Gateway One ZX4300-01e 20-inch All-In-One Desktop PC

Jul 29 2010 - The Gateway One ZX4300-01e brings touchscreen functionality to a much more affordable 20-inch size without compromising on cost. While it may not have the highest levels of performance, it does well as a general purpose system for those that don't necessarily require desktop video editing or gaming. There are compromises though including some lag on the touch input and a software suite that isn't much more than minor entertainment for the interface. Of course, if you don't need a touchscreen one can get higher performance or a lower price system.

Jul 29 2010 - While most of the Gateway One series all-in-one PCs are based around the Intel processors, the ZX4300 models use the AMD processors. In the case of the ZX4300-01e, it uses the AMD Athlon II X2 235e dual core desktop processor. This is a step up from the mobile processors used by many all-in-one systems but lacks the level of performance found in the low end Core i3 processors offered by Intel. It should work fine for most applications but will get bogged down by more intensive tasks such as desktop video editing. The 4GB of DDR3 memory helps mitigate slowdowns from running multiple applications.

Storage features of the Gateway One ZX4300-01e are fairly typical of a 20-inch all-in-one in its price range. The hard drive is of moderate size, 640GB, for an all-in-one system. While desktops typically feature larger drives, this size is a good compromise for storing applications, data and media files. A dual layer DVD burner handles all playback and recording of CDs and DVDs.

The big feature of the Gateway One ZX4300 is the display. The 20-inch display panel features a fairly high 1600x900 resolution but also multi-touch input. This makes the Gateway One one of the more affordable touchscreen enabled all-in-ones that aren't based upon slower mobile parts. Like the larger ZX6900 model, the panel does have a significant input lag when the touchscreen is used. It also comes with the TouchPortal software suite to make use of the input but it doesn't have the same level of sophistication or functionality of HP's TouchSmart suite.

Those hoping to use the ZX4300-01e for something more than just browsing the web or streaming video will be disappointed. The system uses an integrated ATI Radeon HD 4270 graphics processor. This is a step up from the typical Intel GMA X4500 solution but it still lacks sufficient performance for any real PC gaming beyond casual games at low resolutions and detail levels.

One important thing to be aware of is the power supply. The larger Gateway One models use an integrated power supply. This means that a simple power cord runs between the outlet and the PC. With the smaller dimensions of the ZX4300, Gateway has elected to use an external power brick that sits between the PC and the outlet. The cord between the PC and power brick is also quite short which means more people will have to set it on the desk behind the screen.

What will attract most buyer's though is the price. With a suggested price of $750, it is certainly much cheaper than the iMac. Those looking for a good general purpose all-in-one will be hard pressed to find a better deal especially if they want a touchscreen.