eMachines T5230

The good: Overachieving performance for a $500 PC; $50 mail-in rebate; attractive-enough looks.

The bad: Competing systems have more robust features.

The bottom line: We like this new eMachines T5230 quite a bit for its fast processor. Our main reservation is that other vendors have become more aggressive in adding features to their low-end PCs, and eMachines has opted for power over a well-rounded PC. Still, if all you need is a basic, able desktop, this is a great deal.

The $500 eMachines T5230 sits on the top-end of eMachines' new systems for the third quarter of 2007. It's also the strongest of the company's new batch of nonconfigurable, retail-only PCs--which you might imagine given that it's the most expensive of the bunch. While it offers plenty of upgradability for a budget PC, we've seen competing models in this price range offer bonuses right out of the box such as built-in wireless networking and Bluetooth. Dell will also be making the budget competition even more fierce when it adds built-in Bluetooth via a media card reader to its new Inspirons. If you're simply after raw performance in a cheap system, this new eMachines is a great pick. For a more well-rounded computing experience, other vendors still offer more.

One thing we love about eMachines desktops: they're easy to review. Because eMachines' systems change from one fixed configuration to another between quarters, the updated specs usually move only gradually. Like the last two eMachines iterations we've covered, the T5230 features an attractive-enough case with a simple front-panel design. It's not showpiece hardware, like an Apple or other flashier systems, but it's also inoffensive enough to fit in with pretty much any surrounding.

And while the two look the same externally, the T5230 and its predecessor, the T5226, differ substantially on the inside. Here's a brief rundown:

If you're wary of the new model's power based on its CPU clock speed, our benchmarks should allay your fears. On every performance test, the new eMachines 5230 beats up on the older model, as well as every other system in its price range that we've reviewed over the past few months. We also include the Dell Inspiron 531 to show that, depending on the test, this eMachines isn't that much slower than a competing PC that costs about $400 more.

Unfortunately for eMachines, our budget ratings don't value performance as much as they do features. The T5230 has everything we'd expect in a low-cost PC six months ago: the dual-layer DVD burner, the media card reader, and room for a low-end to midrange discrete graphics card. The problem is that from the Mac Mini to the HP SlimLine to Dell's new configurable Inspiron 531 and Inspiron 530 PCs, you can now get a system in roughly the same price range with built-in wireless networking, and in the case Apple and the new Dells, Bluetooth connectivity. In addition to a graphics card, the eMachines T5230 also has room for a few expansion cards and a second hard drive. We'd like it better if eMachines itself took advantage of all that upgradeability.

eMachines' single year of parts-and-labor coverage is on a par with the industry average. And while it's not 24-7, we can certainly live with phone support that's open from 5 a.m. to 12 am (PT), all week long, even if it's not toll free. Better yet, via eMachines' live chat support, you can let a technician take control of your system to help diagnose and solve problems. eMachines desktops also feature Gateway's BigFix diagnostic tool, which notifies you of potential software conflicts and available updates.

Find out more about how we test desktop systems.

Adobe Photoshop CS2 image-processing test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

In seconds

Dell Inspiron 531

244 

eMachines T5230

332 

HP Pavilion SlimLine s3020n PC

364 

HP Compaq Presario SR5050NX

390 

eMachines T5226

402 

Apple iTunes encoding test
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

In seconds

Dell Inspiron 531

172 

eMachines T5230

193 

HP Pavilion SlimLine s3020n PC

224 

HP Compaq Presario SR5050NX

234 

eMachines T5226

242 

CineBench
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

Rendering Multiple CPUs

Rendering Single CPU

Dell Inspiron 531

709 

384 

eMachines T5230

632 

341 

HP Pavilion SlimLine s3020n PC

547 

297 

eMachines T5226

475 

256 

HP Compaq Presario SR5050NX

475 

258 

System configurations:

eMachines T5226
Windows Vista Home Premium; 3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 925; 1GB 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 224MB (shared) Intel GMA 950 graphics chip; 250GB 7,200rpm Western Digital hard drive

eMachines T5230
Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.3GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400; 1GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 128MB (shared) Nvidia GeForce 6150SE graphics chip; 250GB 7,200 rpm Western Digital hard drive

HP Compaq Presario SR5050NX
Windows Vista Home Premium; 3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 925; 1GB 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 224MB (shared) Intel GMA 950 graphics chip; 250GB 7,200rpm Samsung hard drive

HP Pavilion SlimLine s3020n PC
Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.0GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+; 1,024MB 533MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 128MB (shared) integrated Nvidia GeForce 6150LE graphics chip; 250GB 7,200 rpm Samsung hard drive

iBuypower Value 640
Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6400; 1,024MB DDR2 533MHz SDRAM; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 7600GS graphics card; 320GB 7,200rpm Seagate hard drive

Intro: The eMachines T5230 is an Athlon 64 X2-based, value-oriented desktop PC.Compared to other basic PCs on the market, it is very inexpensive at around $380.This PC comes with 1 GB RAM, and a 250GB hard drive.

Noteworthy Features: Has a DVD? RW(? R DL) / DVD-RAM disc drive, which is somewhat more preferable than some similarly priced PCs.

Weaker Features: None noted, given available product data.

Suitability: A budget PC, suited for basic computing tasks, such as word processing, e-mail, and web browsing.Comes with a DVD writer, allowing you to convert home movies from your digital camcorder onto DVD's.Make sharing photographs through the mail easier: put them on a disc with the CD burner in this desktop.

Value: In view of its very inexpensive price, this PC has great features for the money.

Suggestions: (1) If you plan to be playing the latest 3-D games, you may want to invest in a more powerful video card from NVidia or ATI, which are popular with the gaming community (requires an open AGP or PCIe slot).(2) For help in deciding if this is the right desktop for you, see CNET's buying guide for desktops.