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June 30, 2009 3:28 PM PDT

CNET's back-to-school 2009 retail laptop/desktop review roundup

by Dan Ackerman
and
Rich Brown
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With laptops and desktops as standard equipment in many classrooms and dorm rooms, the back-to-school season is a busy one for computer shopping. We are once again scouring the shelves of big retail stores to find boxed versions of popular PCs, from entry-level systems starting at $349 to quad-core powerhouses.

Many of these are similar to those you'd be able to configure online from companies such as Dell and HP, but these are specific retail models that have slightly different names and features, and are--thanks to the deep discounts offered by brick-and-mortar store back-to-school sales--sometimes a better deal than buying direct from a PC maker.

These are also the exact same systems you'll find in Sunday newspaper sales circulars, so check the list below for a review before heading out to the store. We'll update this list with ratings and live links as the systems get reviewed over the next several weeks (and a couple of these systems haven't been announced yet, so we'll reveal those names as we go).

(Note: Apple's iMac, MacBooks, and Mac Minis, while popular with students, are the same whether purchased direct from Apple or in a store--you can find our latest MacBook reviews rounded up here, our iMac reviews here, and our Mac Mini reviews here. Similarly, Netbooks rarely have specific retail store configurations, so you can find our favorite Netbooks collected here.)

LAPTOPS

Entry level ($499 or less)
Toshiba L305-S5955 (2.5 stars)
Compaq Presario CQ60-417DX (2.5 stars)
Dell i1545-012B (3.5 stars)
Toshiba L505D-S5965 (3 stars)
Asus K50IJ-RX05 (4 stars)

Budget ($500 - $699)
HP G60-445dx (2.5 stars)
Toshiba A505-S6960 (3.5 stars)
Toshiba M505-S4940 (2.5 stars)
Toshiba M505-S4945 (3 stars)
Toshiba P505D-S8930 (3 stars)

Mainstream ($700 - $999)
HP Pavilion dv3-2155mx (3.5 stars)
Asus UX50V-RX05 (2.5 stars)
Dell S1440-022B (4 stars)
HP Pavilion dv4-1465DX (3.5 stars)
Sony Vaio NW125J/T (3.5 stars)
Toshiba E105-S1602 (4 stars)
Dell x1340-024B (3 stars)
HP TouchSmart tx2-1275dx (3 stars)

High-end ($1,000 and up)
Asus G71GX-RX05 (3.5 stars)
Sony Vaio FW480J/T (3.5 stars)
HP Pavilion dv7-2185DX (3.5 stars)

DESKTOPS

Budget ($549 or less)
HP Pavilion SlimLine s5120y (2.5 stars)
Dell Inspiron 537s (2.5 stars)
Asus Essentio CM5570-AP002 (3 stars)
Gateway SX2800-01 (3.5 stars, Editor's Choice)
HP Pavilion P6110y (3 stars)

Mainstream ($550 - $725)
Dell Inspiron 545s (3 stars)
Asus Essentio CM5570-AP006 (3 stars)
Dell Inspiron 545 (2.5 stars)
HP Pavilion P6130y (2.5 stars)

High-end ($726 and up)
Gateway DX4300-03 (3 stars)
Asus Essentio CG5270-BP003 (3.5 stars)
HP Pavilion Elite e9120y (3 stars)
Asus Essentio CG5290-BP007 (3.5 stars)

Updates:
>See our favorite laptop in the entry level category here.
>See our favorite laptop in the budget category here.
>See our favorite laptop in the mainstream category here.
>See our favorite laptop in the high-end category here.
>See our favorite desktop in the budget and mainstream categories here.
>See our wrap-up of back-to-school desktop reviews here.

See more news, reviews, and recommendations in our Laptops and Desktops sections.

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by Mindstyle06 June 30, 2009 11:34 PM PDT
whats the possibility that you can add links for comparing each category i.e. all laptops or desktops in one category.
Reply to this comment
by Dan_Ackerman July 1, 2009 7:51 AM PDT
You must have read one of previous retail roundups (or you're psychic). Yep, we're going to do a best-of post for each category as we go.
Reply to this comment
by valuepc July 1, 2009 3:16 PM PDT
I hope you review the Gateway SX2800-01 soon. It's surprisingly cheap for the specs.
Reply to this comment
by rhbrown July 2, 2009 9:55 AM PDT
I'm psyched about that system, too. The review should post towards the end of next week.
by ElfQrin July 2, 2009 7:46 AM PDT
Just wondering, but why is the 13" MacBook Pro not on this list, as it is the most popular laptop used in an educational environment (colleges) ?

