- Pentium M Processor
- Large Wide Screen Display
- No DVD Burner
- Limited Software Bundle
- Intel Pentium M 735 (1.7GHz) Processor
- 512MB PC2700 DDR Memory
- 40GB 5,400rpm Hard Drive
- 24x CD-RW/DVD Combo Drive
- 15.4" WXGA (1280x800) LCD and Intel Extreme 2 Integrated Graphics with 64MB Shared Memory
- AC'97 Audio
- v.90 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11g Wireless
- Four USB 2.0, One FireWire, 4-in-1 Reader and One Type II PC Card Slot
- 14.1" x 10.4" x 1.4" @ 6.1 lbs.
- Windows XP Home, Works 8, Norton Internet Security 2005
10/19/05 – The main draw for people looking at the Gateway NX500X notebook computer is the large 15.4” wide screen display. This type of screen has generally been seen in thin and light and desktop replacements but only recently found in the budget market.
Powering the NX500X is the Intel Pentium M 735 (1.7GHz) processor that provides strong performance while conserving battery power. This is matched up to 512MB of PC2700 DDR memory to let the system run most applications without any problems of slow downs.
Storage for the NX500X is very much standard for the budget notebook market. Its 40GB hard drive is of average size but runs at a faster 5,400rpm spin rate to give it a boost in performance. The 24x CD-RW/DVD combo drive allows the system to playback DVD movies or read and write data or music CDs. More and more budget systems are starting to use DVD burners which would be a nice addition to the NX500X. A 4-in-1 card reader allows the system to read flash media from digital pheripherals.
As previously mentioned, the 15.4” wide screen LCD is large for a budget notebook and the wide screen is great for watching movies on the system. The graphics are powered by an older Intel Extreme 2 integrated graphics that is fine for 2D applications but not sufficient for even the most basic of 3D games.
Overall, the NX500X isn't a terribly bad system, it is just that Gateway offers so much more in the comparably priced NX250X.
