- Low Price Tag
- Internal Flash Card Reader
- Lots of Software Included
- Older AMD Athlon Processor
- Fair Amount of Trialware Applications
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ Dual Core Processor
- 3GB P2-6400 DDR2 Memory
- 500GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 16x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner with LightScribe
- NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE Integrated Graphics
- 7.1 Integrated Audio
- 10/100 Ethernet
- Six USB 2.0, FireWire, 15-in-1 Card Reader
- Vista Home Premium, Works, CyberLink DVD Suite, autoProducer, Norton Internet Security
10/15/08 - It isn't uncommon for desktop PCs in the budget segment to be using older technology. What is surprising about the Presario SR5550f is that Compaq is still using an AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ dual core processor. This is a very old processor that has been surpassed by the newer Intel Core based processors and even AMD's own Phenom processors. It does provide sufficient performance for your basic web browsing and productivity software. It does lack a bit for those looking to do more media intensive applications though.
The three gigabytes of memory does allow the system to run Vista smoothly and is a step up from previous generations of budget systems that featured two gigabytes. The problem is that more and more companies and now offering 4 gigabytes of memory standard on they basic systems. This puts the Presario SR5550f slightly behind the competition.
Surprisingly, Compaq ships the Presario SR5550f with a fair amount of software. This includes just about all the basic applications that one might need for a desktop PC. The problem is that it also includes a good number of trailware applications on the system. This tends to bog down the system in terms of memory, storage and overall desktop UI. Users will definitely want to take the time to go through and remove unwanted applications.
What these features do allow for though is a very low system price. It is easy to find this system priced below $500 compared to many others priced near or above $600. Those looking to use the system as a platform to upgrade with graphics cards and other internal components will want to be aware that the power supply probably can't handle the latest high end graphics cards.
