Amateur videographers might want to use an entry-level video editing package like Roxio VideoWave, which is also included in WorldBench 5. The budget systems did fine in our VideoWave tests, but most were still below the average score for all PCs we've recently tested.
The budget systems also took a beating in a WorldBench 5 multitasking test that consists of loading Web pages in Mozilla while encoding music and video clips with Windows Media Encoder. But several of the models came close to the PC World average for the everyday task of switching between applications in Microsoft Office 2002, as well as for ripping MP3s with Musicmatch Jukebox.
The Dell Dimension 3000's bundled LCD monitor and printer (printer not shown) make up for its feeble performance and limited upgrade options (for one thing, there's no AGP slot).
(Dell Inc.)
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In addition to WorldBench 5 evaluations, we did some informal speed tests. We found that performance deficiencies in many of the budget PCs are too small to show up in casual usage. For example, most of the systems applied a simple filter effect to photos in Adobe Photoshop Elements about as quickly as did a high-end comparison PC, a Gateway 5200XL with a 3.2-GHz Pentium 4 processor, 512MB of DDR400 SDRAM, and a 200GB Serial ATA hard drive. The same high-end system was up to about twice as fast at applying a complex filter, however. It was also far faster than most of the budget systems at ripping a CD in ITunes, which might matter if you want to digitize your entire CD collection over the weekend, but not if you just rip a disc now and then.
Whatever processor you have, pairing it with sufficient RAM is essential to overall performance. While several of these systems are available at a lower cost with 256MB of RAM, we asked each manufacturer to outfit its test PC with 512MB of memory, the minimum we recommend for Windows XP users. Sys Technology and WinBook, however, submitted systems with 256MB of RAM, and they had the two lowest WorldBench 5 scores. Equipped with 512MB of RAM, the Polywell Poly 880NF2-MX was the second-fastest budget system in the group, with a WorldBench 5 score of 71. As a test, we removed half the RAM, and its score dropped significantly to 67.
Storage
Hard drives can have a dramatic effect on performance in some systems. Today's fastest drives use the Serial ATA interface, but none of these budget desktops come with a SATA drive. Instead, they have Parallel ATA drives capable of spinning at a decent 7200 rpm -- cutting-edge technology about two years ago.
Most of our test systems include an 80GB hard drive -- plenty of room for any assortment of applications, plus good-sized music and digital photo collections. However, folks who have even more pictures and tunes, or a lot of video clips, should consider investing not only in a larger hard drive but also in a more powerful PC for its data-processing abilities.
One small-budget scenario that might demand more storage would be using the PC as a low-cost server to store backups or a music collection for a home, or to centralize files for a small office. For networking, each of these systems has an ethernet port and spare PCI slots for adding a Wi-Fi card, plus ports for attaching a USB-based Wi-Fi adapter.
If you're looking for high-capacity storage, you might be better off buying a dedicated network-attached storage appliance like the Buffalo LinkStation Network Storage Center or the Snap Appliance Snap Server 1100 (for more information, see last month's "Net Drives"). But the PC can offer more storage and expansion options, plus the ability to double as a low-end workstation.
If you anticipate needing additional storage, it's best to spend the money for it up front. Ordering the Dell Dimension 3000 with an 80GB drive instead of the 40GB one we received costs a mere $18 more. But adding a 40GB drive later can cost about $60, plus labor (likely your own). Unfortunately, some vendors sell fixed budget-PC configurations with no upgrade options at time of purchase.
The options are more plentiful for optical drives. Most of the systems come with a DVD-ROM drive, a CD-RW drive, or both (sometimes a combination unit). The WinBook PowerSpec 4988 even has a DVD writer (alas, the system didn't make our Top 5 list due largely to slow overall performance). CD-R/RW capabilities are virtually a must for archiving or passing along data -- especially since floppy drives are disappearing. (Only the Polywell includes a floppy drive.) And DVD-ROM drives are essential for watching movies on DVD and for installing large applications such as Microsoft Encarta Reference Library Premium 2005 and DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2005 Plus. All the budget systems had enough power to play movies smoothly in our tests.
