Acer Extensa E261

[Gianni]

Hi all

today I bought this PC for a friend's cousin for € 234 and I want to know if someone here has experience with it.
I couldn't open it because I don't want to lose the warranty (the PC isn't mine ).... so I really don't know what is inside.

I don't like Acer and for what I have heard the customer support is not very good.

Here the technical description:

Model Extensa E261 PS.E26C0.I02
Bundled OS Linux
Case Type Micro Tower
Processor Speed Pentium® Dual Core E2140 1.6 GHz
Chipset SIS 672 Express chipset with SIS 968
Integrated videocard SIS MIRAGE 3+ GRAPHICS max 256 MB

Memory Std. 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Memory Max. Up to 4 GB
Memory Speed 400/533/667 MHz

Hard Disk Capacity 160 GB
Hard Disk Controller Serial ATA
Optical Storage DVD-SuperMulti Serial ATA

Slots / Bays
Slots - PCI 2 x PCI
PCI-Express 1 x PCI Express x1 1 x PCI Express x16

Audio Sound Integrated high-definition audio

Ports / Interfaces
USB Ports (Rear) 4 x USB 2.0
USB Ports (Front) 2 x USB 2.0
PS/2 Ports (Keyboard,Mouse) 2 x PS/2
Audio Ports 6 x Audio jacks
RJ 45 1 x RJ-45
Card Reader

Power Supply 250w

TIA
Gianni

[zandrax]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

I hope your friend does very basic tasks with the pc: this is a real POS.

The chipset is the main weak point for two reasons:
- it supports only single channel addressing for ram: the reduced bandwith slows down the cpu by a 20-30% depending on benchmark used;
- the Mirage is an integrated graphics even weaker than Intel ones and driver support is awful both on Windows and Linux: Linux users, even Ubuntu ones, must ask the correct driver directly to the Sis employee who writes it because Sis ships it only to OEMs and hope it'll still work when the new distro release comes out. Screw you Sis

If there are no seals, open the case and inspect carefully capacitors and the psu: best warranty is preemptive recapping here. Other thing you can do is expanding the ram to at least 1 GB and buying a graphic card: even a low one offers a substantial boost over the Mirage and doesn't hog the cpu any further like the integrated graphic does; a GeForce 7300 or an Ati 2400 / 3450 should do the trick for 30-40 euro, avoid the 8400 due to well known manifacturing defects. nVidia has still the best graphic Linux driver around, ATI is reaching its level but it's not a quick process.

BTW, I already showed you that a 250 euro config could be substantially better than this one ...

Zandrax

[Gianni]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

Thanks for your feedback.

I have bought this computer for a person that will do simple tasks like browsing, write CD/DVD and photo editing.
At the moment he has Win95 on a Pentium 200MHz and he uses it only to play with some basic games. Probably he doesn't really know how to use a PC... so I think this one is enough powerful for him.

I proposed him a configuration similar to the one you have written, it was a 280€ because I didn't find the same hardware.
With some compromise, the cheapest solution I could make starting from your proposal was 260€... but wasn't cheap enough for him .
I told him that I don't like Acer but he wanted it so he got it.
I searched a review on internet but I didn't find anything very serious regarding what's inside.

I have installed WinXP HE and seems stable and fast.

Other thing you can do is expanding the ram to at least 1 GB and buying a graphic card

It has 1GB already; I can't install a videocard because there are seals on PC, if I break them I lose the warranty.

Ok let's hope it last long... otherwise I will open it after warranty period.

Ciao
Gianni

P.S.: the fucking warranty is lost even if you use a different OS from the one installed by Acer

[Scenic]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

hmm...

if this guy still used a Pentium 200 i guess that system is a bit too "high-end" with too much cost-cutting :/

i dont know any italian hardware online shop... so i used "alternate" to get a rough price for the system..

something i would've put together..:
---

Mainboard (incl. CPU):
intel D945GCLF (intel Atom 1,6GHz) -> 58€

Case:
Asus TM-B12 µATX Case -> 19€

HDD:
Hitachi Deskstar 7K160 160GB SATA HDD -> 34€

RAM:
Kingston ValueRAM 1GB DDRII-667 -> 16€
or
Kingston ValueRAM 2GB DDRII-667 -> 31€

DVD-RW:
LG H20NS Super Multi (SATA) -> 27,90€


i didn't add a power supply because i dont know much about the (cap-) quality of HEC, Chieftec, and Sharkoon (which are below 35€ on alternate) and alternate doesn't have Fortron Source PSUs in stock. Seasonic S12II-330HB (330W, 52€) would be a little overkill (price-wise)

well.. for calculating everything together i've chosen a Chieftec GPS-350EB 350W for 33€..

