Lenovo ThinkStation E30

Lenovo ThinkStation E30

The Lenovo ThinkStation E30 ($1,019 direct) has an attractive marketing angle: It's an ISV-certified system, with an Intel Xeon processor and a true Nvidia workstation video card, for less money than you'd pay for some run-of-the-mill performance business desktops. It's hampered in a few areas, but if you're looking for certified systems for your demanding users, the E30 is a sensible entry-level workstation. The E30 looks like a standard tower, with the addition of an easy-to-use handle on the top that lets you easily move the system from one cubicle to another. The perforated front panel of the E30 is all business: two USB 2.0 ports, audio jacks, a digital media card reader, and a DVD burner. But it's a party in the back, with six more USB 2.0 ports, more audio jacks, Ethernet, serial port, and DVI and DisplayPort jacks (on the discrete Quadro 600 video card). The system's low price explains why it lacks high-speed ports like USB 3.0 and eSATA, but these are standard on $400-$500 media PCs and should really be included here. The rest of the chassis is painted black metal, as you'd expect of a corporate-oriented PC. There's plenty of room inside for upgrades.