HP Pavilion p7-1187c

HP Pavilion p7-1187c

Affordable midrange desktops are easy to find, but the HP Pavilion p7-1187c ($699.99 list at Costco) has a few extras that aren't always available at this price, like a fast Intel Core i5 processor, 1TB hard drive, and six months of commitment-free security. It's not the cheapest of the bunch - the Dell Inspiron i620-3708NBK ($649.99 list, 3.5 stars) is $50 cheaper - but the improved performance and all the extras make it a worthwhile buy. The HP Pavilion p7-1187c is an unassuming desktop, indistinguishable in appearance from the entry-level HP Pavilion p7-1154 ($519.99 list, 2.5 stars) or HP Pavilion p7-1110 ($529.99 list, 3.5 stars). On the outside, it's identical, a boxy black tower with a glossy plastic front panel, trimmed in silver-grey plastic and highlighted by a white-blue LED power-indicator. A sliding plastic cover on the front panel conceals a headphone and microphone jack, two USB 2.0 ports. Filling out the features is a DVD burner and a media card slots that will accommodate up to 15 different formats (including popular formats such as SD, xD, MS/Pro and Compact Flash). The back of the tower offers up four more USB 2.0 ports, DVI and VGA vide ouputs (which can be used simultaneously), microphone input, and audio outputs that support six-channel sound.