Gateway DX430S Budget Desktop PC

4/25/07 – Gateway's DX430S has so much going for it. Enough to almost make it a five star rated computer system. The problem is that they failed to keep the storage features in line with what other companies are offering as standard features for their desktop systems. The 160GB hard drive is smaller than the 250GB that most offer and the cost difference between a CD-RW/DVD combo drive and a DVD burner is negligible. They really need to update these to make their system even better.

What the Gateway DX430S does have going for it is its completeness. Most companies sell budget systems with really low price tags. What they don't mention is that peripheral devices such as the monitor and speakers are not included with the “system” purchase. These items can add anywhere from $100 to $300 to the cost of the system. Gateway includes both stereo speakers and their 17-inch widescreen LCD panel in with the purchase of the DX430S. This makes its high price tag much more attractive as there isn't any external cost.

The heart of the system is based on the Intel Pentium D 925 dual core processor. This is certainly a decent processor that handles multitasking, but it does fall behind the AMD Athlon 64 X2 and Intel Core 2 Duo processor. On the other hand, Gateway has included a full gigabyte of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory that is faster than the more typical PC2-4200 DDR2 used in budget systems.

One final note to those looking at the Gateway DX430S. Gateway lists the base price of their system, but when ordering they automatically select certain upgrades to the purchase such as the three-year value plan and security subscriptions. These items add a lot to the cost of the PC and may not directly benefit the consumer but helps them on their bottom line.

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