Desktops for Cramped Workspaces

The HP Pavilion s5200z, s5210t, s5250t, and s5280t series belong to HP’s selection of desktops designed for the most cramped workspaces. Slim may not even be enough to describe them because they’re all small in every dimension: length = 15.91 inches, width = 4.43 inches, and height = 12.24 inches!

When you’ve got tiny computers like this, the first question that comes to mind is how much performance has been sacrificed? Case in point – netbooks, which are miniature low power laptops with significantly lower quality components. But apparently, for the HP Pavilion s5200 series, the slim dimensions aren’t enough to limit you from doing things you regularly do on your computer. Homework, graphics, even entertainment and games can still be enjoyed on these little machines.

HP Pavilion Slimline Product Demo Video

HP Pavilion Slimline s5200 Series Pricing and Configurations

There are some slight differences between the s5200z series, s5210t series, s5250t series, and s5280t series. Let’s move on by comparing their entry level specs.

Processors:

The s5200z is powered by the single core  AMD Sempron LE1300 processor, while both the s5210t has the Intel Celeron Dual-Core processor E3200. The 5210t has the Intel Celeron Dual-Core processor E3200. The upper scale  models, the s5250t and s5280t, are respectively equipped with the Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor E5300 and the powerful Intel Core 2 Quad processor Q8300. If you don’t do a lot of multitasking on your computer, then the s5200z should be more than enough but if you run several program side-by-side or use resource demanding applications, either the s5210t, the s5250t, or the 5280t can be a better fit. All three of those models take advantage of the multithreading capabilities of their dual-core/quad-core processors and allow smooth performance when running multiple programs at once.

RAM:

The variety of the Slimline series means that each model has its own RAM configuration. The s5280t has 6GB for the ultimate computing speed. The s250t has 4GB, the s210t has 3GB, and the s200z has 2GB. Even though it may seem like the s200z is underpowered, 2 GB of RAM is by no means a pushover. A lot of basic applications can work very well with 2 GB of RAM and the machine can be the perfect computer for beginner and novice users.

Hard Drive:

Since 4 GB of RAM can support the widest range of applications, the folks at HP thought of putting in a larger hard drive into the s5280t. It’s an enormous one, with 500 GB of space, enough to cater to the large number of games, videos, and productive applications you’ll be storing on your machine. The s250t matches the hard drive size and comes with a 500 GB  hard drive as well. As expected, an entry level s520z and s5200t would need smaller capacity hard drives. Both of them are shipped with 320 GB of storage space.

Graphics card:

All four of the computers have integrated graphics adapters. However, I’m sure you’ve been following the pattern already. At this point, you should have noticed that, by order of performance (fastest first), the top spot should go to the s5280t, followed by the s5250t, and then the s5210t. Hence, a faster Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500 goes to the s5280t and the s5250t, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 to the s5210t, and NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE Graphics to the s5200z.

All four computers in the series are all equipped with a 6-in-1 memory card reader to transfer photos, mp3 files, and other data to and from your mobile devices. Your HP portable backup device can also be docked on the Pocket media drive bay that comes with all models.

Operating Systems:

Every model is powered by the newest operating system on the market, Windows 7. The base configuration ships with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit and can be upgraded for an additional cost.

Price:

Let’s see what those specs add up to:

HP Pavilion Slimline s5200z = $289.99
HP Pavilion Slimline s5210t = $369.99
HP Pavilion Slimline s5250t = $469.99
HP Pavilion Slimline s5280t = $549.99

Note that we’ve only been talking about the basic configuration of each model. If you opt for the recommended configuration, you’ll pay a higher price but will enjoy premium hardware components and additional features.

Design

The small casings of these PCs are simple but modern; not too many curves but not too edgy either. Providing highlights where needed are smartly positioned chrome and blue accents.

Out in front are the 6-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB ports, and the phone jack. Below them is the holding area for the HP Pocket Media Drive, while fitted vertically above is the DVD (or an optional Blu-ray) drive for your movies and audio tracks.

Connectivity

The default connectivity feature for both the s5200z and the s5210t is an integrated ethernet port. The s5250t and s5280t are slightly more advanced, with a faster integrated ethernet port. To go wireless, you’ll have to upgrade and purchase a wireless card for the machine as an additional feature. All three can support up to a Wireless-N LAN card so you’ll have no problem getting online using a Wireless Network. Some LAN cards have Bluetooth features, for connecting phones and headsets, which the desktops support as well.