The Aspire X3 Intel Core i3-540 3.06 GHz Dual Core Desktop PC by Acer proves once again that a strong processor and an efficiently pared-down chassis can still get you a great workstation, especially if you're on a budget.
The effective Core i3-540 dual core processor will push your data through two channels simultaneously, and much more effectively than older single core CPUs did. With an integrated Intel HD200 Graphics card, you now have a serious dedicated workstation, capable of chewing through much of your workload. Grouped with a 500GB Serial ATA 7200 RPM hard drive and 4GBs of DDR3-1333/PC3-10600 RAM, and you end up with a very sturdy and reliable work horse that will increase your productivity exponentially.
Other standard features include a 16x SuperMulti Drive, speedy 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet, and Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), but there's also a slew of included software that will boost this unit's productivity levels, including Acer eRecovery Management, Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader, McAfee Internet Security Suite Trial, Microsoft Office Starter 2010, Microsoft Office 2010 preloaded (purchase a product key to activate), Nero 10 Essentials, Wild Tangent Game Zone, Netflix, and Acer Clear.fi
If you're a budget-minded PC enthusiast looking for a machine that can perform well, but doesn't have a ton of annoying extras (that you probably don't need anyway), then look no further than the Aspire X3 Intel Core i3-540 3.06 GHz Dual Core Desktop PC.