- High Performance 3D Graphics Card
- HDTV Compatible Tuner
- Could Really Use Faster Memory
- Lacks FireWire Port
- AMD Phenom 9600 Quad Core Desktop Processor
- 3GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
- 500GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 18x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner With LabelFlash
- NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT Graphics Card with 512MB
- Digital/Analog TV Tuner
- HDA Audio with Stereo Speakers
- v.92 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet
- Six USB 2.0, 15-in-1 Card Reader
- Vista Home Premium, Norton Internet Security, MS Works 8.5, Power2Go
2/6/08 – Gateway's FX7020 really is designed with graphics in mind and specifically gaming. Most mainstream desktops include a dedicated graphics card, but they lack the performance for high resolution or extremely detailed 3D graphics in games. The inclusion of a high end NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB let's the FX7020 perform extremely well in even the latest PC gaming titles.
One of the other big features of the Gateway FX7020 is the use of the new AMD Phenom 9600 quad core processor. This is AMD's latest desktop processor and their first to offer four cores on a single processor. The performance isn't quite up to what Intel has to offer from their Core 2 Quad offerings but it is still quite respectable. The 3GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory let it run applications without any problems but it would have been nice to see Gateway include faster PC2-6400 DDR2 memory to help give it a bit of a performance boost.
Storage is pretty much average for a desktop system in this price range. A single 500GB hard drive handles file storage. This is a bit of an improvement for most companies that tend to use two smaller drivers to reach these capacities but it still isn't an overwhelming increase in capacity. The dual layer DVD burner is a standard item, but it does include support for burning labels directly to Labelflash compatible media.
Another feature included on the FX7020 is a HDTV compatible TV tuner for use with digital or analog TV signals. This is a nice feature and lets the system double as a home theater system, but those looking for using it more as a HTPC would be better off looking at Gateway's GM5664.
