HP TouchSmart 7320: A Ho-Hum Budget All-in-One

20.03.2012
The HP TouchSmart 7320 is a bog-standard budget all-in-one PC. It's inexpensive, and performance is fine, but it ultimately fails to stand out in a crowded market. The model we tested, priced at $879, packs an Intel Core i5-2400S processor, 4GB ofRAM, and a 500GB hard drive. It also offers built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, and a 21.5-inch touchscreen.

On PCWorld's WorldBench 6 benchmark tests, the TouchSmart 7320 scored a decent 126. This score doesn't put the system at the top of the list, but it's well above average for our .

The TouchSmart 7320 relies on integrated graphics, which leaves gaming out of the question. On our Unreal Tournament 3 gaming test --the least strenuous test we offer -- the 7320 managed a frame rate of just 14.3 frames per second (1680 by 1050 pixel resolution, highest quality settings). By contrast, budget all-in-one PCs with discrete graphics cards generally score over 40 frames per second on the same test.

The TouchSmart 7320 features an easel-like design: the screen is supported on the sides, rather than off of a single arm, and the entire thing tilts easily back and forth. I'm not a huge fan of easel designs, but HP's are sturdy and comfortable to use.

The 22-inch touchscreen is glossy; a bit too glossy. It's also too dim, withno quick way to adjust brightness via the keyboard or buttons on the monitor. The display has an overall bluish cast, and off-axis viewing angles are dismal. The touch-aspect of the screen also feels off. It's not very responsive, and I felt like I had to push harder than anticipated to get around. All told, I wasn't impressed -- and the screen is the most important aspect of an all-in-one PC.

Most of the 7320's ports are located on the back of the machine, in the lower left corner. These include fourUSB2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, a lock slot, and an audio out jack. On the left side of the screen are twoUSB3.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, and a multi-format memory card reader. The right side offers a slot-loading DVD burner.