Computer Desktops Prices and Deals

Div.AplusAnnotate {font family: Arial, Helvetica, sans serif; font size: 13px;}div.AplusAcontentHead {font size: 15px; font weight: bold; font family: Arial, Helvetica, sans serif; }div.AplusAcontentBody {font family: Arial, Helvetica, sans serif; font size: 15px; }div.AplusAPlusHeader {font size: 15px; font weight: bold; font family: Arial, Helvetica, sans serif; line height: 2em;}div.AplusAcontentTopText {font family: Arial, Helvetica, sans serif; font size: 15px; padding top: .4em;}div.AplusAcontentLegal {font size: 11px; font weight: normal; font family: Arial, Helvetica, sans serif;}div.Aplusstyle11 {font family: Arial, Helvetica, sans serif; font size: 10px; } Multitask with ease with the stylish HP Pavilion p6720f PC—this desktop computer supports one or two monitors so you may be able to e mail, research, chat, browse the Web, edit photos and watch videos at the same time, and you may also easily move photos, music, and other files to and from your digital camera and other peripheral devices with the front panel 15 in 1 memory card reader.

136 of 138 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars Happy So Far!, January 27, 2011
By waterbowl See all my reviews () This review is from: HP Pavilion p6720f PC (Black) (Personal Computers) Ordered this from Amazon, and I have to I am really liking this computer!

I had it for about a month, using it every day. I left it on at times and I did some number of tests to be sure everything worked. I will break it down with my experience, maybe it will help many people out.


Processor: Phenom x4 840T
This is a newer AMD processor, an OEM only processor. So far it handled everything I have thrown at it. I can run many things a once without a slowdown. It is not silent, I generally hear the faint fan sound, but it is not deafening. I love this processor! I get a 7.3 in the Windows Experience Index.

Hard Drive: Hitachi HDS721010CLA332
1 Terabytes is more than enough for me. Lots of space! I read reviews online about this hard drive, and they have been on the positive side. I’m happy HP used a good hard drive. The sound is on the lower end, not a deafening hard drive at all. It gives me a 5.9 in the Windows Experience Index.

Optical Drive: Samsung TS H65SR
I couldn’t find any reviews about this DVD drive. It’s a basic drive on the cheap end. It isn’t noisy at all, except for when installing programs or running at top speed, which is normal. I experienced bad DVD drives before from Dell that sounded like a helicopter when they were in use, and that’s no exaggeration! So I’m happy to recieve a “normal” DVD drive. Programs install faster than on my older XP computer, I have not done too much burning still, but speed times are equally good.

Memory: six gigabytes
I was not able to see the maker of the memory. Six gigabytes is more than enough for me. It gives me a 7.4 in the Windows Experience Index.

Wireless Lan Card: Ralink
I will not be using the wireless at all for the moment. I did test the Ralink lan card out, and it worked like it should. An antenna is included. I can not speak for using it for long periods of time.

Power Supply: 250 Watts
This is a cheap low wattage power supply. If you want to add more drives or a video card, you will want to get a new power supply. It makes a low buzzing sound when it is fan is running on low, but you may be able to only hear it if you’re close to the computer. At full speed the fan sounds normal.

Integrated Video: Radeon 4200
Not good. While it is good for basic handling, you will need a new video card if you want to do anything involving high in depth graphics. This thing barely runs graphics from five years ago. Graphics and Gaming were low in the Windows Experience Index, I only got a 4.3 and 5.4 on it.

Keyboard and Mouse: HP
Both are wired and are the basic cheap kind. The keyboard is the new flat style, with the keys being more flat than sticking out like on the old keyboards. The optical mouse is a regular two button with a wheel. I favor the old keyboards, but these both are just good for basic use. I do like the look of the mouse, looks stylish!

Software included:
People typically call extra programs installed with new computers “bloatware”, it typically involves programs majority of people do not want. This does have many programs already installed, but it isn’t much at all. Only some e readers, 60 days free of Norton, Cyberlink to assist you burn disc’s, and some extra games from Wildtagent.

If any of the programs aren’t wanted, they may be uninstalled inside some minutes, then may be forgotten about. They’re but good for a new computer user.

I have to talk about the software HP included. I have been using Windows since Windows 95, and I have never, not once, ever used the “Help and Support” that is been included with Windows. But, looking at this one, it’s really great how they have it. They have a link that goes straight to the product page on their website with lots of useful details, I can run many diagnostic tests on the computer, and it has other useful tools and info. I really like the programs HP included, I find them useful.


Note!
You can only create one set of recuperation discs. Be sure to do it soon after you 1st turn on your computer. Once you create them, store them in a safe place. You may be able to generally order them from HP too if it is ever needed. I’d rather get a set of discs with the computer like they use to come with, but to be honest, I really do not mind creating a set like this.


