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Good computer for most home users: This is a pretty good computer for basic computing tasks: web browsing, office applications, and older or light games (i.e. no newer 3d games) will run fine on this computer. This is part of HPs “Everyday Computing” line and has a superior build quality to the Compaq branded computers but it will rank behind the higher end HPs. Still it’s solid enough for home users who want something better than the cheap entry level offerings like Compaq or E-Machines. I’ve come to favor HP branded desktop computers for home users because the overall quality is simply better and more consistent than the competitors. (To be clear Compaqs are made by HP but they are generally the lowest end of their product line).

Here is a quick breakdown geared for the typical shopper. If you are a tech geek I’d suggest reviewing the detailed specs on HPs site:

The CPU is more than adequate for home use. With three cores you can browse the web without pausing while your security software runs in the background (a must these days). If you’ve got an older single-core computer you’ve probably experienced the pain of having it slow down during virus scans. That won’t happen here. As you shop around you will see some newer offerings sporting a quad core CPU with a slightly lower MHz for about the same price. Honestly for non-gamers there isn’t too much difference here and since this is a non-gaming machine I’d shop based on price rather than worrying about 3 or 4 cores. You want at least 2 cores and all but the most entry level computer will give you that. Do not buy a single core computer unless it’s for someone you don’t like.

The RAM and HDD are also more than adequate for home users. Unless you plan on storing large volumes of video you will not come close to filling the HDD of this computer for some time. 4GB of Ram is perfect for this machine. It will be a long time before a home user will need more.

It comes with Windows Vista Premium which is the best choice for home users. The bugs that marred this operating system have been fixed and it’s now a safe choice that is generally easier to use than XP. Because this is using the 64 bit version of Vista you will find your older software may have trouble running on it (having been designed for a 32 bit or older O.S.). It does have a “compatibility mode” that should run older software but it’s problematic. For some things it works fine, or others it’s buggy. If you really need to run a lot of older software you probably want to wait until Windows 7 ships next year (it will be able to run Windows XP in the background for your older programs).

My main reservation is the graphics. Don’t get too excited by the “Nvidia GeForce 6150SE” listed here. It’s a very low end graphics part and while non-gamers will find it a good choice (why through a lot of money at graphics power you will never use) anyone expecting to do gaming, home entertainment, or video editing will be disappointed. If you are looking for a good machine to browse the web on this is more than enough for you.

The price when I wrote this review was much too high (close to $1000). This series from HP prices between $450-$600. Today you can buy the HP Pavilion A6700F for under $500 and it has comparable specs (a little less HDD space but a better CPU). If you would like to do some more serious gaming I’d look at the HP Elite series which has superior graphics. It also has the bonus of having really good build quality. Starting around $900 is the HP Pavilion Elite M9510F which is a good choice for moderate gamers, serious video editing, and home entertainment. Move up to the HP Pavilion Elite M9650F if you want to run high end games at high quality settings. I’d also price check against HPs site to make certain you are getting a good price here (Amazon has fair prices but some of the other vendors who sell here over charge).

To check price or purchase HP Pavilion A6530F Desktop PC.

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