Asus Essentio CM1740

Asus Essentio CM1740-04

The Asus Essentio CM1740-04 ($549.99 list, at Best Buy) is a solid entry-level desktop PC, equipped with a AMD A8 Llano APU that has the CPU and GPU on the same die. It's not a stellar performer in day-to-day tasks compared with desktop equipped with Intel's competing Core i-series of CPUs, but pitted against gaming- and graphics-intensive applications, the Llano APU bests Intel's integrated graphics by a significant margin. The CM1740-04 also has more expansion room than other entry-level desktops, but you'll need to swap out the power supply, which may be deeper than most users are willing to go to upgrade. The CM1740-04 is a sleek aluminum black mid-tower PC with a glossy-black face panel. On top of the front panel are a few easy-access ports: two USB 2.0 ports, audio and mic jacks, and a media card reader (MMC, xD, SDHC, MS/Pro). Directly underneath is a tray-loading DVD+-RW drive. The back of the unit features even more connectivity options, including a DVI-D, VGA, and HDMI video outputs, four USB 2.0 ports (two of which will be occupied to connect the included wired keyboard and mouse), two USB 3.0 ports, PS/2 ( for legacy keyboards or mice), Ethernet jack, and audio-in, -out, and mic jack.