Gateway GT5622 Retail Budget Desktop PC

The Bottom Line
Gateway's GT5622 is certainly a budget desktop computer system for anyone needing to use very memory intensive applications. The three gigabytes of system RAM clearly outpace most desktop systems and it doesn't sacrifice much in terms of features.

Pros

* Three Gigabytes Memory
* Larger Hard Drive

Cons

* Lacks a FireWire Port

Description

* Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2160 Processor
* 3GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
* 400GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
* 18x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
* Intel GMA 950 Integrated Graphics
* HDA 7.1 Audio with Stereo Speakers
* v.92 56Kbps Modem, 10/100 Ethernet
* Six USB 2.0, 15-in-1 Media Card Reader
* Vista Home Premium, MS Works 8.5, Power2Go, McAfee Internet Security

Guide Review - Gateway GT5622 Retail Budget Desktop PC

Gateway has a pretty astonishing release for the budget market with the GT5622 system. It comes packed with a total of three gigabytes of PC2-5300 DDR2 memory. Most budget desktops still come with only a single gigabyte and a few now offer two. By having this much, the system rarely needs to rely on virtual memory when using the most memory intensive applications with the Vista operating system.

The processor choice for the Gateway GT5622 is not uncommon for a budget system. The Pentium Dual-Core E2160 is a competent one for the price range. It doesn't have quite the power of the new Core 2 Duo's or Athlon 64 X2s, but runs smoothly for most applications.

Storage is also quite surprising for the GT5622. Most budget desktops come with around a 300GB hard drive. The 400GB hard drive isn't a dramatically huge jump consider the terabyte drives available on the market, but it is still one of the largest you will see in a budget system. The dual layer DVD burner is standard and takes care of all playback and recording of CDs or DVDs.

The graphics system is a bit dated. Rather than using a newer chipset with the X3000 or X3100 integrated processor, it uses the much older Intel GMA 950 processor. Performance wise, it isn't that much further behind, but it does not feature much of the enhancements made to improve video playback ability. Of course, there is room for a PCI-Express graphics card for those needing better 3D support.

There is only one real major flaw with the Gateway GT5622, and its something that many budget desktops are doing as well. That is the lack of a FireWire port. This is the easiest way to move video from a digital camcorder to the PC. So it is an important thing for those wanting to do desktop video work.