HP Pavilion S3200n Slimline Review

After my four year-old computer's motherboard crashed, we became in immediate search of another machine. This time we wanted something a little more modern but not too intimidating since this was going to be a family computer, dedicated mostly to web use and a few digital pictures. After massive research by my wife and me, we decided on the HP Pavilion Slimline s3200n and we couldn't believe all the features we got for less than $600!!

The Slimline s3200n's first outstanding feature is its size and beauty. The tower is half the size of your normal PC tower, so you can fit it in almost any room. The black with crystal blue lights make it alluring enough to place in your living room as postmodern art. It's like having a laptop-like PC with PC power. I like that you can tilt the Slimline to horizontal with no effects on the drives and/or cooling because of the vent placement.

The s3200n comes with an optical drive, four external media slots and enough USB plugs to attach game controllers and such. However, there is only one USB slot in the front, so hopefully you are a solo gamer.

I also like that it has a built-in wireless antenna just in case you are ready to move away from the LAN/Ethernet internet connection. All you have to do is screw in the antenna pole and voila! You are sucking up bytes in the air.

As far as computing speed, the Slimline is a mixed bag for me. I like that I have a 1 gig standard system memory and an Athlon dual-core 4800+ processor. That isn't bad for family computing. However, Windows Vista Premium also sucks up a lot of memory, so it isn't heads above what I had four years ago. The integrated graphics (Nvidia 6150 SE) are right at the level you need to do the basic digital photo works and web game play, but if you plan on playing Everquest, I'd suggest an upgrade to the memory and graphics card.

The sound on the HP Slimline is impeccable. Every little sound effect in the DVDs I play come out crisp and clean thanks to the built-in high def audio. I paired it up with the not-so-expensive insignia speakers and it still sounds refreshing. With 320 gigs of storage, the Slimline is perfect for movie viewing!

If you are looking for a new family PC, I would highly suggest the HP Slimline s3200n. It won't break your bank; you'll get more features than you need and none that you don't want. It is the perfect combination of functionality and beauty for home computer use.