- Triple Core Processor
- Higher Speed DVD Burner
- Slower DDR2 Memory
- Lacks FireWire Port
- AMD Phenom X3 8450 Triple Core Processor
- 4GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
- 500GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 20x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
- NVIDIA GeForce 6100 Integrated Graphics
- 7.1 HDA Audio with Stereo Speakers
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Four USB 2.0, 15-in-1 Card Reader
- Vista Home Premium
10/24/08 - Dual core processors are now pretty standard among desktop PCs but quad core processors are still out of the reach of most budget oriented systems. Zt Systems has decided to use the AMD Phenom X3 8450 triple core processor for their Affinity 7208Xa desktop. This may not provide the same level of performance as Intel's Core 2 Duo CPUs but it does a fair job for those individuals looking to do heavy multitasking or using multithreaded applications.
As with many other companies, Zt Systems packs the Affinity 7208XA with 4GB of memory that allows it to run the Vista operating system very smoothly. In a cost cutting measure, they chose to use PC2-5300 DDR2 memory. This gives it a slight disadvantage compared to the much more common and not that much more expensive PC2-6400 DDR2 memory. It may not be much of a difference but it is still something to consider.
Storage is pretty much what all of the budget desktops are offering these days. The 500GB of hard drive space provides a good deal of space for applications and digital media files. The DVD burner supports dual layered media and has the added benefit of recording single layer DVD media up to a 20x speed. This lets it shave a few seconds off the recording times over more traditional 16x drives.
One surprising feature missing from the Affinity X7208Xa is a FireWire port. This is typically used for connecting a DV camcorder into a computer to transfer video files. It can also be used for high speed external storage. It is somewhat surprising that a system that can benefit from the extra processors cores by editing digital video would not come with such a port.
