eMachines ET1850 review

Below the x16 slot, you’ll find a pair of PCI-E x1 slots and PCI slot, so upgrades such as sound cards and TV tuners are an option. The motherboard has only two memory slots, both of which are occupied. The PC has just 3GB of RAM but is installed with a 64-bit version of Windows 7, so you can upgrade and still make use of the extra memory. Unfortunately, you won’t get a lot of extra memory in there: the motherboard can only handle a maximum 4GB of RAM, which is the most restrictive limit we’ve seen in years.

To the rear of the PC, you’ll find four USB ports, bringing the system up to a grand total of six, 3.5mm outputs for 5.1 analogue surround sound and a Gigabit Ethernet port. There are also two PS/2 slots, which you’ll need for the surprisingly good PS/2 keyboard and mouse. The mouse is actually made by Logitech and the keyboard looks and feels like rebranded Logitech. Both are well-designed and comfortable to use, as well as not taking up any of your scarce USB ports.

The ET1850 is cheap enough to make it possible to overlook its low specification and minimal upgradability. If you’re buying a PC for someone who genuinely only has the most basic of requirements, it’s a great bet, but if you can spend the extra to get the Dell Vostro 260 MT and its more powerful processor.