MK Computing

For best Buy shoppers interested in taking advantage of Intel’s 2011 second-generation Core (aka “Sandy Bridge”) processor technology, the Gateway DX4860-UB21P ($599.99 list) provides a compelling way to do so without spending a lot of money. Delivering solid performance on par (and in some cases surpassing) what we saw with our last Editors’ choice for budget desktops, the Lenovo IdeaCentre K330-11691AU ($599.99 list, 4 stars), it should be able to power through most any ordinary task you or your family can throw at it. though (predictably) not great for gaming, and not much of a looker, the DX4860-UB21P is a fine desktop at a fair price.

Design and Features the DX4860-UB21P is loaded with a 2.8GHz Intel Core i5-2300 CPU, which gives you four processing cores and four threads. (Hyper-Threading is not supported on this chip, though Turbo Boost is, which means you can temporarily jolt the PC up to 3.1GHz in certain situations). the 8GB of DDR3 RAM make for a good starting point, and you can upgrade all the way to 32GB if you want. as is typical with low-priced desktops, this Gateway has only integrated video capabilities (Intel HD Graphics 2000, which the CPU enables), so you’ll want to abandon any notions you may have of intense 3D applications and games.

Complementing this hardware are a DVD burner and a 1TB hard drive, which is a goodly amount of space for storing your photos and music. (Some desktops in this price range come with bigger hard drives—the HP Pavilion p7-1074 ($599.99 list, 3 stars) has 1.5TB, for example—but this is still a pleasant chunk of space.) and, to save you the trouble of having to run wireless all over your house, 802.11n Wi-Fi is integrated. There’s an Ethernet jack, too, of course, which can be found on the rear panel with PS/2 keyboard and mouse jacks; VGA and HDMI ports; six USB 2.0 ports; and headphone, microphone, and line-out audio jacks, as opposed to the 7.1-channel options you see on some PCs.

On the DX4860-UB21P’s glossy front panel, like the rest of it a basic, boring black, you won’t find much beyond the optical-drive doors. Up on the sloping top edge, there’s a multiformat card reader, two USB 2.0 ports, and headphone and microphone jacks. the sole design twist may be found on the top panel: a tray-like depression, ostensibly for holding your devices while they’re connected, which is graced by two additional USB 2.0 ports. (This Gateway has no USB 3.0 ports, which are rare to find, at least at the moment, in budget models.)

Software offerings on the DX4860-UB21P are light as well: In addition to the Windows 7 Home Premium OS, you’ll find Microsoft Office Starter 2010, CyberLink Power DVD, and Adobe Reader.

best Buy also has an extended warranty program, which offers customers an extra year of protection beyond the one-year warranty of most system manufacturers. there are two plans in this extended warranty program. the standard plan ($119.99) covers the system against normal wear and tear, power surge damage, and includes a “No Lemon” guarantee in which best Buy will simply replace the computer if it requires more than four repairs during the coverage period. best Buy’s advanced plan ($219.99) offers all this, and also covers the system against accidental damage from drops and spills. Other special offers can be found online or in stores, like discounts on printers, software, and tech support plans which are available with any new consumer PC purchased through best Buy.

Performance no, the DX4860-UB21P is not for gaming, as we definitively discovered when we could barely eke out 12 frames per second in Crysis configured with medium detail settings at a 1,280-by-720 resolution. (We didn’t bother with our 3DMark 11 or Lost Planet 2 gaming tests; Sandy Bridge integrated graphics only supports DirectX 10.1, not DX11 as these tests require.) In our productivity tests, however, it acquitted itself admirably, using Handbrake to convert a video file to an iPod-ready format in 1 minute and 24 seconds, finishing CineBench R11.5′s rendering challenge with a score of 4.64 (the IdeaCentre earned only 2.98 doing this), and applying a dozen filters and effects to a large photo in Adobe Photoshop CS5 in 3 minutes and 38 seconds (noticeably ahead of the IdeaCentre, which needed 3 minutes and 49 seconds).

the Sandy Bridge chip in the Gateway DX4860-UB21P definitely confers its superior multimedia capabilities on this PC, so if you’re frequently recording, editing, and uploading videos, you’ll appreciate what it can do. a spunkier appearance and better audio options would be nice, but if you don’t care too much about those things, you’ll likely find that the DX4860-UB21P will take good care of you.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS Check out the test scores for the Gateway DX4860-UB21P

COMPARISON TABLE Compare the Gateway DX4860-UB21P with several other desktops side by side.

More desktop reviews: •   HP TouchSmart 610-1150y•   Sony VAIO VPC-L222FX/B•   Gateway DX4860-UB21P•   HP Pavilion p7-1074•   Toshiba DX1215-S2101•  more

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