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HP Pavilion a810

REVIEW DATE:04.20.05

HP Pavilion a810

REVIEW

By Joel Santo Domingo

Editor's Note: This desktop was originally reviewed as a standalone product on 3/14/05 where it received a rating of 4 and an Editors' Choice award. The new rating reflects its inclusion in this comparative roundup.

If you're looking for an entry-level PC and think you might use the multimedia features of the Microsoft Windows Media Center OS, the HP Pavilion a810 is a good choice. This is a budget machine with the trade-offs entailed therewith, but it comes with a good selection of software and lets you have the MCE OS without breaking the bank.

red arrow Read the HP Pavilion a810 full review

Company

Hewlett-Packard Company

http://www.hp.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $689.98 Direct
  • Type: Value
  • Processor Family: Intel 5 Series (Pentium 4)
  • RAM: 256 MB
  • Storage Capacity: 80 GB
  • RAID: No
  • Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 GM
  • Primary Optical Drive: DVD-ROM/CD-RW
  • Secondary Optical Drive: None
  • Monitor Type: CRT
  • Screen Size: 17 inches

Bottom Line

If you're looking for an entry-level PC and think you might use the multimedia features of the Windows Media Center OS, the HP Pavilion a810 is a good choice. But you're getting a budget PC with no TV tuner, among other cost-saving trade-offs.

Pros

Media Center Edition OS at a bargain price (as low as $499). Plethora of added software, including Norton AV, Norton Firewall, Microsoft Works, and Quicken. Quiet.

Cons

No TV tuner. No speakers. No video out. No internal media card slots. Lacks PCIe or AGP port for upgrading graphics. Only 256MB of memory.

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