Compaq Presario SR2050NX

Compaq Presario SR2050NX

Compaq's Presario SR2050NX is overall a very solid machine with good overall performance. It is only held back from being great by its older Pentium D processor.

Pros

* Full Gigabyte Memory
* Strong Software Suite
* Large Hard Drive

Cons

* Older Pentium D Processor

Description

* Intel Pentium D 820 Dual-Core Processor
* 1GB PC2-4200 DDR2 Memory
* 250GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
* 16x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner with LightScribe
* ATI Radeon Xpress 200 Integrated Graphics with 256MB Shared Memory
* Intel HDA Audio
* v.92 56Kbps Modem and 10/100 Ethernet
* Seven USB 2.0, Two FireWire and 9-in-1 Card Reader
* Windows XP MCE, Works 8, Sonic Digital Media, MyDVD, Norton Internet Security

Guide Review - Compaq Presario SR2050NX

10/23/06 – The Compaq Presario SR2050NX is powered by the older generation Pentium D 820 dual core processor. While this is a step up from older single core processors when it comes to multitasking performance, its performance falls behind the Athlon 64 X2 and newer Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors. On the plus side, the system does come with a full gigabyte of PC2-4200 DDR2 memory letting it run most applications without a problem.

Storage is quite strong for the Presario SR2050NX. Data and program storage is provided by a 250GB hard drive that is on the higher end of what can be found in a budget system. In addition to this, a 16x DVD+/-RW dual layer DVD burner is included for playing or recording CDs and DVDs. This drive also supports LightScribe compatible media for burning labels directly to the discs.

Like most budget desktops, Compaq relies on an integrated graphics processor for the Presario SR2050NX. In this case, they use the ATI Radeon Xpress 200 controller that has improved performance over the Intel integrated graphics but still lacks much of the performance needed for 3D gaming graphics. The system does include a PCI-Express graphics card slot for upgrading.

One strong thing going for the Compaq systems is the software bundle. It includes the MS Works productivity software plus multimedia an security applications that cover just about anything that a new computer might require.