Compaq X09 Gaming PC

12/8/03 - Compaq is a new player to the market of the high-end PC gaming computers. Their new X09 Gaming PC is a test system currently only available at CompUSA retailers. If the line proves successful, they plan to release additional models at other retailers. For a first attempt at a gaming PC, Compaq has done a very good job.

The system is housed inside of the Cooler Master Wave Master aluminum PC case. This provides a very stylish exterior for the computer compared to the more utilitarian designs of the normal Compaq Presarios.

Powering the X09 is Intel's Pentium 4 3.2 GHz processor with 800MHz bus. While this is not by any means a slow CPU, many of Compaq's competitors are offering their top of the line systems with the new Extreme Edition CPU or AMD Athlon64. This means the X09 will be slower in most computing tasks, but still much faster than most desktop computers.

Storage for the X09 is provided by two Seagate 7200.7 120GB serial ATA drives in a 240GB RAID0 storage array. This should provide very fast hard drive performance. Optical storage is handled by two optical burners, an HP 4x DVD+R drive and Samsung 48x CD-RW combo drive. This is one of the few gaming systems that comes with a DVD burner standard.

Graphics is handled by an NVIDIA GeForceFX 5950 Ultra graphics processor. This should provide more than enough performance for current PC games and room for future games. Audio is handled by a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 audio card.