Gateway DX4840-02e

Gateway DX4840-02e

It may not qualify as a true budget desktop (it belongs more in the midrange category), but the Gateway DX4840-02e is a good value nonetheless. Priced at $799.99 (list), this complete Core i5 desktop bundle includes a 23-inch HD monitor a wide selection of ports, and because it's a Costco exclusive, you get a two-year warranty as well as Costco's concierge service. The desktop has a 640GB hard drive, so you'll have plenty of room to store digital photos and other multimedia files. All this earns it an Editors' Choice for multimedia mainstream desktops. The DX4840-02e uses the same mid-tower chassis as the DX4300-03 ($749 list, ). The piano black case has a built-in tray on top with two USB ports for plugging in external drives, portable music players, and other pocket sized gadgets. On the upper portion of the front panel you'll find a nice assortment of multimedia connections, including two additional USB ports, headphone and microphone jacks, a Photo Frame hot key, and five media card slots that support nearly every type of flash media under the sun. The Photo Frame key lets you view photos stored on media cards with just one click.