Systemax Vitality DH43IV Desktop PC

The Bottom Line
Systemax's Vitality DH43IV is a set of compromises that will work for some users and not others. In lew of a dedicated graphics processor or a faster processor, consumer get more memory and hard drive space for running and storing applications.

Pros

* Two Full Gigabytes of Memory
* Large Hard Drive
* TV Tuner Included

Cons

* Integrated Graphics
* Slower Core 2 Duo Processor
* No HDTV Support on Tuner

Description

* Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 Dual Core Desktop Processor
* 2GB PC2-4200 DDR2 Memory
* 500GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
* 18x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer DVD Burner
* Intel GMA 3000 Integrated Graphics with 256MB Shared Memory
* AverMedia 150 Analog TV Tuner
* Intel HDA Audio With Cyber Acoustics Stereo Speakers
* v.92 56Kbps Modem and 10/100 Ethernet
* Eight USB 2.0, Two FireWire and 9-in-1 Media Card Reader
* Windows Vista Home Premium OS

Guide Review - Systemax Vitality DH43IV Desktop PC

8/6/07 – Systemax made some interesting choices when putting together the Vitality DH43IV desktop system. Take for example the processor. They use an Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 dual core processor. While this is a decent processor, it has a lower clock speed and bus speed than the E6400 found in many similarly priced systems. On the other hand though, they include two full gigabytes of memory that lets the system run programs more smoothly with the Vista operating system.

While they may have selected some slower processor components, Systemax has provided some fairly strong storage components. Most mainstream desktops still ship with 250 or 320GB hard drives. The Vitality DH43IV comes equipped with a very sizable 500GB drive that provides plenty of storage. This is important because it also comes with a TV tuner that can be used as a PVR that can quickly eat up storage space. A fairly standard 18x dual layer DVD burner is included for reading or recording CDs and DVDs.

One area that the Vitality DH43IV suffers though is in the graphics department. Systemax has decided to use the integrated Intel GMA 3000 graphics processor that users up to 256MB of the system memory. This is fine for general computing purposes, but it does not support Direct X 10 or have sufficient power for even casual 3D gaming. Thankfully the system has a PCI Express x16 graphics cards slot so a discrete graphics card can be installed.

The end results is a compromise on performance and graphics for storage space and PVR capabilities. This may work well for some people but makes the system more specialized then a strong overall choice in a desktop.