Lenovo H210

Processor: 2.5GHz Pentium Dual-Core
Memory: 4GGB DDR2
Storage: 500GB hard drive
Optical Drive: DVD±RW
Monitor: None
Graphics: Integrated Intel graphics
Operating System: Vista Home Premium (32-bit)

Lenovo's H210 desktop may be priced at just $479, but it doesn't look it. It's clad in black metal, with a high-gloss front panel that turns even the multiformat card reader, two USB ports, and headphone and microphone jacks into artistic statements. Plus, an elegant orange stripe and wood-grain-style decoration near the bottom provide a vivid contrast to the shiny top portion. This is a PC that looks like a serious tool for serious—but not stuffy—people.

But if the H210's appearance belies its price, its performance does not. Loaded with a 2.5GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor (not a newer Core 2 Duo), 4GB of DDR2 RAM, and the 32-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium (which can't take advantage of that full complement of RAM), this machine is not exactly primed for speed. And its other accoutrements—a 500GB hard drive, integrated Intel GMA3100 graphics, and a standard-issue DVD±RW drive—can't really compensate for the performance woes.

As a result, you get the slightly below-average speed you'd expect in traditional productivity applications. The H210 scored 4,973 in our 32-bit Cinebench 10 rendering test and 3,500 in Futuremark's PCMark Vantage, both well ahead of the eMachines ET1161-03 and especially the Shuttle X27D, but lagging far behind other recent budget machines we've tested. The time it needed to complete our Windows Media Encoder and iTunes conversion trials—6 minutes and 22 seconds, and 3 minutes and 39 seconds, respectively—were in keeping with this. (Interestingly, though, the Lenovo beat the iBuypower Gamer Paladin Q600-SB by a hair on the iTunes test, though the iBuypower surpassed it everywhere else.) Our Company of Heroes DirectX 9 gaming test went about as sluggishly as we predicted—the Lenovo could pull down only 3.3 frames per second (fps). (The iBuypower managed 16.3fps, which is better, though still not good.)

The H210 wasn't built for gaming, so its lack of facility isn't exactly a surprise. This system is intended for small-business or home-office tasks such as e-mail, word processing, and Web browsing, and as long as you don't need many specialized capabilities, the Lenovo will do just fine. But external connectivity is basic, at best: In addition to the front-panel jacks mentioned above, you get two PS/2, a nine-pin serial, a VGA out, four more USB, an Ethernet, and standard audio ports on the back. All four internal expansion slots—one PCI Express (PCIe) x16, two PCIe x1, and one regular PCI—are unoccupied, but there are no extra RAM slots, and only one 3.5-inch internal bay for installing another hard drive. (There are no other external bays at all.)

Given the H210's price, though, these impediments don't have to be deal-breakers. If all you need is a simple desktop for basic home or office tasks—or, even better, a second PC for yourself or maybe the kids—you might not need to upgrade this PC at all. And if that's the case, this Lenovo is a sensible option at a very sensible price.

Price (at time of review): $479

author : Matthew Murray