Thanks,
Danny
Reply to this comment
by Dan_Ackerman July 2, 2009 10:12 AM PDT
Uh...did you read the special "Note:..." section in the intro about MacBooks and why they're not in this particular roundup?
by jake.foxx July 13, 2009 11:00 AM PDT
Nope, nope he didn't.
by tjt7a July 23, 2009 6:51 AM PDT
Unfortunately, the article does not mention the Apple student discount.
by light_karthik July 6, 2009 11:14 AM PDT
It would be great to see the Toshiba A505 S6965 in the above list. It seems to have a good feature set for the ~750$ . It looks like a followup to the last time reviewed A305 S6916.
Thanks for the reviews !
Karthik
Reply to this comment
by dans105 July 9, 2009 11:53 AM PDT
I was hoping to see a review of the Gateway M-6888U. The specs look great for the price.
Reply to this comment
by solkid2000 July 9, 2009 12:37 PM PDT
Do you know when you will start reviewing some of the laptops in the Budget catagory? I am interested in Buying the the entry level Asus K50IJ-RX05 but I would like to see how the next level laptops stack up against it.
Reply to this comment
by light_karthik July 9, 2009 6:58 PM PDT
I am planning to buy a laptop and trying to understand whether i need a graphics card for some casual gaming like company of heroes type etc. But couple of reviews have confused me, maybe i misunderstood them. For eg.:
Asus K50IJ-RX05 : I read from the list above, there it says that it can handle casual gaming.

Whereas, for Satellite E105-1402 which has better processer and ram and no video card like Asus -- there is a statement saying "The biggest caveat with the Satellite E105 applies to casual gamers only: the laptop's integrated graphics, while sufficient for basic computing, won't have enough oomph for even basic 3D games."

So are there certain types of games that a computer like E105 play ?
Any clarification appreciated !

Thanks
Reply to this comment
by July 14, 2009 1:32 AM PDT
could you please hurry up with the Toshiba reviews....im waiting to buy one
Reply to this comment
by July 14, 2009 3:11 AM PDT
addition to above post.....

all students are waiting to buy laptops around now, so that we have enough time to get used to/configure/ mod our machines before college starts again
Reply to this comment
by Lamahoney July 14, 2009 9:29 PM PDT
I was happy to see the list of laptops because I need a laptop asap for the coming school year, but most of them aren't rated! Is this a list of the best computers on the retail shelves? Or are they recommended computers or are they just an assortment of random computers on the shelves? I have the list but what does it mean? How does it help? I trust you, Cnet for advice on my electronic purchases. Please rate the laptops soon before many of us have to make our purchases! Mahalo.
Reply to this comment
by red1105 July 14, 2009 11:44 PM PDT
As an incoming college freshman, I, too, am anxious to hear the reviews! I love CNET and would love to have their input in my laptop decision making. Since I'm going for a PC (the windows 7 RC is solid) my head is whirling with the different brands out on the market..
Reply to this comment
by tomhagen July 15, 2009 1:42 PM PDT
why are all the mid-range (budget) laptops Toshiba? Is there any other brands worth getting in this price range, seems like Acer & Hp make some nice stuff. Please advise.

Besides, gaming, which I do not do, what is the *Real* differences between the budget category and mainstream. Can budget handle a small management system & small business computing?

Thanks


ps. great site!!
Reply to this comment
by stiefaj July 17, 2009 5:09 AM PDT
I really think the new Gateway ID series should be included, or at least looked at here. The ID5821U seems to have amazing specs for the price. Its so new there are hardly any reviews out for it. All I could find were articles about its Singapore counterpart.
Reply to this comment
by tjt7a July 20, 2009 6:30 AM PDT
Considering the percentage of University Students who do use an Apple computer (particularly macbooks and macbook pros), I think it is unfortunate that Cnet not compare them along with these PCs.
Reply to this comment
by heygeo August 16, 2009 12:27 AM PDT
read the statement at the end... besides it wouldnt look good on paper for Macs.. when you stand their specs side by side to PCs they get owned.. and CNET cant allow Macs to look bad.
by July 20, 2009 9:14 AM PDT
i dont know if you guys have noticed, but for the Toshiba A505-S6960, you've given it a 3-star rating on this page without reviewing it on the laptop's individual review page :S
Reply to this comment
by pathrox1 July 21, 2009 7:50 AM PDT
Y there is no lenovo on the list. they have some really decent laptops for great prices. I have the Y530 at home and its amazing for its sub 600 price.
Reply to this comment
by heygeo August 16, 2009 12:28 AM PDT
Lenovo isnt sexy but theyre awesome.. I have a couple of them a T61p and a X61 tablet.
by miquonranger03 July 21, 2009 10:01 AM PDT
How about the Acer Aspire AS5739G-6132? It has incredible value: a 1 GB Nvidia card and 4GB of RAM for $750.
Reply to this comment
by July 22, 2009 3:56 AM PDT
^ i second a review on the acer
Reply to this comment
by jmaren0306 July 23, 2009 5:35 AM PDT
Does anyone know how ASUS's technical support is? I'm unfamiliar with the brand and it looks like they are good deals. I'm just worried about buying something that won't be supported. Thanks.
Reply to this comment

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