UPGRADES!
I bought a power supply and video card seperately to go with this computer. I got this power supply OCZ OCZ500MXSP ModXStream Pro 500 Watt Power Supply and this video card Sapphire Radeon HD5770 Vapor X one GB DDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI Express Video Card 100283VX 2L.
Installing them both was easy. HP is great when it comes to having user friendliness in adding more parts to the computer, I just discovered this and I love it. They have many guides and pictures on their website showing how to add new hardware, in the case it has little diagrams to show you how to take off something. If I compare removing a power supply from this HP, and from a new Dell, HP wins big! I love how the case is intended too, much nicer than the typcial computer cases you’d find today.

After adding the new video card, my Windows Experience Index in the graphics section jumped up from 4.3 and 5.4, to 7.4. A big jump! A video card was definitly needed for me.


With my new power supply and video card added to the computer, I’m happy with this buy. If it lasts a long time without breaking down(oh I do hope it does not, do not break), then this will be ones of the best computer purchases I have made in quite many time.

---

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars best computer I have ever bought, February 12, 2011
By silverdragon See all my reviews This review is from: HP Pavilion p6720f PC (Black) (Personal Computers) I found this computer for $529 at staples. Now having used it I could have paid a great deal more. It took all of three min to set up and maybe ten to configure. It’s the most quite computer I have ever owned. And is considerably faster than any I have ever used. The tower is big in comparison to what I owned before, but with 1TB of hard drive and 6GB ram it is not a surprise. My old emachines monitor was matched and I am sure that majority will be so it is not a big deal it did not come with one. The keyboard is great, the buttons are low profile and quite. The mouse is plain. I meant on to get a wireless one anyway. The AMD processor is amazing to say the least. Finaly a computer that will not be outdated next year. It’s well worth the money.

---

Eight of nine people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of five stars Pretty happy with this box on Creative Suite, April 28, 2011
By Peter Hughes (USA) See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) This review is from: HP Pavilion p6720f PC (Black) (Personal Computers) I wanted an cheap computer to run Adobe CS5 with lots of RAM and hard drive space, without a whole lot else. I have been real happy with this computer. I do not game so the onboard graphics have been good. I’m trying to stick with a single monitor, I bought an awesomely cheap and good 24″ LED Viewsonic VX2450wm, so have not tried to split the dual digital DVI port still. The buttons on the mouse were pretty inflexible (good way to get RSI), so I used a Microsoft Mouse instead. Speakers weren’t included which was good with me, everyone has an old set of OEM speakers running around, why pay for another. I got a pair of inexpensive Genius SP HF500A speakers to play background music and they seem real good.

The bloatware on this box seemed many more intrusive than what I found on a bottom of the line (but still great) Compaq bought for my wife last year. For example, the IE8 browser had TWO count ‘em TWO separate search bars to get rid of. Then I went ahead and installed IE9 nevertheless which looks really clean and nice. I use IE9 to go to recognized or ‘technical’ sites (believe it or not, many applications still target IE only), and Foxfire four (which is great) with NoScript plugin for not known or everyday sites like when searching for something.

The ‘HP Total Care’ help package looks like it may really be useful, someday nevertheless though I do not understand the insane/idiotic Tim Burton style. What is wrong with a tool being simple, clean and not instantly dated? Nevertheless it also took awhile to pick through the bloatware and remove crappy parasites put there to drag my dollar away. The Compaq was much cleaner.

Two minor points on the case, compared with the Compaq (note same company). The on off button is on the top instead of the side, so you may be able to firmly push it in confidence without rocking the case. (I think that throws a strain on the HD, which if you think about it’s a powerful little gyroscope.) there’s a button to the side for stroking the DVD, a big plus over the other where the door covered up the button when it opened. This is supposed to have wireless but for security reasons I stay on a wired network. That’s the a characteristic I paid for and do not use. The machine is calm and the lamps are unobtrusive (no smart blue LED flashing away all night that I have to tape over to get many sleep).

This computer opens one specific big, heavily encoded (JPEG2000) graphics file in 30 seconds. That sounds like many, but my last computer took five minutes for the same file, and my box at work (top of the line some number of years ago, but saddled with many of corporate slowware) takes 20 minutes. Windows seven strikes me as being pretty slick. Many things seem to pop pretty good without the little waits and stumbles that I’m used to with XP. 98 was good in its time, XP was hard, this OS is just cleaner. I hated the tacky XP style and switched everything to Classic Mode, but I’m letting this one ride just like it’s. It’ll take me awhile to appreciate what Windows seven does but already it seems like a winner.

Here is a hint: hard drive toaster. I have a Thermaltake BlacX. It was a cinch to pop old HDs into the toaster and copy from the old computer to the new one. Many better than cracking the computer case and temporarily installing old drives. A good way to keep a backup HD in a separate place, especially when nobody else on your network is interested in making room for 500GB of your graphics files. If you do video this thing is heaven, store your whole project on a 1TB HD, set it in your bookcase, and move on to the next job with a clean slate.

Anyway, good luck with whatever you end up with, there’s many of good stuff out there These days for not so much money. My four star ranking is on account of the bloatware I had to use up time to get rid of. I also could liked more USB ports, particularly since the mouse and keyboard eat up two of them.

---