Laptops may be the go-to systems for many incoming college students, thanks in large part to their portability, but desktop PCs have plenty of advantages of their own. For starters, desktops are certainly the cheaper alternative. They're also great to have in the house for grade-schoolers, who usually need parental supervision. And it doesn't have to be a monster system to offer power beyond what you'll find in your everyday laptop.
Now that you know what to look for, check out the full reviews of our top desktop picks for heading back to school.
Featured in this Roundup:
Apple iMac (24-inch Penryn) ($1,799 direct)
The iconic iMac adds a next-gen Intel Penryn processor to its mix. It's faster, more powerful, and still the all-in-one PC to beat. If you get one of these, your art student will love you.
Compaq Presario sr5510f ($420 list)
This inexpensive PC for your student is an okay alternative if you're looking for an inexpensive PC for basic needs. A cheap-feeling keyboard, ball mouse, and scads of crapware show that you get what you pay for.
Dell Inspiron 518 ($764 direct)
The Dell Inspiron 518 is sleek, midprice, and well equipped with a quad-core processor. Just don't expect to upgrade it very far.
Dell Studio Hybrid ($874 direct)
This small-form-factor PC is great for the space-constrained student. It's stylish and compact—and it has no crapware. Its most notable feature is its forward-thinking design.
eMachines T5254 ($400 list)
Overall the T5254 is a decent buy that has just enough upgrade options for the price point, making it a good first PC for a grade-schooler.
HP Pavilion Slimline s3500f ($580 direct)
This small desktop offers a full-size hard drive and optical drive, and some internal expansion. Forward-looking, with 4GB of memory and Vista 64-bit, the HP Pavilion Slimline s3500f is a good-value choice for the high school or college-bound student.
Gateway GT5685E ($900 direct)
You can conveniently pick up the GT5685E along with a pallet of paper towels at Costco. The included 22-inch widescreen monitor is a plus, as is the extra memory.
Lenovo ThinkCentre a61e ($659 direct)
This compact desktop PC from Lenovo shows that you can have energy efficiency as well as an easy-to-live-with business PC, making it a good choice for your environmentally sensitive business school student.
Velocity Micro Vector Campus Edition (2008) ($999 direct)
The Velocity Micro Vector Campus Edition's balance between all-out performance, features, and price keep it in the sweet spot among this esteemed gathering of PCs. Get this one for the demanding young adult or late teen in your life.
Review source : here