Engadget’s holiday gift guide 2011: desktops

Nov 16th 2011
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Welcome to the Engadget Holiday Gift Guide ! We’re well conscious about the heartbreaking difficulties surrounding the seasonal shopping experience, so we’re here that can assist you deal with this year’s tech treasures. Below is today’s bevy of curated picks, and you may head back to the Gift Guide hub to determine the remainder of the product guides as they’re added in the course of the holiday season.

Engadgets holiday gift guide 2011: desktops

Simply because most oldsters have moved onto lighter and more portable playthings doesn’t suggest there aren’t those of you that also enjoy some good old-fashioned “real computing” — you understand, of the immovable persuasion. We jest, as despite their waning sales, desktops still serve an essential role within the PC market, especially for those of you fascinated with all-out performance or a no-frills experience. And, while the pace of innovation in a once burgeoning category has slowed to a consolidated tranquil pace, there are still some hotspots of innovation — especially around all-in-ones and high-end gaming solutions. As you mavericks press on, so do we, so join us after the break as we recommend a number of our favourite desktops in your holiday perusal.

At the cheap

Dell Inspiron One

Though it will possibly not be what we’d call powerful in its base incarnation, you cannot fault Dell for the Inspiron 2320′s clean looks and coffee starting price. Six Benjamins nets you an all-in-one rocking a 23-inch display, replete with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB harddisk. Pricier configs wield touchscreens, HD webcams and scrap the budget Pentium for more brawny Core series processors. If you may have a penchant for speed, the $1,399-range topper awaits with its Core i7 married to 8GB of RAM, NVIDIA’s GeForce GT 525M and a Blu-ray burner, which have to be capable of handle what you’ll hurtle its way. But before you pull out that plastic, do note: USB 3.0 is nowhere to be found, and — despite us wishing it wasn’t so — all variant ship with Windows 7 Home, not Professional.

Price: $599 and up from Dell

Mid-range

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5 Samsung Series 7 5

While it would be down on graphical brawn, it’s in no way lacking originality. Marking the primary time an all-in-one from Samsung has made it stateside, the 23-inch LED-powered beaut is exclusive in its ability to fold completely flat. Available in two SKUs, you are looking at either Core i3 or i5 internals coupled with 1TB of storage and Intel’s integrated graphics. But unlike in lots of of its contemporaries, yow will discover USB 3.0 support, although you will only get one port. Oh and that panel? It is a touchscreen, so it won’t be long before you’re swiping at the custom touch layer, at radical oblique angles.

Price: $949 and up from 6 Best Buy 6

Money’s no object

4 Apple iMac 4

While it’s not the most up to date desktop at the block, there is not any denying it’s not the benchmark — at the least by way of details like fit and finish. Just like the remainder of Cupertino’s meticulously-crafted lineup, the iMac is carved out of a single piece of aluminum after which fused with über-reflective glass. You could find roughly the identical types of specs at the 21- or 27-inch variants, but those in search of a touchscreen, Blu-ray or USB 3.0 support have to look elsewhere. But, hey, as a minimum it has got Thunderbolt, right?

Price: $1,120 and up on 5 Amazon 5

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7 HP TouchSmart 620 7

If you’ve always wanted your all-in-one to have a bit more 3D, the hunt ends here. The 620 is a rehash of its predecessor — the 8 TouchSmart 610 8 — and that is a superb thing, because the stellar, tiltable 23-inch 1080p panel carries over from its predecessor. HDMI didn’t make the cut, but who’ll notice that when you are taking 3D snaps of yourself wearing those active shutter glasses that are available the box.

Price: $1,600 from 9 HP 9

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1 Digital Storm Ode Level 3 1

We all know, we all know. You could build something more powerful for less dough, but not everyone desires to roll their very own. Boasting an overclocked 4.7GHz Core i7, dual NVIDIA GeForce 570GTX’s in SLI, complete with 8GB of RAM, the Ode Level 3 means business. Still not sold? Well how about that trick white case? We predict it’s pretty rad.

Price: $2,339 from 2 Digital Storm 2

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