The Asus ET2700INKS-B062C ($1,499 list) is a large screen all-in-one desktop PC with many of the "must have" features for such a large system. It has HDMI-in, Blu-ray, USB 3.0, and a really nice screen. It's not a touch PC, so move on if you're looking for a touch screen. Basically, it's a very competent system, but a couple of stumbles keep it from absolutely reaching parity with our class leader.
Design and Features
The ET2700 is a fairly large 27-inch widescreen all-in-one desktop PC. Asus essentially follows convention, building the components of the system behind the screen. The screen is connected to a single-hinged stand, which can lean forward five degrees and back 20. This gives you a decent amount of tilt for different seating configurations. The system doesn't have a touch screen, so it really doesn't need to tilt further. The screen itself has a 1080p HD (1,920 by 1,080) resolution, perfect for viewing movies online or via Blu-ray. This is quite a bit less than a few 27-inch desktops like the Apple iMac 27-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,999 list, 4 stars). The Apple iMac has a 2,560-by-1,440 screen, handy for the graphics arts folks who flock to it. That said, the ET2700's screen is sufficiently large for viewing Web pages and multitasking while doing homework or playing games.
Our review unit came with a stylish, small subwoofer, which helps a little with the bass response. However, since the speakers are so small, it doesn't help a lot, particularly because the system's maximum volume is so low. The system sounds is adequate in a quiet room, but if you work or play in a crowded or noisy area, you're better off using a pair of headphones. The HP Omni 27 ($1,249 direct, 4 stars), with its optional subwoofer feels like a Marshall Stack in comparison. The last nit about the subwoofer is the placement of the sub's connector: it's on the side of the ET2700 under a hinged door that sticks out when the sub is connected. If Asus had placed the subwoofer jack on the back of the system, the sub's plug and cable wouldn't look out of place and be so obtrusive.
The side panel holds a pair of speedy USB 3.0 ports, a powered USB 2.0/eSATA port, a media card reader, line out audio, headphones, mic, and the poorly placed subwoofer jack. The front has four touch controls for the screen (changing inputs, volume, brightness, etc). The right side is dominated by the tray-loading Blu-ray reader/DVD writer combo drive. And last but not least, the back has a pair of USB 2.0 ports (one occupied by the USB keyboard and mouse transceiver), a Kensington lock port, Ethernet, HDMI in, VGA in, and the power port for the AC adapter. It would've been nice if Asus had put in a regular power supply instead of a power brick, but it works. The HDMI in port and VGA in port will come in handy for a settop box like a cable DVR, either port will also come in handy when the system finally becomes too slow: you can hook up a newer PC six or seven years down the road and extend the usefulness of the monitor.
The system comes with a quad core Intel Core i7-2600S processor, which helps the system with performance. 1TB of hard drive space is pretty standard for this price level, though the 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 540M graphics card is somewhat rare on a midpriced all-in-one.
The system comes with very little in the way of third-party bloatware, instead choosing to pre-install a whole bunch of Asus-branded programs and utilities. The main issue is that Asus has strewn the desktop with at least ten shortcut icons, which makes the desktop screen look cluttered right out of the box. No doubt stuff like the Ai Charger (switches one of the USB 3.0 ports to a high-powered port to recharge your tablet) and Total Media 3 (DVD/Blu-ray playback) are useful, but they would've been better located solely in the Start menu, which would've put them in reach, but not cluttered. Anyhow, you should be able to delete the shortcuts if they bother you, though they shouldn't have been there in the first place.
Performance
The ET2700 comes with an Intel Core i7-2600S quad-core processor, 8GB of memory, 1TB hard drive, and Nvidia GeForce GT 540M discrete graphics. All of these components help the ET2700 gain very good benchmark test scores. In particular, the ET2700 quickly dispatches our Handbrake video test (1:17) and tops our Photoshop CS5 test (2:58). To put this into perspective, the much more expensive iMac is slower (1:18 Handbrake, 3:17 CS5), though still in striking range. The ET2700 is also quicker than our all-in-one Editors' Choice, the HP Omni 27 (1:28 Handbrake, 3:31 CS5). The GeForce GT 540M GPU helps the ET2700 gain a modicum of 3D gameplay prowess, 49 fps at Crysis and 27 fps at Lost Planet 2 hints at playability after a bit of tweaking the settings. The iMac is faster at the games, but the HP Omni is held back by its integrated Intel graphics.
As an all-around system, the Asus ET2700INKS-B062C puts in a respectable showing among mainstream all-in-one PCs. It has a very nice screen, Blu-ray, and HDMI-in. That said, the current Editors' Choice, the HP Omni 27 matches the ET2700 on all specs aside from the discrete graphics, and it's more than $200 cheaper. The ET2700 is also weaker in the sound department and has a slightly more cluttered desktop when you bring it home. If you must have VGA in port, the ET2700 is a better choice.
COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Asus ET2700INKS-B062C with several other laptops side by side.
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