Best PCs Under $500

We?ve rounded up some of the smallest, most powerful, flexible, and inexpensive models around today.

You turn on your computer to check the weather forecast in the morning, surf the Web in the afternoon, and make plans with friends over IM in the evening. Your idea of gaming is a quick round of Bejeweled Twist, teleconferencing doesn’t get more complex for you than firing up Skype, and every video you’ve ever watched on a computer has come from YouTube. Congratulations: You’re a casual computer user, and you really don’t need to spend any more than $500 on a PC.

The truth is, while hardware has continued to get smaller, cheaper and faster by the month, the needs of the average Joe have essentially stagnated. Which means that today’s budget machines can pretty much perform every task you need them to, and more, at a fraction of the price of more advanced counterparts. Here are 10 unique machines under $500 that will fit your living space, your performance needs, and – best of all – your budget.

Dell Studio Hybrid, $499

Just because you’re buying a value-conscious PC doesn’t mean you have to buy one that looks like every other desktop out there. Dell’s reasonably affordable Studio Hybrid features an unusual oval design wrapped in a translucent plastic sleeve, which can be ordered in a head-spinning array of shades – and easily swapped. The manufacturer also claims that the efficient 2.0GHz Pentium Dual-Core processor and power supply allow this machine to use 70% less power than a typical desktop, keeping operating costs low throughout the system’s lifetime.

HP Pavilion Slimline s3750t series, $480

It may take up a third of the space as one of HP’s standard desktops, but the Slimline s3750t comes decked out with a similar selection of fully-powered hardware. The readout includes an Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor clocked at 2.6GHz (which we would recommend stepping up to a Core 2 Duo for $40 more), 4GB of DDR2 memory, and even integrated graphics from Nvidia in the form of a GeForce 7100. It may not be the prettiest box on the block, but you can outfit this little guy to run with the big boys if you want to.

Acer Computer AX1700-U3700A, $459

Part by part, Acer’s AX1700 has some of the finest hardware you can buy for under $500. That includes a 2.4GHz Intel Dual Core processor, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, an ample 640GB hard drive, and Nvidia’s latest budget GeForce card, the G100, which includes 512MB of onboard RAM. You won’t be ripping up graphics-intensive games like Crysis on this rig, but if you’re looking to dabble in lower-end and slightly older gaming titles, you won’t find too many systems more capable with a comparable price tag.

Asus EeeBox B206, $359

Asus has managed to successfully parlay the Eee brand into desktop computers with its EeeBox PCs, which use hardware originally developed for netbooks to keep prices down. This particular model has been customized for multimedia as well: It has a discrete ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 graphics card to give it the muscle necessary for decoding HD video, as well as an HDMI output for connecting it to an HDTV. Combine that with quiet operation (under 26dB) and a remote control, and you have a home-theater box in the making. Just add media.

MSI Wind Nettop 100 Desktop PC, $150

For the tinkerer who doesn’t quite want to buy everything configured the way someone else decides, the Nettop 100 makes an ideal blank slate. It’s basically a processor in a case, with room for up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 5.25-inch bay for an optical drive, a 2.5-inch bay for a full-size desktop hard drive, plus six USB ports for all the other accessories you might want to tack on. And though an Intel Atom beats at the heart of the system, you get the relatively rare dual-core version, which should deliver a significant leg up on performance. Since you can pick one up for $150, you’ll also have plenty of cash left over for buying the parts and software you want.

Dell Mini 12, $429

The 12-inch screen may have some geeks playing semantic games over whether to call it a netbook or a notebook, but at the end of the day, for this price, it doesn’t really matter what you want to label it. Granted, you’ll need to spend another $50 if you want the 1.6GHz Atom processor (you do), but for anyone who feels wadded up on a normal netbook, this is the one to buy. Just beware of the exceptionally tiny 40GB hard drive, if you’re a multimedia hound.

Averatec 18.4-inch All-in-One PC, $500

No monitor, keyboard or mouse lying around? No worries. You can score an all-in-one PC within the $500 price range if you play your cards right. This Averatec model retails for $549, but some retailers are able to just slide it in jut under the $500 mark, and Averatec sells a refurbished version for $450. Specs won’t blow you away (it runs the same Atom processor and other hardware as a netbook) but for surfing the Web and checking e-mail, it’s the cheapest way to get everything you need in one box.

Asus Eee 1000HE, $400

What sets this relatively bland-looking netbook apart from every other one out there? Well, it gets over eight hours on one charge of the battery, for starters. And, in testing, the Eee 1000HE actually delivered on this relatively fantastic claim of a full day’s work without ever plugging in. We also like the screen quality, capacious hard drive, and price, which isn’t really any higher than any other, less capable netbooks.

Check out our Asus Eee 1000HE Review.

Acer Aspire One AO751h, $350

This brand-new addition to Acer’s hot-selling Aspire One line of netbooks continues in the tradition of pushing “netbook” size barriers with an 11.6-inch screen in the cinematic 16:9 aspect ratio. Processor speed has dropped to 1.2GHz as screen size has grown, though, so expect more of a big-screen surfing machine than a high-def cinema.

Lenovo SL400, $499

Sure, netbooks are all the rage, but if you don’t need all that portability and want a little more power, Lenovo’s SL400 makes a much better-rounded system for about another $100 more. You forgo the somewhat-anemic Intel Atom processor in favor of a brawnier Celeron Dual-Core, hop up to a real 14.1-inch screen you’ll actually be able to work on, and even get a dual-layer DVD burner. Combine that with the fabled durability and reliability of Lenovo’s ThinkPad line, and you’ve bought yourself quite a bit more for that tiny chunk of change.

Check out our Lenovo ThinkPad SL400 Review.