The HP Paviion Slimline s3821 uk-p is a very competitively priced HTPC and very good value for money.
The HP Pavilion s3821 is powered by a Dual – Core processer giving it the higher clock speed needed by HTPC’s. The higher clock speed allows programs like Photoshop and I-Tunes to run correctly without lag and generally giving it a media heart. It’s not the smallest in its range but that allows it to have a nice sized graphics card init. It also has a HDMI port provided by its nice sized graphics card, allowing it to plug straight into your HDTV. This does appear to be an added extra which is absent in the other PC’s of its range. It has a 15 in 1 memory card reader on the front along with the usual HP Pocket Media Drive bay (which is sold seperatly0, but is again one of those features that just aren’t seen in others of its range. It also has 6 USB ports, the all media Fire Wire port and a High Definition 5.1 Audio port. This HTPC also hosts the standard 3Gb RAM (upgradable to 4), a Light Scribe DVD – RW Drive, an internal Wi-Fi Card and a 320Gb Hard Drive, as do most the others. However, The design of this computer is not what i would call attractive. It is quite boxy and doesn’t really fit in along with your TV and stereo in the front room. It still looks too much like a PC. It has no free Hard Drive spaces, so upgrading it is a bit of a nightmare. It has no built-in TV-Card and has no infrared-sensor or media remote control, making for an extra expense to make your media dream a reality. Also due to its Dual – Core chip it doesn’t have the processing power of the bigger PC’s of its range.
Conclusion, This is the ideal value for money HTPC; it has enough of it all to bring your media world together. If you want an all round media baby then add this one to your list
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