EMachines T3085 nForce2 PC Desktop Review

The eMachines T3085, a well-equipped budget system, continues the tradition of solid components with a modest price tag. The catch? Even though this is eMachines’ “top of the line,” you’re not necessarily getting the most advanced desktop components out there. That, however, is a minimal compromise for this steal of a system. Like the recently reviewed eMachines T2742, the T3085 has expansion room for a couple of PCI cards and another hard drive. Thanks to its nForce2-based motherboard, it also has an 8X AGP slot, which can be used to upgrade to a high-powered 3D graphics card.

..The T3085’s Business Winstone score of 22.3 puts it in the same class as the high-powered 3.2-GHz Pentium 4 PCs we’ve reviewed recently, like the Compaq Presario 8000T and the ABS Ultimate X5. So if you plan to run basic computing tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, and Web surfing, the T3085 will serve you well for several years to come.

Pros: The DVD multiformat drive and flash memory card reader are definite advantages in this budget package.
Cons: Requires AGP upgrade card to play 3D-intensive games. Lack of FireWire port means that you will need a FireWire PCI card if you want to dabble in video editing.
Bottom Line: The eMachines T3085 has a great bang for the buck: While it is a little short on bundled software, this well-equipped base machine will last several years before needing replacement.

Spec Data: 2.1-GHz AMD Athlon XP 3000+ processor; 512MB DDR333 SDRAM; 160GB, 7,200-rpm hard drive; integrated nVidia GeForce4 MX graphics; DVD+/-RW drive; CD-ROM drive; integrated nVidia nForce2 sound card; eMachines stereo speakers; 17-inch LCD; Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

EMachines T3085 @ ABCNEWS