of a computer, discontinuation of a fair chunk of your hard-earned money, and you may be nervous about a computer is not a great fit for your needs.

The truth is, get a good desktop computer that suits you is easier than you think and, by simply taking into account the following tips, you can find the perfect computer, you'll be happy for the coming years.

1st Know what you want your computer.

Think about how you use your computer. Are you someone who only have one computer for its word processing capacity, or would you prefer to stay up to date on the latest games.

Maybe you're someone whose entertainment is largely focused on your computer, all your communication and your movies are on your computer. By a clear idea of what you need your computer for sure that the correct machine.

2nd They know what RAM is.

RAM stands for Random Access Memory, and you'll find that what he does is on the speed with which your computer "thinks", which means processes. If you just use your computer for things like surfing online or in writing, you will find that a RAM from 512 MB is okay, even if 1GB is ideal.

You will notice that this scale will give you room to expand or grow if you want to later on, but it is not so great that you are wasting your money. If you're playing, or make the latest computer programming with your device, you naturally want more.

3rd Do not worry about so much disk space.

The hard disk space generally refers to the amount of information that you can ensure that your computer, ranging from written works and audio-visual media.

You'll find that if you have a lot of videos, this can be quickly eaten up, but also in desktop PCs, you will notice that it is very easy from a few more. Remember that while you have a finite amount of space, it's all how you use it.

4th Online or from memory?

You will notice that online ordering is actually a lot cheaper, but remember that you should know what you're looking for. If you choose to build a computer, you will notice that it is much easier to parts online.

In a business, but you will find that you often take the time to discuss the details, please contact a sales representative and take a look around to see what else is available. It really depends on what you are comfortable with.

If you buy a desktop computer, remember that you really need to think about what you want it for. Once you have decided the function, it is very easy to determine which machine is perfect for you.





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What Would You Recommend a Laptop or Desktop Computer?

A desktop computer, the machine, consisting of a field called CPU, a large monitor, a keyboard, mouse, etc. On the other hand, a laptop is a small machine with all these different components in a single case in the form of a Weight of a few kg including a powerful battery, so it easily portable.



Generally PC kept in a place where, such as laptops are portable and can be anywhere on the train to college or to work.



One-time costs for PC is much more chipper than in comparison to laptop. Laptop is very expensive for any necessary upgradation.



Some of the costs related questions are:



Laptop components are very specific, unlike the desktop interchangeable.

Due to the nature of the compacted, laptops often have the majority of its components more or less all on the same motherboard. For this reason, when the graphics card were to fail, then the entire board should be replaced



Because of its portability, as opposed to a desktop PC, in a single room, it is more likely to be damaged, stolen or misplaced.



As for the actual user interface of the laptops on a conventional desktop PC is concerned, the screens are much smaller and of lower resolution than their desktop counterparts, and many would prefer to use their computer with a full-size keyboard and separate mouse instead of small keyboard and integrated trackball that laptops.



Laptops are quickly approaching the kind of speed, which only recently of desktops. Fast graphics cards and processors are generally available due to improved methods of the spread of the heat prevented such a small box from overheating from the given temperatures by computer chips.



Desktop would be the best option with a much cheaper price, if you are used at home, otherwise if you often need the computer at work away or have very little space for a PC at home then, despite the costs, a laptop is the best Solution.





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Alienware Area-51 7500 - overclocked CPU offers plenty of horsepower.

Pricey system has good looks, and its liquid-cooled, overclocked CPU offers plenty of horsepower.

The impressive Alienware Area-51 7500 delivers strong performance and excellent features. At $6007 (as of July 11, 2007), it's the most expensive quad-core model we've tested thus far. You get a lot for your money, though.

Our review system carried 2GB of 800-MHz DDR2 memory and Intel's 2.66-GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6700 quad-core processor, overclocked by Alienware to 3.2 GHz and kept stable with liquid cooling. It's the first overclocked Area-51 7500 system to come through the PC World Test Center. Alienware began overclocking the line only in March 2007; the company previously reserved such CPU tweaks for its premium ALX machines, in which pricey extras like liquid cooling and 1066-MHz RAM are standard. Alienware's adjustments helped the Area-51 7500 to a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 125, a mark on a par with those of other overclocked gaming PCs and just four points behind the fastest PC we've tested to date, CyberPower's Gamer Infinity Ultimate.

The Area-51 7500 uses two 768MB EVGA GeForce 8800 GTX graphics boards in SLI mode, providing plenty of muscle and Direct X 10 gaming capabilities under its preinstalled Windows Vista Home Premium operating system. The Area-51 7500 averaged 165 frames per second on our Doom 3 test, versus the average of 143 fps set by the rest of the gaming PCs we tested. It averaged 187 fps on our Far Cry test at the same resolution settings, tying with the Gateway FX530XT but falling well behind the 202-fps result of the Dell XPS 720, which was equipped with a 768MB nVidia GeForce 8800 GTX board.

