The HP TouchSmart 320-1030 ($749.99 list at Best Buy) is the all-in-one desktop to buy if you're considering your first touch-screen or all-in-one PC. It has the power to view photos, videos, and websites smooth and easily. It even has some graphics capabilities for light to medium gaming. The system features HP's TouchSmart software, which will help novice users get used to a touchscreen PC environment, a power saving yet powerful AMD A4 processor with built-in GPU, and wireless everything, with the exception of the power cable.
Design and Features
The 320-1030 tucks all the PC's components, like CPU and hard drive, behind the screen, with an unusual twist. Many all-in-one PCs have a narrow stand, with the system's hinge in the middle of the back of the screen. On the 320-1030, the base is as wide as the monitor, and the tilt mechanism is built into the base. While it's not necessarily better ergonomically, it means that it's easier to tilt the top edge to move the system, rather than the sides or bottom. It can tilt back about 30 degrees. The hinge is stable and seems to exhibit less screen bounce when utilizing the touchscreen, unlike the Asus ET2410-06 ($899.99 list, 2 stars). The hinge also makes the 320-1030 stand out among its peers on the retail shelves, which is probably the point. It has a set of speakers built into the bottom of the screen, which sound good even pumped up to max volume, thanks to Beats Audio sound enhancements. Below the speakers is a slot to hold the system's keyboard, a boon to space-constrained users.
The 320-1030 has a 1,600-by-900 resolution, which means it can display 720p HD videos natively, but not 1080p HD, which is scaled down to fit the screen. The system has 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (a must have for all-in-one PCs). Its wireless keyboard and mouse connect to the system via a standard USB dongle, which resides in its own dedicated receptacle on the back panel. Not only is it a regular USB dongle (as opposed to the proprietary one found on the Toshiba DX735-D3201 ($899.99 list, 3.5 stars), it's pre-installed so you don't have to worry about installing it. With all the wireless keyboard and networking, the only thing you must plug in is the power cable.
There are two USB 2.0 ports on the left side and four on the back, which should be sufficient for servicing your tablet and hooking up a printer. Aside from audio and an Ethernet port, the system is pretty clean. I would've liked to see an HDMI input port for hooking up another desktop, laptop, or DVR to keep the monitor useful after the system's processor becomes too slow. At this time, USB 3.0, eSATA, and HDMI would be nice, but not necessarily deal breakers at this price point. At least you can use the included HP LinkUp software to connect to and remote control another PC (non-HP systems can download the software here) over your home network.
The 320-1030 has a much heavier load of pre-installed software than rivals. Some of it, like the LinkUp software and HP TouchSmart Magic Canvas are useful. TouchSmart Magic Canvas is an overlay on top of Windows 7 that makes the TouchSmart 320-1030 much more touch-friendly. The program can serve as a launcher for programs, giving you instant access to info. However, along with the good, there are a bunch of extraneous programs that makes the user experience a little schizophrenic. While otherwise fine in the Start menu, where you have to dig for them, there are icons on the desktop for Blio (an e-book store), an ad for WebOS tablets like the discontinued HP TouchPad), HP Music (a music store), Zya (a music oriented social networking site), Office 2010 Starter, and HP Games (a for-pay game store). These programs overload the desktop screen, which should be clear when you buy a PC. HP, put this stuff in TouchSmart Magic Canvas, or in the Start menu where they belong.
Best Buy also has an extended warranty program, which offers customers an extra year of protection beyond the one-year warranty of most system manufacturers. There are two plans in this extended warranty program. The standard plan ($119.99) covers the system against normal wear and tear, power surge damage, and includes a "No Lemon" guarantee in which Best Buy will simply replace the computer if it requires more than 4 repairs during the coverage period. Best Buy's advanced plan ($219.99) offers all this, and also covers the system against accidental damage from drops and spills. Other special offers can be found online or in stores, like discounts on printers, software, and tech support plans which are available with any new consumer PC purchased through Best Buy.
Performance
The TouchSmart 320-1030 comes with an AMD dual-core A4-3400 APU and 4GB of memory. The A4 is an "accelerated processor" with built-in DX11-compatible graphics, which means the desktop doesn't require a discrete graphics chip, even for playing back HD videos and light to moderate 3D gaming. Its scores initially seem fair to middling: 2 minutes 41 second to encode a video in Handbrake and 7:01 to run through a script in Photoshop CS5. To put this into perspective, the previous Editors' Choice for entry level all-in-one desktops, the HP TouchSmart 310-1125y ($699 list, 4.5 stars), got by in a comparable time (3:07 in Handbrake, 6:17 in CS5). However, when you compare it to a similarly priced nettop-class system, like the MSI Wind Top AE2050-008US ($679.99 list, 3 stars), you'll see the advances (9:04 Handbrake, 14:34 CS5).
The TouchSmart 320-1030 is also notable for its graphics performance. It was able to complete DirectX 10 Crysis test with a playable 32 fps score at medium quality and DirectX 11 Lost Planet 2 at 14 fps (unplayable) at middle quality. Contrast this with just about any system with Intel HD graphics, like the Asus ET2410-06, which halves the Crysis score (13 fps) and can't run the DX11-based Lost Planet 2 test at all. You won't be destroying platoons on newer games, like Battlefield 3 at high resolutions, but you could easily play stuff like Portal 2, Starcraft II, or World of Warcraft on the TouchSmart 320-1030 with a little tweaking in the settings.
Compared with the MSI AE2050-008US, the HP TouchSmart 320-1030 is far and away a better system. Sure, the MSI AE2050-008US has a USB 3.0 port that the 320-1030 lacks, but the 320-1030 has much better performance (including 3D), wireless everything, and for $70 more. The TouchSmart 320-1030 is an even better buy when compared with higher priced systems, like the Asus ET2410-06: The Asus has a bouncy screen less suited to touch computing and lacks Wi-Fi. Compared with the former Editors' Choice for entry-level desktops, the HP TouchSmart 310-1125y, the new TouchSmart 320-1030 model is a lot more attractive, has better performance overall, much better 3D, and a larger hard drive. That means that the TouchSmart 310-1125y passes the torch, making the HP TouchSmart 320-1030 our new Editors' Choice for entry-level desktops.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS
COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the HP TouchSmart 320-1030 with several other desktops side by side.
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