With 1GB RAM: 188€
With 2GB RAM: 203€

and this, using known good manufaturers only (except the Chieftec PSU .. i dont know anything about that one, but it seemed more promising compared to a HEC)

its too late already... but keep something like this in mind for low-end basic-task pcs if you have to build one of those again

[Scenic]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

damn... i hate this 10min. edit limit -.-

---

edit: Graphics card (intel GMA950), Sound and LAN are onboard.
Graphics card uses Shared RAM, but it's DirectX9 capable and even gets 632 points in 3DMark03 on this intel Atom board (which is quite good for onboard graphics)

[i4004]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

chieftec is ok.

[Gianni]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

Thanks Scenic and i4004.

For sure if I need help I will ask here, but this time I had no choice... the guy had preferred a known brand instead of build a custom PC.
This week I'm a little bit busy than usual and I have small time but ASAP I will check the price here where I buy HW to see if they are different from your.
Ok there are other places where I can buy... but selling PC is not my job and as I charge few euros to do this service I prefer to buy everything in one place.

To summarize: when you deal with someone that doesn't know the subject... or he trust you at 100% and follow your suggestion... or it is better for you, after you have warned him, to do what he wants so if something doesn't work it is not your responsibility.

Ok I have to go now, I hope to get back on Badcaps soon.

Ciao
Gianni

[Newbie2]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

That Extensa E261 is a VERY BASIC computer with only a Pentium Dual Core E2140 1.6GHz processor (it's cheap Acer so no overclocking to at least run that E2140 at 3GHz for better performance), 1GB of RAM, 160GB hard drive, and junk SiS integrated graphics.

It would be suited only for basic Internet browsing and e-mail, on an operating system such as Windows XP Home Edition or Professional. Vista on that would run on it, but it WOULD BE SLOWER THAN A SNAIL.

[zandrax]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

@ Gianni: I understand you had your hands tied: no chance in dealing with a stubborn "client", I know, and a too low budget to buy something better with Italian prices; a light upgrade (mobo, cpu, ram) is impossible too because you can't keep anything from the old Pentium (except the keyboard if it's a sturdy one). Nevertheless, I'd have second thoughts in buying an Intel based pc with a Sis chipset.

@ Scenic: Italian best prices are near the one you reported. Best prices, usually in different shops
My favourite prices search engine is Trovaprezzi (litteraly: The price finder), but it covers most but not all shops.
Looking into detail, the Atom board costs at least 72 euro, the Asus case is unavailable and entry level ones cost about 20-25 euro, ram and hdd have comparable prices (sometimes slightly lower, usually slightly higher), the DVD-RW is 5 euro cheaper but the psu 12 euro more expensive. Your configuration would have costed about 30 euro more here: cheaper then the Acer but not by much.

@ Wizard: it's a budget machine for someone which can't tell you the difference between his new box and the preveious Pentium he used. I think performance wasn't the most important thing: price was. And noone is so crazy to put Vista on it (though a v-lited version could run quite nice, the standard one would be too slow), at least because Aero would scary the owner .

Zandrax

[Gianni]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

It's so late and within 5 1/2 hours I have to get up... but I have done my homework and here what I have found:

Intel® D945GCLF 58€

MIDDLE TOWER INWIN EM002 BLACK/SILVER NO PSU 26€

DESKSTAR 7K160 160GB SATA 38,60€

DDR2 1GB 667MHZ PC2-5300 CL5.0 KINGSTON 13.70€

DDR2 2GB 667MHZ (PC2-5300) 24,90€


DVD S-ATA GH20NS10 RETAIL BLACK 20,60€

Chieftec GPS-350EB 44.90€

Total With 1 GB 201.8€
Total With 2GB 213 €


These are the best price I have found but as I wrote I can find them at separate stores.
I was not able to find the Asus cabinet so I have chosen the cheapest one.

If I add extra costs (delivering for PSU is 12€) at the end I can save few euros compared to Acer Extensa.
For me it does make no sense to spent time searching for best price just to save few euros when you have to order parts at different stores unless you have not extra costs or you can buy directly at the shop.

