The Bottom Line
- Good Software Bundle
- Uses DDR2 Memory
- Lower Price
- Base Comes with Lesser Components to Keep Price Down
- Lacks Monitor
Description
- Intel Pentium 5 540 (3.2GHz)
- 1GB PC2-4300 DDR2 Memory
- 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive
- HP 8x DVD+/-R Burner and 16x DVD-ROM Optical Drives
- Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Audio and Altec Lansing VS3151 5.1 Speakers
- ATI Radeon X600 Pro Graphics Card
- Intel 1Gbps Ethernet Port
- Seven USB 2.0 Ports, Two FireWire Ports and 9-in-1 Media Reader
- Windows XP Home, iTunes, RecordNow, WinDVD, MS Works 2005
Guide Review - Compaq GX5010T
12/21/04 - Compaq originally released their gaming line of personal computers through a select group of retailers as a test. Apparently the test was successful as Compaq now has a line of customizable gaming systems available such as the new GX5010T through their company website.
The new GX5010T desktop is based around the latest Intel chipset, the i925XE. The base system comes equipped with a Pentium 4 540 (3.2GHz) processor and 1GB of PC2-4300 DDR2 memory. This is not the top of the line processor by far, but the platform allows for potential upgrades in the future.
Storage is decent with a 250GB SerialATA hard drive and HP 8x DVD+/-R burner. Additional performance could be achieved with a RAID0 drive array and an higher speed DVD burner. These are all options of course. Unlike most other performance PCs, the GX5010T also includes a 9-in-1 media card reader.
Of course, a gaming system has to be very playable with the latest games. To do this, a high performance video card should be standard. The base GX5010T comes only with a Radeon X600 Pro based card but a high end GeForce 6800 Ultra is an option and probably recommended for those using it for games.
What separates the GX5010T from other performance systems is its versatility. It is doesn't solely compete as a gaming system but also makes a good all-around computer system. It can be used for gaming, but expect to do a number of upgrades to meet the performance of other comparable performance systems.
