Reviews of six fully loaded industrial-strength Pentium PCs - includes directory - Hardware Review - Buyer's Guide - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, July, 1994

You never thought you could afford one this soon. But to blaze through business applications and fend off obsolescence for as long as possible, you've decided to buy a Pentium system. The obvious question remains--which one?

Our attempts to separate these 60-MHz systems by timed performance trials proved frustrating. Speed--the most pressing reason to buy a Pentium in the first place--provided us with essentially a dead heat, so we turned to the second key characteristic: value.

Differences in this criterion are noted below, but take the prices published here with a grain of salt. The first computers based on the 90-MHz Pentium chip are hitting the market at very aggressive prices. Inevitably, this introduction will rapidly push down 60-MHz Pentium prices.

Assuming that price is a key factor in your decision--and isn't it always?--call the mail-order houses and check with your local dealers to verify current prices for any models you're considering from the list below.

We are left, then, with an assortment of important but not central criteria to distinguish among half a dozen attractive choices. We feel strongly that if you buy a Pentium-based computer today, it should be multimedia capable--that is, it should incorporate a double-speed CD-ROM drive, a high-quality sound card, and a pair of external speakers. Some systems sound better than others, and one manufacturer--IBM--doesn't offer a standard system configuration with a built-in CD-ROM drive.

Beyond that, certain systems in this wrap-up excelled in their bundled software selections; others impressed us with their documentation; still others intrigued us with exceptional expansion capabilities.

AcerPower 9000T

Rating: * * * 1/2

Expandability is a key benefit of this Acer system. Not only are there more slots and drive bays than almost anyone is ever likely to fill, but three of the slots support the fast PCI local bus standard. Acer's keyboard had the best touch of any we tested, and the large AcerView 76i 17-inch monitor was certainly easy on the eyes (though less expensive monitors are available if you prefer).

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The unusual minitower design incorporates expansion slots on the sides that swing down, an interesting idea that would be more appealing if the construction felt a little sturdier.

The only significant failing was the included external stereo speakers, which are simply awful. These are easy and cheap to replace, though, and the generous selection of bundled software adds significantly to the system's excellent value.

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Compaq Deskpro XE 560

Rating: * * *

The combination of an extraordinarily long warranty and Compaq's long-standing reputation for quality workmanship makes reliability a key selling point of the Deskpro XE 560.

Price is another matter: The $4,361 selling price quoted to us by Compaq at the end of April is costly for a machine with an ordinary monitor, hard disk, and memory.

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Expansion options are limited in this system's compact case, and upgrading memory is especially difficult due to a design that requires removal of the hard-disk drive to install additional memory chips.

The sound system included in the Compaq unit is a mixed blessing. On the plus side, annotating business documents is easy with the provided software and microphone, and the speakers built into the system case sound alright and don't take up additional desk space. However, compatibility with SoundBlaster and other established sound card standards is less than perfect, making it a poor choice for educational or recreational computing.

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Dell Dimension XPS P60

Rating: * * * 1/2

Dell's fine track record of high performance and excellent value continues with this Pentium machine. The compact desk-top case of the Dimension XPS P60 is taller than most, allowing a generous number of slots and drive bays for system expansion. This is the only system tested that includes both 3.5- and 5.25-inch drives as standard equipment, a significant feature for those of us who have been computing for a while and have files stored on larger-size floppies.

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The $200 sound upgrade package includes a genuine SoundBlaster 16-bit sound card (essentially guaranteeing compatibility with any multimedia software title) and an excellent set of external speakers designed by Peavey, a well-known name in audio.

Add well thought out, readable manuals and 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week technical support and the Dimension XPS P60 is a top choice.

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Gateway 2000 P5-60

Rating: * * * 1/2

Gateway's Pentium model--the P5-60--delivers precisely the kind of computer the company is known for: solidly built, high on value, low on bells and whistles.

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We liked the bright, sharp display on the standard 15-inch Crystal Scan monitor and that the unit shipped with a genuine Microsoft ergonomic mouse. Also worth noting is the included CD-ROM drive with Microsoft Windows and assorted accessories plus sample audio and video clips and a variety of online educational guides on CD-ROM.