Gateway DX4831-03 Mainstream Desktop PC

Feb 5 2009 - Gateway's DX4831-03 is a system with some strong points and some weak ones that makes it a good choice for some and bad for others. The dual-core processor does hamper some tasks such as desktop video, but the 8GB of memory is twice the average desktop in this price range and helps with heavy multitasking. The Blu-ray compatible drive makes it a good media oriented desktop system but the weak graphics and power supply make it not well suited towards games. At least its $850 price tag makes it a more affordable for those that don't require a quad-core gaming rig.

Feb 5 2009 - While most companies are moving towards quad-core processors with the new Intel Core i5/i7 processors, Gateway has decided to stick with a dual-core Intel Core i5-650 processor for the DX4831-03. The processor does have a much faster clock speed to compensate for two less cores but it does have the disadvantage of not being as well suited to some heavy processor tasks such as desktop video. Gateway makes up for this by including a very large 8GB of DDR3 memory that is twice that average in this price range and helps with multitasking.

Where the Gateway DX4831-03 really shines is in the storage features. It comes with a decently sized one terabyte hard drive that provides plenty of space for storing applications and media files. The drive is a green version that features a variable speed drive to conserve energy. This can cause problems for some streaming media but for the most part it isn't an issue. The big selling point though is the Blu-ray compatible drive that allows the system to playback Blu-ray movies. This is a feature that is not common in systems priced under $1000.

The area where the Gateway DX4831-03 suffers the most is the graphics department. It does include a dedicated graphics card in the NVIDIA GeForce GT 220. The problem is that this is a very low end graphics processor. It is certainly fine for handling HD video streams and some casual 3D gaming. The problem is that it lacks the performance required for most modern PC games. Expect to be running games in the 1280x1024 and lower settings for the most part. And the 1GB of memory won't help with the 3D graphics much but can benefit those using the Adobe CS4 suite.

Those hoping to put a high performance graphics card into the system post purchase will also be disappointed. The DX4831-03 only comes equipped with a 300 watt power supply. This will severely limit the use of high-end graphics cards. This doesn't mean that it wouldn't be possible to install a mid-ranged graphics card to boost the graphics, just not possible to run the latest and greatest cards.

At $850, the Gateway DX4831-03 is certainly a choice for those looking for more features and performance than a budget class desktop system. The addition of Blu-ray, large hard drive and lots of memory make it a decent general performance system. It just doesn't make a good system for those hoping to also use it for PC gaming.