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Budget PCs

Want to buy a new PC without having to take out a second mortgage? These budget PCs strike a balance between performance and cost, covering the basics at affordable prices. Good for home office use, sending e-mail, and surfing the Net, a budget PC gives you the features that you need and none that you don't.

Budget PCs
Desktops Editors' rating Price Summary
iBuyPower Value-Pro
Released: 06/15/2005
7.7
Very good

This product is available directly from the manufacturer's Web site.
Nearly everything about the iBuyPower Value-Pro suggests a price tag higher than $999, making this a top choice among sub-$1,000 systems.
Specs: 17 in, AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (2.2 GHz) , 1024 MB DDR SDRAM , 160 GB Standard , Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

ZT Group Pro A7055
Released: 06/17/2005
7.0
Very good

This product is available directly from the manufacturer's Web site.
Dual optical drives (including a DVD burner) plus generous hard drive storage and several PCI slots make this a good choice for upgraders and digital pack rats, even if there isn't much left in the budget for audio and video features.
Specs: 17 in, AMD Athlon 64 3400+ , 512 MB DDR SDRAM , 200 GB Standard , Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

Apple Mac Mini (1.25GHz)
Released: 01/22/2005
6.9
Good
$454-$493
Apple trimmed some corners to keep the Mac Mini's price so low, but its great design and big software bundle make it a winner among budget PCs.
Specs: Motorola PowerPC G4 (1.25 GHz) , 256 MB DDR SDRAM , 40 GB Standard , Apple MacOS X 10.4