Our test system had plenty of storage, as well. Two 150GB, 10,000-rpm Western Digital Raptor hard drives were installed in a RAID 0 configuration, and the PC also had a 250GB, 7200-rpm Seagate drive. An additional unoccupied internal drive bay can accommodate yet another hard drive.

The Area-51 7500 has Alienware's signature imposing black case, with clean lines and a sizable footprint; unfortunately, its shiny plastic tends to show fingerprints easily. Closing the side panel entails maneuvering several metal tags into place before the panel clicks back into position. The fans in the case's removable side are powered by touch contacts instead of cables, so you can easily remove the side panel without having to unplug the fans first.

The system has backlit, front-mounted ports, including two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, and microphone and headphone sockets. The system's Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer sound card pairs well with the bundled Logitech z-5300E 5.1 (280-watt) speakers. Our test system also featured Logitech's G15 gaming keyboard, which has a small LCD panel for showing game info or song titles, and Logitech's G5 mouse, which lets you add or remove small weights from its underside to get the right feel for your hand. The mouse has three settings for tracking sensitivity, with two buttons below the scroll wheel for attaining fast or precise movement.

Our test system's 24-inch wide-screen Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP LCD monitor produced attractive, bright, and sharp images, and showed smooth motion when playing back a movie DVD (though it needed some tweaking to produce optimum image quality).

The powerful, full-featured Area-51 7500 is great for gaming. For the high price, you get Alienware's thoughtful design and attractive styling--as well as DirectX 10 readiness.

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CyberPower Gamer Infinity Ultimate - blisteringly fast and comes with the works

This overclocked system is blisteringly fast and comes with the works, justifying its high price.

The Gamer Infinity Ultimate may lack the exotic looks and customized touches that uber-gaming systems from high-end boutiques like Voodoo and Alienware possess, but it makes up in function and price for any shortcomings in form. At $4399 as of March 16, 2007, including ViewSonic's VG2230WM (a $320, 22-inch, flat-panel display), the Gamer Infinity Ultimate costs thousands of dollars less than some gaming systems, yet delivers top-flight performance and first-rate hardware.


For gamers, performance is king, and the Gamer Infinity Ultimate qualifies as royalty. Its WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 129 was the highest of the eight power systems running Windows Vista that we tested recently. The Gamer Infinity Ultimate runs on Intel's latest quad-core, Core 2 Extreme QX6700 CPU, which CyberPower overclocked to 3.46 GHz. Notably, the system scored very well on the multitasking portion of WorldBench 6 Beta 2--second only to the Xi MTower IGE-SLI, which runs on Intel's dual-core Core 2 Extreme X6800 CPU.

Using dual SLI XFX GeForce 8800GTX graphics boards, our Gamer Infinity Ultimate scored very well: Frame rates while running Doom 3 and Far Cry were very high for most resolution settings; in some cases they were second only to the Xi MTower IGE-SLI, which used a single 768MB XFX GeForce 8800GTX graphics board.

In lieu of occupying an exotically sculpted case, our test PC came in a relatively staid Cooler Master CM Stacker 830 tower. Unlike many aluminum cases, the CM Stacker feels sturdy, and--as the name implies--it offers excellent cooling. Every face, including the bottom, has vents in it; and the interior holds five fans. Speed-hungry overclockers who aren't fans of liquid cooling systems will like the included Vigor Gaming Monsoon II CPU cooler, which combines airflow with a powerful Peltier cooler.

Data storage should be no problem for even the most inveterate digital packrats. Our review model came with two high-performance 150GB, 10,000-rpm Western Digital Raptor hard drives configured in a RAID 0 array, an additional 500GB hard drive, and a LiteOn Blu-ray DVD drive that can stores up to 25GB of content per disc. The $557 Blu-ray drive included with our test model is nice, but a frugal buyer could substitute a far less expensive DVD drive to lower the overall system cost. Gamers will like the Logitech G15 gaming keyboard, which carries its own LCD display for gaming stats plus 18 programmable buttons for gaming shortcuts.

Latches enable you to release both side panels for quick access to the case's interior, and the bank of four cooling fans located under one side panel pops off easily. You can add a card or drive without tools, but the bulky graphics cards block several of the expansion slots, and you have to remove a graphics card to reach the hard-drive bays.

The ViewSonic VG2230WM flat-panel display that accompanied our review unit displayed crisp details and rich colors, though we had to adjust the contrast to brighten the screen for DVD movie playback. Small type (6.8-point font) was sharp and readable at 1024 by 768 resolution.

The Gamer Infinity Ultimate may be expensive, but it packs a lot of value for gamers and power users who need speed, storage, and the ability to upgrade.

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Compaq Presario SR5350F Value Desktop PC - its graphics are too weak for serious gamers?

Inexpensive PC with big hard drive succeeds at standard multimedia tasks, but its graphics are too weak for serious gamers.

