Event Coverage

PC Show 2013 - Notebooks/Systems, Networking, PC Accessories/Software & Gaming Gear Buying Guide

By Team HardwareZone - 7 Jun 2013

Desktops

Desktop Deals at the Show

Here are some highlighted desktop deals at the PC Show this year.

ASUS G10AC-UPS

The beautifully designed G10AC desktop system not only looks good, but it's also highly functional. It has a new 4th generation Core i7 processor and a built-in UPS Power Bank that not only stores your data during a power outage, but also has a high-capacity battery that you can use to charge your mobile devices.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $1770
  • PC Show Promotion: Free Trend Micro Anti Virus, ASUS Webstorage 32GB, Free ASUS Wireless Keyboard and Mouse, Trolley
  • Brochure

Location

Hall 6, Booth 6005 / 6012

Dell Alienware X51

This Windows 8 compact gaming system from Dell sports a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 graphics card with 1.5GB of video memory. The rig is powered by an Intel Core i7-3770 'Ivy Bridge' CPU, with 8GB -DDR3-1600 system memory and a 1TB HDD. No monitor is included in this package though.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $1799
  • PC Show Promotion: Free accidental damage coverage, TaxtX mouse, Alienware exclusive gift pack and second year warranty
  • Brochure

Location

Hall 6, Booth 6001, 6004, 6017, 6000A

Lenovo IdeaCentre B540

This compact Windows 8 all-in-one machine comes with a 23-inch Full HD, multi-touch display, Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD and a discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT 615M GPU for some light gaming.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $1299 (Usual Price: $1499)
  • PC Show Promotion: Free 3-year McAfee Internet Security, upgrade to 8GB RAM, 2-year on site warranty.
  • Brochure

Location

Hall 6, Booths 6019

HP Envy 20-d038d TouchSmart AIO Desktop PC

This Windows 8 all-in-one machine sports a 20-inch multi-touch screen with a resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels. Powered by an Intel Core i5-3330S rated at 2.7GHz, it operates on Windows 8, with an NVIDIA GT 610M graphics chip  with 1GB of video memory. For storage, it sports a 1TB HDD.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $1399
  • PC Show Promotion: Free Norton Internet Security ($69), MS Office 365 Home Premium (1 yr, $138) or purchase HP Slate for $99. Purchase with Purchase: Buy desktop care pack for $99 ($599), Beats Audio Solo Headphones for $129 ($420), or Microsoft Office Home and Student for $169 ($189)
  • Brochure

Location

Hall 6, Booths 6003 / 6015

Acer Predator G3620 (i347MR81T)

This gaming system comes bundled with a 23-inch full HD LED monitor. This Windows 8 system is powered by an Intel Core i5-3470 CPU. Though its NVIDIA GeForce GT 630 graphics card may not be the most powerful on the market, this system makes an ideal rig for the casual gamer on a budget.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $1299 (Usual Price: $1599)
  • PC Show Promotion: Free 2nd Year and 3rd Year Local Extended Warranty. Trade-in old notebook or desktop for $1200 rebate
  • Brochure

Location

Hall 6, Booth 6013

Acer Aspire 7600U (i363MR81TV)

This all-in-one system from Acer features a clean modern design capped off with glass front design. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-3630QM processor, and it sports 8GB of system RAM with 1TB HDD for storage. It also features a Blu-ray combo drive, allowing to enjoy Blu-ray content on its 27-inch full HD screen, which also supports 10-point multi-touch inputs.

PC Show 2013 Offer

  • PC Show Price: $2399 (Usual Price: $2799)
  • PC Show Promotion: Free 2nd and 3rd year local Extended Warranty. Trade-in old notebook or desktop for $1200 rebate
  • Brochure

Location

Hall 6, Booth 6013

 

PC Show 2013 Desktop Systems Portal

Desktop Systems Buying Guide

Despite the popularity of tablets and other mobile computing devices, the cornerstone of home computing has always been a desktop system. At PC Show 2013, there are a myriad of choices that run the gamut from high-end gaming PCs to All-in-One PC systems. Browse further for more tips on selecting the right system, together with some star deals we have managed to uncover on the show floor.

DESKTOP SYSTEMS TODAY

For the home consumer, there are two broad categories of desktop systems; namley, traditional desktop PCs and All-in-One (AIO) PCs. The traditional desktop PC usually comprises a computer chassis, bundled with a monitor, keyboard and mouse; however, some deals only include the chassis itself. For an AIO PC system, it isn't about a space-saving anymore as with the commercial availability of Windows 8, the AIO PC with multi-touch capabilities make more sense to the consumer who is likely to be familiar with touch interfaces offered by smartphones and tablets.

 

 

 

Desktop PCs usually comprise a chassis to house its components, while the input devices as well as video displays usually in the form of a LCD monitor are attached to it. There are some manufacturers who offer the chassis with the computing components tailored to the needs of the consumer, and leaves the choice of input and display devices entirely to the discretion of the informed consumer.

 

 

All-in-One PC systems are akin to a large tablet mounted on a desktop stand, and feature HD screens with AV connectivity options like HDMI and audio jacks. They also offer standard ports like USB 3.0 ports or even Thunderbolt ones. Just image all these hardware offerings in a footprint no larger than your traditional desktop display monitor!

 

What To Look Out For

Core Components: Most desktop systems use Intel processors; however, there are some that feature AMD processors or Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). For consumers looking at high-end gaming desktop PCs that sport third-generation Intel Core processors like the top-end Intel Core i7-3770K CPU. For such systems, they are usually coupled with a high-end graphics card that feature NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 graphics chip or AMD Radeon HD 7800 series GPUs. For users who don't have such demanding computing requirements, there are mini desktop PCs that  feature the AMD Trinity desktop APUs and they don't require the need for a discrete graphics card. Their chassis are much smaller and can be as compact as a small paperback novel.

For AIO PCs, the considerations are about the same; consumers need to take note of the processor power the rig as well as whether the AIO features on-die graphics processing capabilities, courtesy of the CPU, or such graphical tasks are handled by an onboard graphics chip that will work in tandem with the CPU.

Screen Size: For desktop PC systems that ship with a LCD monitor, please don't settle for anything less than 21.5-inch in display size with a resolution of 1920 x 1080.  A larger display will mean less scrolling about when viewing a document or a web page. It may improve the efficiency of your productivity tasks as the user is able to line up documents side-by-side for multi-tasking purposes. For AIO systems, the acceptable display size is 21.5-inch with a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. It is definitely better to settle for displays that are able to support full HD content for a more enjoyable visual feast. 

Windows 7 or Windows 8 OS: Most current desktop systems operate Windows 8; however, some may still offer Windows 7. As a precautionary measure, it is better to ask about the version of the Windows OS that is installed on the system.

Check out the latest desktops at our HardwareZone Desktop Systems Product Guide.

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