Top 10 budget PCs

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In this story: Tech trend: Explaining LANDesk and Wake-on-LAN Top 10 budget PCs Also of note... RELATED STORIES, SITES

by Mick Lockey

(IDG) -- Our number one Best Buy, the Micro Express MicroFlex 600A, maintains its grip for the fourth month in a row, while Quantex's SB500sx breaks into Best Buy territory for the first time. Stepping in at number six, the Dell OptiPlex GX100 offers corporate users an affordable system with such business-class features as a network card, chassis intrusion detection, and Wake-on-LAN, along with the company's top-notch reliability rating.

Many corporate systems -- including the Dell OptiPlex GX100 (number six on this month's budget chart) -- come with either LANDesk or Wake-on-LAN. Both of these network-management tools can be valuable, but what do they do?

LANDesk and Wake-on-LAN allow network administrators to access client PCs on a network remotely, without disturbing the user. For example, a system administrator can use LANDesk to check a system's processor type, RAM allotment, hard drive size, and other information from a remote location. LANDesk also enables the administrator to monitor system health and receive alerts if a system problem such as an imminent hard drive failure arises.

Similarly, Wake-on-LAN combines software and hardware to allow administrators to start up systems remotely for after-hours software upgrades, virus scans, and backups. Both Wake-on-LAN and LANDesk can help you manage large groups of computers, but LANDesk usually exacts a small price in return: Systems running remote management software may take a slight performance hit. Fortunately, our PC WorldBench 2000 tests show that the average performance decline is less than 5 percent, which most users won't notice.

Top 10 budget PCs

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1. Micro Express MicroFlex 600A: This is an excellent general-use system for a small office seeking performance on a shoestring.
2. Quantex SB500sx: A strong performer for the price, this Quantex would suit almost any small business faced with a tight budget.
3. NuTrend Athlon Special 2: For a budget system, this NuTrend delivers adequate performance for users with multimedia needs.
4. Quantex M650sx: The M650sx would make a capable addition to any small office, though heavy word processing users may want to spring for a sharper monitor.
5. Sys TaskMaster 600A: Ample upgrade room and fast performance make this system a good choice for small and home offices.
6. Dell OptiPlex GX100: For the corporate buyer who's looking for high-end features and a low-end price, this OptiPlex fits the bill.
7. Racer PC500c: Providing solid power at a low price, the Racer would work well for people who don't demand topflight multimedia performance.
8. IDot.com SA Series 600: This PC would be at home in a networked small office that's keeping an eye on the bottom line.
9. Polywell Poly LPC 1000: This minuscule Poly would make a great system for a (very) small office with severe space constraints.
10. Toshiba V3100: This solid corporate workhorse should appeal to IT managers looking for moderate power at a bargain price.

The Premio Aries T440Z lands beyond the Top 10, despite packing business extras such as a network interface card, a case lock, and Microsoft Office 2000 Small Business Edition. Its lackluster performance on our PC WorldBench 2000 tests didn't help its ranking: Even with a PIII-600 inside, this Premio managed a score of only 121, trailing similarly configured systems we've tested. The system is further marred by a tiny and fairly cluttered interior, so upgrading components could be challenging. Although the 17-inch Premio Elite 701 monitor delivered crisp text at average resolutions, it blurred at the maximum resolution of 1280 by 1024, and colors in our test images appeared washed out and a bit tepid.

Two previous Top 10 PCs, Polywell's Poly LPC 1000 and Toshiba's V3100, ease back onto the chart (in ninth and tenth place, respectively), replacing two that dropped off. Last month's number nine, Acer's Power 4400, was discontinued, while Micron's ClientPro Cf fell from view because of its relatively high price.

We've noticed some subtle changes during the past year in the processors that appear in our budget Top 10 PCs. In September 1999, systems powered by Pentium III and Celeron CPUs dominated the budget chart. But that makeup has gradually changed. These days a budget system is more likely to feature an AMD chip than one made by Intel. Beginning with our June 2000 issue, systems carrying AMD processors have been infiltrating the budget chart, slowly gaining ground on those that use Celeron and Pentium III CPUs.

Last month, half the systems on our budget chart came equipped with AMD processors -- most of which were based on the Athlon architecture, as opposed to the older K6-2 architecture, which has gravitated to the budget chart in its lower-megahertz form. This month, an AMD Athlon-based system (NuTrend's Athlon Special 2) delivered the fastest CPU performance on the budget Top 10.

Other important changes are on the horizon. Next month, PCs that feature AMD's new Duron processor, intended for price-conscious buyers, will make their appearance. Instead of seeing yesterday's technology on today's budget chart, we'll see more systems carrying chips that Intel and AMD have introduced specifically for this segment of the market.

Should laptops join lunchboxes?
July 4, 2000
AMD's low-cost Duron chip takes aim at Celeron
June 20, 2000
Top 10 budget PCs
May 11, 2000
Top 15 notebook PCs
April 27, 2000
Top 15 home PCs
April 17, 2000

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