Lowest Price

: 579.99

Brand

: Acer

Model

:

Reviewer: Derek J. Overstreet| Date:2009-10-31

I bought this system in July and it's worked very well since then. Obviously, the specs are fantastic for the price point. I've been very happy with this computer overall. I don't use it for gaming other than Nintendo 64 emulators. I run a lot of desktop applications including up to 16 tables of online poker while auto-updating a database of all my hands. No matter how many things I've had open, this thing has never even hiccuped. No freeze/crash issues like the other reviewer, either. Here are some specific thoughts:

PROS:
*Nice features in general. The Windows Experience score is 5.9 for processor/RAM/HDD, 5.4 for graphics, 5.3 for gaming graphics. It's really fantastic at multitasking desktop apps and it plays HD videos super smooth.
*The built in card reader is versatile and handy.
*Tons of USB ports. I think there's 10 in total, including 4 conveniently on the top of the tower along with a mic and headphone port that are easily accessible.
*I haven't done any upgrading other than adding an extra 640 GB HDD, but this thing runs really cool. I think I've heard the fans 2 or 3 times in 3 months of use.
*Having a wireless card is nice even if it's not a very good one.
*Free Windows 7 Upgrade.

CONS:
*Lots of people around here and elsewhere have mentioned cables being unplugged when they received the computer. This didn't happen to me, but it seems relatively common.
*Others have also commented that rather than 2+2+2 GB RAM, they have received 2+2+1+1, which makes upgrading more difficult. This didn't happen to me, but I know it's happened to some people.
*The mouse that comes with the system leaks red light out the front of it, which can reflect off the screen and bother you depending on how you hold the mouse.
*The power button is awkwardly placed on top of the tower, so if you're not careful you can accidentally turn it off. Also, I have this in my bedroom and the light is bright. On sleep mode it flashes (super annoying) and is really pointless/distracting in a dark room.
*Lots of bloatware comes pre installed. Just remove it.
*Acer support is terrible imo. For a desktop that's not as big a con as a laptop imo.
*The integrated ethernet has caused issues with my wired internet when going through a router. It fixes upon resetting the modem & router but it is a very consistent problem and it's unique to this computer and has never happened to another computer on the same router. Drivers etc. haven't fixed the issue. I just leave the machine on as a workaround.
*450W power supply isn't great.
*Windows 7 upgrade has been painfully slow. It's a week afterward, I pre-ordered in July, and they haven't shipped mine yet. Acer support is terrible.

Overall I'm very happy with this computer and would definitely purchase it again. For the price and features I'm happy to put up with the mostly minor cons I've listed above.

Review from Review from Amazon

Reviewer: Christie J. Paul| Date:2009-10-19

This machine is a decent gaming rig for the money you spent on it. But after I bought this machine, the system was freezing up from the first day itself. Everytime after I try to play game like NFS Undercover, or Crysis, the system freezes up just like that. I returned the system to the repair facility and hopefully I'll get it back tommorrow(Oct 19).It's been just one month since I bought this pc and it's already sent to repair facility. Although I appreciate the pc's performance in all other matters. For the 6GB DDR3 RAM and Core 2 Quad Processor, it really shows what it has got inside. I ran Crysis Warhead with GAMER specs with AA 4x without much hassle and trouble on my system(although the system was freezing after 30 mins). The stock fan is enough to keep this system from over heating. When the system was shipped to me, the SATA cable to the HD was not connected at first. That made me open up the case first day itself when i got this.It had the Windows 7 upgrade choice and i registered for it, now waiting for it to arrive. In every aspect(except the repair thing) this pc is an incredible bang for the buck you spent. Sure I'll prefer this pc for anyone who is looking for a decent gaming pc under $650.

Review from Review from Amazon

Reviewer: D. Fox| Date:2009-09-08

I love this machine. It is very fast and does whatever I need it to do.

Review from Review from Amazon