The low-cost Compaq Presario SR5350F is an enticing Vista Home Premium system that's well-suited for running standard applications and for managing a large digital library of video, music, and photos. Like the eMachines T5246, the SR5350F is a prebuilt retail system available in only one configuration, so you can't select different components before you buy it. Priced at $680 (as of 2/7/08), the system's components include a 1.8-GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2160 processor and two sticks of 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 memory (2GB total) mounted on an Asus IPILP-LC motherboard with integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics.

The SR5350F also comes with a 360GB Seagate hard drive that provides much more storage space than most value systems. Other goodies include a DVD/CD combo writer with LightScribe labeling capability, and a memory card reader. The bundled Compaq Wf1907 19-inch LCD (1440 by 900 native resolution) has lightweight built-in speakers that are best suited for Windows sounds rather than movie sound tracks. Though the monitor provides both digital and analog inputs, the SR5350F's integrated graphics allows only a VGA connection. Still, image quality was good, and the screen displayed accurate color graphics and readable text even at small sizes.

The SR5350F earned a score of 71 on WorldBench 6 Beta 2, placing it just behind the 73 scored by the Dell Inspiron 530, which uses the same CPU. Its performance in the Nero image-burning component of the test suite was the best of all value systems we've seen of late. But the SR5350F's graphics performance in running our gaming tests was poor, due to its underpowered integrated graphics, which also lacks full-scene antialiasing support for rendering smoother edges in graphics frames during game play.

In addition to stickers for system components, the SR5350F's glossy black-and-silver minitower case is peppered with connectivity port labels and customer support info-nice hand-holding for the complete novice. All external connections are easy to access, but you'll find no FireWire ports. Though thumbscrews hold the side panel in place, inside you'll need a screwdriver to secure any expansion cards and to work on the drive bays. Three open drive bays (two 5.25-inch external, one 3.5-inch internal) and three card slots (one PCIe x16, one PCIe x1, and one PCI) are available for upgrades.

One slight hassle: Accessing the open internal drive bay requires unscrewing the internal drive cage first, since its opening is blocked by the external drive bay cage. (Other systems position the internal drive cage in such a way that you can access the open area without having to remove the drive cage.)

As for the Compaq-branded input devices, the multifunction keyboard worked fine, but the ball mouse felt clumsy compared with the optical mice bundled these days with most value systems. Compaq's helpful online documentation is thorough and nicely illustrated.

All in all, Compaq's Presario SR5350F is a good-performing system with plenty of storage space, but you may want to add a discrete graphics card after you get it home.

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HP Pavilion a1510n - inexpensive PC

This inexpensive PC gives you a little more to work with than most other base-model PCs.

The Pavilion a1510n puts together an appealing mix of performance, cost, and features for anyone seeking an affordable, basic PC.

Ultra-budget-conscious buyers can certainly find a cheaper PC; a bare-bones HP a1400 series system, for example, starts at under $300. But anyone who wants to run an e-mail client, Web browser, and several other programs simultaneously or who wants to work occasionally with photo or other large data files will appreciate the extra processing power that the system's Athlon 64 3800+ CPU and 1GB of DDR2 RAM deliver--especially if an upgrade to Windows Vista is in their future.

The a1510n earned a performance score of 97 on PC World's WorldBench 5 test suite, a mark that ranks it a few percentage points below other systems running on the same CPU.

Due in part (we imagine) to its integrated GeForce graphics, which relies on both dedicated graphics RAM and system RAM, the a1510n posted an abysmal frame rate of 20 frames per second on our Return to Castle Wolfenstein test at 1280 by 1024 resolution; that's one of the lowest marks we've seen in recent times. Game play at chez Wolfenstein was choppy at best, and images displayed on the HP vx17e screen were far too dark for comfortable viewing. Nevertheless, other images and small (6.8-point) text appeared clear and readable.

HP has left the door open to faster graphics by providing an open X16 PCI Express slot on the motherboard. Adding a decent graphics card could be your ticket to a meaningful performance boost. Beneath the easy-off cover, a relatively uncluttered interior presents no obstacles to the open RAM and PCI slots, so you could easily add a TV tuner, which this bare-bones Media Center PC lacks. A single-screw clamping bracket secures all of the expansion cards, but you may have to wrestle with a wad of unkempt wires and cables to reach the open drive bays.

Other pluses for this budget system are a LightScribe DVD burner that introduces text and images on the "top" side of recordable CD and DVD media--at a price of around a $1 a disc--and a keyboard that offers lots of big, easy-to-reach control buttons.

As usual, HP's documentation includes a well-illustrated setup poster and excellent setup guides, making this system a great choice for a cost-conscious novice who wants a little more processing power than the typical entry-level PC offers.

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Top 5 Power Desktop PCs, Very powerful

These powerful desktop PCs are the right choice for demanding users. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.

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