Thanks again for your suggestions, they are gold for a newbie like me
Gianni

[Scenic]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

@ Scenic: [...]
Looking into detail, the Atom board costs at least 72 euro,

sounds more like the D945GCLF2
biggest difference is the dual-core Atom CPU.
the D945GCLF without the 2 at the end has a single-core Atom and it's price dropped about 20€ when the GCLF2 found its way into the shops..

the Asus case is unavailable and entry level ones cost about 20-25 euro,

the only reason why i've chosen the Asus tower is that it was the cheapest non-noname case. any (µ)ATX case would do the job..

ram and hdd have comparable prices (sometimes slightly lower, usually slightly higher), the DVD-RW is 5 euro cheaper but the psu 12 euro more expensive. Your configuration would have costed about 30 euro more here: cheaper then the Acer but not by much.

well.. a bit cost-cutting would be possible (A-DATA RAM or a cheaper Samsung or Lite-On DVD-RW drive for example) but i had some problems with those brands lately so i dont really like to use them for anything anymore (especially the Samsung and Lite-On drives.. some of them died within the first 3 months of use :/ )

like i said... the PSU is one of those parts where i don't know much about the entry-level units...

i prefer to put seasonic, fortron or delta PSUs in my custom built PCs.. but in this case (where price matters and the sys won't even fully load a 250W PSU) this would be kinda overkill...

like on the Asus case.. almost any PSU (with a 4pin P4 plug) would do the job... the only thing i would worry about would be the caps..

It's so late and within 5 1/2 hours I have to get up...

well... at least you can get some sleep... :/
i've spent the whole night reading articals (articels ?! whatever..) about some electronics stuff until i realized what time it is :O

its 5:03 AM right now... going to bed now wouldn't make sense as i wouldnt get up at 8:00 AM

this is going to be a hard day .__. *yawns*

[i4004]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

i prefer to put seasonic, fortron or delta PSUs in my custom built PCs.. but in this case (where price matters and the sys won't even fully load a 250W PSU) this would be kinda overkill...

interesting thing: chieftec is delta.
hehe...

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showth...light=chieftec
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showth...light=chieftec

i think even some sleep is better than no sleep.

For me it does make no sense to spent time searching for best price just to save few euros when you have to order parts at different stores unless you have not extra costs or you can buy directly at the shop.

true.
but one can probably find a cheap enough web-shop and get it all from there.
the one i use here also has cheapest prices anywhere in this country..hehe...
stuff+delivery is always cheaper than me going to city and buying it there(prices are higher, fuel is expensive....)

[zandrax]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

@ Scenic: don't worry, I only tried to look for all components you found. I know there are slightly cheaper alternatives in some cases.
You're right about the motherboard: the search engine reports even partial name corrispondence, so I found only two shops selling the D945GCLF2. Didn't bothered to check the name ...

If I don't sleep about 8 hours a day, I'm usually going to waste the following morning in trying to keep me awake and doing very little work: articles and knowledge are important, but life is more

@ i4004: happy to learn Chieftec psus are made by Delta. Another brand to suggest.

Zandrax

[Gianni]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

its 5:03 AM right now... going to bed now wouldn't make sense as i wouldnt get up at 8:00 AM

At the end I have found someone worse than me
I wake up every morning at 10 past 6, excluding Saturday and Sunday, and usually I go to bed after midnight and sometimes I stay up till 2 in the night.
5 years ago I could sleep one 3 hours per day, now it's hard to do it and when happens, like this week, that I stay up till 2 in the night for 2 days... I have to sleep till 10 on Saturday morning. I think I'm getting old
By the way I was so tired the other day that I wrote 5 1/2 hours instead of 4 1/2 hours

but one can probably find a cheap enough web-shop and get it all from there.

You are right but I'm an old fashion man, I like to touch things with my hands and I like to look at people in the eye when I buy something.

@ zandrax: I would like to sleep 8 hours... but in this way I would be able to do only 2/3 of what I have to do.

Yesterday night I have delivered the Acer Extensa, the guy was happy because it is very silent and fast, the old PC was like an helicopter.

Ciao
Gianni

[Fizzycapola]

Re: Acer Extensa E261

Yeah thats a good system.

If his old system were plastic pliers. The new system virgin forged metal pliers. Buying modern PC's is like buying hammers. I went to buy a hammer recently to bang in some tacks. The guy shows me his hammer section. The cheapest hammers £15 going upto around £35. Well unless an undercover hooker gives you a free service coincendentally after leaving the store whats the point, the special rubber finishes on those hammers tarnishes easily and after a year they look unhygienic, I bought the cheap shop special hammer £2 and did all my diy with a full wallet smile.