A Desktop Computer Review of the HP Pavilion A6120N

Desktops that are priced under $1000 are often some of the most popular. This is true especially this time of year as parents are starting to make purchases for their children in anticipation for the upcoming school year. I have been lucky enough to get my hands on the HP Pavilion A6120N which falls into this pricing category. I'm going to let you know how it performs for me and if it is worth the investment.

Hardware:

Processor: 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 dual-core

Storage Space: 320 GB Serial ATA hard drive

RAM: 2 GB of RAM (upgradable to a 4 GB maximum)

Optical Drive: a 16x DVD-/+ with integrated CD R/RW burner

Graphics Accelerator: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (using 64 MB of dedicated memory and up to 256 MB partitioned over from RAM)

The hardware is decent on this desktop with a good power plant in the 2GHz Intel chip. I like the robust hard drive with the 320GB be adequate for the capabilities of this PC. The at 2GB allows for Vista to run smoothly but is a minimum in my opinion (this can be upgraded to a 4GB maximum which should lengthen the time this computer is effective for the owner). Boot times are good in my opinion but can be improved by removing some of the unneeded trial ware that HP has included on this desktop. I saw minimal lag while multitasking with a number of tabbed browsers and Microsoft office applications. The graphics card unfortunately didn't lend itself to playing very graphically intensive games so hardcore gamers can stay from this one.

Connectivity:

6 2.0 USB ports (these are the standard connections for peripherals such as scanners, digital cameras and iPods)

2 FireWire ports (these are designed for high speed transfer and can be between digital camcorders or other compatible PCs)

2 PS/2 ports (old school input device ports)

1 VGA monitor output (a typical monitor connection)

2 audio outputs / 2 microphone inputs

4 standard surround sound speaker outputs

15 in 1 media card reader (these slots allow the consumer to directly insert memory from their mobile devices into the PC)

I like the connectivity in this computer, however there is nothing that really sets it apart from the pack. This desktop is perfect for families and students. It's going to do all the work you need - it will run office programs fine, even Photoshop. This desktop is going to download music, watch movies, and manage family videos. With an average online price of about $700 this desktop is right on target. There may however be some price fluctuations when the August high season hits but I don't foresee it falling below $600.