Acer AX1301-U1302 Desktop PC comes with these specs: AMD Athlon II X2 Dual-Core Processor 215, Windows 7 Home Premium, NVIDIA GeForce 9200 Chipset, 4096MB DDR2 Memory, Integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9200 Graphics, 750GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader, High Definition Audio with 5.1-Channel Audio Support, 9 - USB 2.0, Keyboard and Mouse, 12.0 lbs. | 5.4 kg (system unit only), 1 Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty with Toll-Free Tech Support, Registration/ Limited Warranty Card, McAfee Internet Security Suite 2009 Trial
- 2.7GHz AMD Athlon II X2 Dual-Core 215 Processor
- 4GB DDR2 Memory
- 750GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive; 16X DVD±R/RW SuperMulti Drive
- Integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9200 Graphics; High Definition Audio with 5.1-Channel Audio Support
- Windows 7 Home Premium
Awesome budget PC
I was shopping around for a PC for my girlfriend's family because their Dell finally died after 9 years (actually it was just the PSU and CPU fans that all of the sudden stopped working so it was overheating big time). So I found this Acer and was checking out the specs and was really impressed with everything under the hood for only $400. The hard drive actually turned out to be 1 terabyte instead of 750GB, it comes with 4GB DDR2 RAM, 2.7 GHz dual-core, and an integrated Nvidia 9200 graphics chip. I spent a lot of time researching what the Nvidia 9200 chip was capable of but there was not much on the internet or youtube which could display what it could and could not do because there were often times videos of laptops with this line of chips. After receiving the computer I decided to bring it up to speed and test out some games on it. First up was Age of Mythology which it ran flawlessly, Warcraft 3 Frozen Throne also plays pristinely on all high settings (1366x768). I finally installed Lost Planet Colonies and it auto-detected medium settings to my surprise but the game was running at like 5 fps which is unplayable. I lowered all of the settings to low and the resolution to 800x600 but it made pretty much no difference, it may have been running at 10 fps but it was dreadful. The bottom line is that the 9200 chip is a fantastic all-purpose chip but do not expect to play 3-D games on it even at low settings. I think that this is primarily due to the fact that it has no dedicated GDDR of it's own so it has to borrow memory from the RAM sticks. I think that it would be able to play World of Warcraft on low settings with like 20 fps but that's it. If you expect to do some gaming then I would seriously suggest that you spend another $100 or so to get a PC with a decent graphics chip/card in it. One of the biggest ways that the Acer made up for the 9200 chip is that it has an available PCI-e x16 slot in the top of the case so you can upgrade this machine if you want, just make sure to get a low-profile card because this case is a slimline. The top of the case has ventilation holes so that a graphics card can blow air out of the case if you install one. Miscellaneous: The overall aesthetic appeal is pretty good, nice and shiny, with blue light trim. It has more USB ports than i can count which is awesome, the HDMI port is a huge bonus if you have a 1080P TV, it is really small and weighs in at about 13 pounds. My girlfriend's family could not be happier that I found them this PC. I would recommend this PC to any family that does not do medium-heavy gaming. Did I mention I received this in the mail within 36 hours of ordering it and shipping was only 4 bucks!!
Great value for money
This is a great PC for the price, and the compact size makes it even better. The performance is what I would expect from a PC with this configuration, and it is perfect for watching high-definition videos and other non-gaming activities. I have not had a chance to test the PC's gaming performance. There are plenty of USB slots (5 at the back and 5 at the front) and it's equipped with a memory card reader and headphone slots at the front. For me, it is surprisingly small - about the size of 2 laptops put together - and this gives me a lot more room on my desk. Overall, I found this PC to be a great buy, and would highly recommend it to anyone who does not plan to play graphics-intensive games on it.
Great value Home Theatre PC!
Before this PC I would attach a laptop to a Pioneer Pro-111FD via DVI. That got old quick. Also, the PS3 stinks for any internet surfing. I wanted to have a permanent PC solution since PC's offer many entertainment options. The Acer X1301-U1302 had just what I was looking for after many hours of research. It has a small form factor so I was able to place it in a compartment of my Horizon N702 TV console. Setup was easy and I got rid of unnecessary software except for MyWinLocker. After 2 weeks I use the PC for the following: -Netflix (for the streaming movies via Chrome browser) -Internet (Chrome and Opera are my favorite browsers). Included keyboard is adequate for typing but I usually just use the Windows 7 on-screen keyboard for simple queries. -Emulator gaming (Zsnes,Project64, etc.)-There are many USB ports, plenty for peripherals (I use a Logitech Cordless Rumble pad and Performance MX mouse attached at the back, keyboard on front) -1080P video playback (plenty of space on the 1TB drive for HD stuff). Use MyWinLocker (included) to securely store those special videos ;) -Music (I use Last.fm, Pandora, Grooveshark) sounds great through my Pioneer VSX-21TXH receiver and Energy speakers/Chrysalis subwoofer) -DirecTv programming (On the PC the navigation is faster) Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit is a great OS. It is stable and has an elegant but not too bloated GUI. In summary the Acer X1301 is a great little pc for use in a home theatre setting.
Awesome Little PC
Been running this little box for a week now and it's great! Speedy without a big price tag. I had a couple issues with some of my software moving to the 64 bit system, but those software companies all had fixes and everything runs fine (and faster). The size is great, can put it anywhere with no problem. Looks great - very quiet. I lucked out as they must have run out of 750GB drives the day mine was built as I actually got a 1TB drive - sweet... As for the couple reviews that had DOA boxes - I'm surprised mine works as it took a thrashing from UPS... I was watching out my front window when the truck arrived. I literally saw the box FLY out from the back of the truck and slam down up front by the door. I said to myself "I sure hope that wasn't MY computer!" - it was... but it works fine. So the DOA may possibly be the delivery! Mine took at least one big slam and works great, so there's something to say about that. And last, Windows 7 is great - I've had it on my notebook since it was released, it's just much better, faster and more intuitive than previous versions. Runs like a champ on the new Acer.
EXCELLENT VALUE!
A friend of mine who is not very computer literate, needed help with an eight year old computer I had built for her. After talking things over, we came to the conclusion that she would be much better off with a new state of the art machine that could take advantage of the leap forward in Internet and computer technology. After conducting some in depth research, my recommendation was to purchase the Acer AX1301 from Amazon, which she did. Yesterday, I installed the machine and was very impressed with its ease of operation and extremely fast performance. After removing the Trial Software, of which there is a minimum, you can then proceed to install your own software without having to worry about clogging up the registry with unwanted data. My friend was happy as a lark and is already having lots of fun previewing streaming movies from Netflix! Unfortunately, Acer must believe the purchaser already knows how to set up a computer without any detailed documentation, because other than a rudimentary pamphlet, you are mostly on your own. Other than that, this little gem is a perfect choice for general computing and Home Theater applications. Buy it, you won't be sorry.
