EMachines desktop computers for home users remain one of the better bargains consumers can find for a complete PC. Although the T3500 series that eMachines offers doesn't ship with a monitor by default, many vendors have paired them with a display and still offer these home desktop computers for around $300.

So, what does $300 get you in a desktop computer for home users? Well, you're not going to get a cutting-edge PC, and the processor inside the T3504 (the lowest-priced system on the line) is a 3.2GHz Intel Celeron D 352 CPU. It's the budget processor line from Intel, but it's still fast enough for most home user activities, including some light gaming. All of the systems in the line utilize Celeron D CPUs, although the T3508 ships with a faster 3.33GHz version and a higher price tag, retailing at $380.

Memory is a bit low at only 256MB of 400MHz DDR RAM in the low-end T3504. The line supports up to 2GB of RAM, so there's plenty of room to add more memory for a performance boost. The other systems in the line start out with a more healthy 512MB of RAM, so it might be worth it to pay the extra up front for a jump in memory.

Hard drive space is fairly impressive, with the low-end T3504 starting out with a 7,200rpm 100GB drive. This gives you plenty of room for application installs and multimedia file storage. And as you move up the line, the hard drive size increases, peaking at the 160GB drive in the T3508.

The lower-end systems in this desktop computer for home line feature a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive. This optical drive lets you watch DVD movies as well as burn your own audio and data CDs. If you want DVD burning capabilities, you'll have to step up to the T3508, which ships with a dual layer DVD writer that can burn traditional DVDs as well as dual layer DVDs that can store up to 8.5GB of data or four hours of high-quality video on a single disk.

The high-end T3508 home desktop computer also comes with a 9-in-1 media card reader. This reader supports a variety of flash memory formats from Compact Flash and Secure Digital to Memory Stick and xD Picture Card, making it easy to transfer files and photos from a digital camera or an MP3 player onto your system.

Unfortunately, all of the home desktop computers in this line feature integrated graphics. It is ATI Radeon X300-based integrated graphics so it's better than some other options, but these graphics still share video memory with the main system RAM, so you'll get system slowdowns during graphically intensive tasks such as 3D gaming. On the plus side, however, all of these systems feature an open PCI Express x16 slot on the motherboard, so they're able to handle all of today's high-end graphics cards. If you're looking to use your T3500 system for 3D gaming, you'll want to add on a decent video card.

Audio is also integrated, although it's decent 6-channel high-definition sound. These desktop computers for home users come with a pair of amplified stereo speakers. They're not top-of-the-line speakers, but it's more than most manufacturers include with new systems.

Both a modem and a network interface are included on these home desktop computers, so you can connect them to the Internet either via broadband or via dial-up service providers. There are a variety of other ports on the silver and black midsize tower, including two USB 2.0 ports on the front for easy connection of peripherals. There are also front audio ports so you can connect a headset for Internet phone calls or video chatting.

The input devices are rather basic, with only a plain keyboard and a wheel mouse included with these home desktop computers. The software bundle includes Microsoft Works 8.5 for some basic home office applications as well as Microsoft Money financial software.

EMachines doesn't include a monitor with these desktop computers for home users, but as we mentioned, some vendors have bundled one in. In fact, we found the T3504 system paired with a 17-inch CRT display and a printer for under $300, so shop around to see what the deals are like in your area.

The eMachines T3500 line isn't filled with cutting-edge high-performance machines. But if you've got modest computing needs to match a modest budget, these desktop computers for home users are some of the best bargain finds out there.


Pros: Great price, good bundles available
Cons: Integrated graphics

Warranty
1-year limited