Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo E3500 review

If you don't have much to spend on a PC, it's even more important to choose a computer that can be easily upgraded so that it doesn't lose its usefulness over time and as your computing activities become more complex.

Unfortunately, while Fujitsu Siemens' Esprimo E3500 is a capable budget PC, it's tricky to upgrade.

The Esprimo E3500 is compact and could easily fit in a granny trolley. It's quiet, too, so it won't cause a racket while you're working. It doesn't come with a monitor, but a keyboard and mouse are included. However, the mouse uses an antiquated and inaccurate ball mechanism, while the keyboard feels springy, making long bouts of typing tiresome. Both will need to be upgraded if you want to use this PC comfortably.

The Esprimo E3500 uses Intel's older dual core processor, the Pentium D 925, instead of a newer Core Duo or Core 2 Duo, but it's fast enough for most tasks. It managed a very respectable 192 in our video-encoding test. As expected, it is no use for playing modern 3D games. The integrated Intel graphics chip couldn't run our Call of Duty 2 test and did poorly in our Prey benchmark. Older games should work fine, though, although you'll probably have to play them at low resolution and detail settings.

A PCI Express x16 graphics card can be fitted, but the half-height slot limits your choice of upgrades. There are also two half-height PCI slots for adding peripherals such as wireless networking or TV tuner cards. The 160GB SATA hard disk is mounted in a removable cage and can be replaced with a bigger disk if it's too small for your needs.

While there is an external 31/2in bay for adding a memory card reader or another hard disk, it's very difficult to reach. Both it and the two empty RAM slots are blocked off by the cage holding the power supply and DVD writer, which are incredibly difficult to move out of the way. Installing extra RAM or another hard disk will be very difficult.

Unusually, the Esprimo E3500 comes with Windows XP Professional Edition installed rather than Windows Vista. Windows XP Professional Edition has some advantages over Vista Home Basic and Vista Home Premium, including support for Remote Desktop so that you can control another Windows PC over your network.

The Esprimo E3500 is a disappointing computer that's difficult to recommend. Although it's quiet and quick in Windows, it's tricky to upgrade. It would be ideal as a business PC if you happen to need Windows XP rather than Vista, but if you don't there are better-value systems available, such as PC Nextday's Zoostorm 2-3413 Versatile PC, for example.