ABS Ultimate I-Spirit E6400 Ready-To-Ship Desktop PC

The Bottom Line
For those looking for a desktop computer system with a bit more power than what is found in the budget systems but don't want to go through the hassle of customizing it to their needs, ABS's new Ultimate I-Spirit E6400 desktop PC offers a solid general purpose computer without the frills.

Pros

* Relatively Low Cost
* Dedicated Graphics Card

Cons

* Would Run Smoother With Two Gigabytes RAM
* Smaller Hard Drive
* No Software Bundle

Description

* Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Dual Core Desktop Processor
* 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
* 250GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
* 18x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner with LightScribe
* NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT Graphics with 256MB Memory
* Intel HDA Audio
* Gigabit Ethernet
* Six USB 2.0, One FireWire
* Windows Vista Home Premium

Guide Review - ABS Ultimate I-Spirit E6400 Ready-To-Ship Desktop PC

The new Ultimate Spirit line of desktop PCs is a big departure from ABS's normal business. Instead of highly customizable systems, the Spirit come preconfigured for quick shipping and better retail placement. The I-Spirit E6400 is a low cost mainstream desktop PC that strikes a good balance between cost and performance.

The system is based around the Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 dual core desktop processor. This is one of the original Core 2 Duo desktop processors that provides a good amount of performance but is slightly below what most companies offer in their mainstream desktops. It is matched up with 1GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory. It would be nice to see ABS include 2GB for smoother performance with Vista, but it is an easy and inexpensive upgrade after purchase.

Storage is alright. The 250GB hard drive is a bit small compared to the 320GB drives used in most other desktop systems. It should provide plenty of storage space unless you expect to be doing a lot of desktop video work. The 18x dual layer DVD burner is quite standard, but it does include LightScribe support for burning labels directly to compatible media.

One area that budget systems tend to fail on is graphics. Their integrated graphics can't handle much in terms of 3D especially when it comes to PC gaming. ABS includes an older but still viable GeForce 7600GT graphics board with the I-Spirit E6400. It doesn't support Direct X 10 and has limited ability for filters, but is great for casual gamers.

The I-Spirit E6400 is a great option for those looking for a bit more out of a computer than what the budget systems offer. It is also a good platform for those looking to add upgrades after the purchase.