HP Pavilion Slimline S7640.ukv review

It was a happy day when the huge, heavy CRT monitor finally made way for the tiny footprint of a slimline TFT monitor.

Sadly, the one thing that didn't change was the fat beige computer attached to it. Much as we hoped that TFT monitors would bring with them a wave of equally slim and desirable computers, it just never happened - until recently that is.

Crash diet

Ironically, it's the tongue-teasing name of the HP Pavilion Slimline S7640.uk that is the first thing in need of slimming down. The unit itself is very much like a standard desktop PC tower that has been drastically shrunk in the wash. It's certainly not stylish enough to give Apple and its Mac Mini any worries, but its plain, unfussy grey exterior and front fascia still look nice and neat. It doesn't come with a monitor, but partner it with a TFT model and you'll have a computer that can fit onto the most cramped of desks.

The front-mounted memory card reader and USB port are a nice touch, and the DVD writer is hidden behind a little flap. Peeking around the rear of the S7640 reveals an impressive array of ports, which in a welcome departure from the PC norm, are all sensibly labelled. Setting up a computer for the first time can be a little daunting, but not so with the HP - if you want to connect it to say, your TV, the S-Video and composite outputs are clearly labelled as such. There's also a threaded socket to attach an aerial to take advantage of the built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi.

It's all relative

When compared to a normal PC, the HP looks tiny, but when set against the likes of Acer's Veriton 1000 (see opposite page), it begins to look a mite portly. But although it may not be the smallest PC, you can buy it does at least offer some upgrade potential. Getting into the case requires the removal of three screws and once inside, it's easy to get at and remove the individual components, such as the SATA hard disk and DVD writer. The memory slots are hidden behind the plastic fan mount, but as there's already 2GB installed, you won't need to get at them for fair while yet. Unlike the super slim Acer, the HP is also able to squeeze in a half-height PCI-Express graphics card, so you can at least upgrade it in the future.

Good start

Although it's possible to root around inside the HP and potentially upgrade many of its components, the S7640 is actually pretty good right out of the box. Processor duties are handled by an Intel Core Duo T2050 processor, which is actually a laptop chip. In such a small case, employing a laptop processor is a great idea as it provides all the benefits of a dual-core processor with minimal heat output and modest power requirements. With 2GB of DDR2 memory in tow, again of the laptop variety, the T2050 achieved 108% in our benchmarks. That proves that there's plenty of power for most tasks and applications. One surprising thing is that the HP is actually capable of a bit of light gaming, too. The nVidia GeForce 7500LE graphics card may be no powerhouse, but a result of 23% in our Call of Duty 2 benchmark proves that it is capable. As long as you're not expecting to play the latest games at ridiculously high detail settings, you won't be disappointed.

HP's S7640 is an attravailable, compact PC. The built-in wireless is a nice touch and the fact that it is actually reasonably upgradeable is even nicer. Add a USB TV tuner when funds allow and it would make a smart little Media Centre. It's a shame the fans are a little noisy, though.