Gateway desktops
Updated March 31, 2006
From its previous home in cow country in South Dakota (hence, the spotted boxes), Gateway built its reputation as a direct-sell PC vendor of competitively priced home and business PCs. Though the now Irvine, California-based company primarily sells PCs direct from its Web site, it has long dabbled in the retail market. It once operated Gateway Country Stores, and after purchasing budget-PC vendor eMachines in 2004, it closed the Country Stores and used eMachines' relationships to begin placing Gateway-branded desktops in national retail chains, such as Best Buy and Circuit City.
Gateway offers a mix of low-end and midrange PCs. It sells Intel-based Gateway-branded PCs via its Web site, and you'll find a mix of Intel- and AMD-based Gateway models at retail outlets. The company also offers roughly four budget eMachines models each fiscal quarter, which are available only via retail. On Gateway's Web site, the vast majority of its models carry a starting price less than $1,000. Gamers and other demanding users will be better served shopping elsewhere. For example, though its FX510 system offers high-end graphics and the latest Intel technology, Gateway doesn't let you pair up graphics cards in an SLI configuration, an increasingly popular choice among gamers.
If you buy from Gateway's site, you'll be faced with two or three preconfigured models for each line, which are broken out into S for low-end options, X for midrange options, and, in one instance, XL for the highest-end options. Each model offers some degree of customization, though your options are more limited compared to the choices offered by smaller vendors and, for the most part, those of both Dell and HP.
Gateway rarely breaks new ground but instead offers current technology at aggressive price points. Since the debut of BTX motherboards 2004, however, Gateway has been a staunch supporter of this technology, which improves airflow through a desktop case. Almost all of its PCs--home and business models--are based on the BTX form factor, which typically results in whisper-quiet operation. Overall, the design of the PCs is appealing; the consumer models feature a silver-and-black color scheme, while the E-series business models go for a more buttoned-down, all-black design.
Gateway's consumer systems feature a DX or FX prefix; those for business feature an E prefix. The company also sells an all-in-one PC à la the iMac, which it calls the Profile. Simple enough? Not so fast. Gateway's desktop lines can get confusing for a couple of reasons. First, it labels the models on its site one way, then follows a different naming scheme on store shelves. The current retail models feature AMD processors and model numbers with a GT prefix. There's also considerable overlap between Gateway-branded models and those that carry the eMachines name.
Gateway backs its desktops with industry-standard warranties: one year for most consumer models and three years for business models. You can often upgrade the warranty for a reasonable price. Warranties include toll-free, 24/7 phone support, and the company promises to reply to e-mail questions within 24 hours. Gateway's support site has a lot of downloads, spec sheets, and setup suggestions. There's a chat room to compare notes with other users, though the site lacks the option for a live chat with a technician.
Gateway desktop lines:
Gateway DX series |
Gateway FX510 series |
Gateway Profile series |
eMachines T series |
Gateway E series
Gateway DX series
Six systems comprise Gateway's DX home and home office series, two Celeron-based DX110 models, two Pentium 4-based DX210 models, and two dual-core Pentium 920-based DX300 models. For performing basic tasks or as a second PC, Gateway's own eMachines PCs provide better bang for the buck in the $400 to $600 range than either of the entry-level DX100 or budget DX200 lines. The DX300 machines are a better bet for an all-around home system and still offer a reasonable starting price at $750. They feature a current Intel chipset, dual-core processing, more hard drive capacity, the
Windows Media Center OS, and the option for a TV tuner. We wouldn't spend to upgrade the graphics to turn a DX300 system into a gaming machine (Gateway charges too much for the outdated Nvidia cards it offers), but configured with the Intel Pentium 920 processor, 1GB of memory, and a midrange graphics card, it will provide you with a well-rounded, do-it-all PC.
Gateway FX510 series
Gateway's high-end offering covers a lot of ground. The FX510S model starts at $900, whereas the FX510XL begins at $2,800 and quickly scales up from there. (The middle child, the FX510X, is closer to its cheaper sibling at $1,500.) All offer Intel's most advanced 975 Express chipset, dual-core Intel 900-series processors, at least 1GB of memory, the Media Center OS, and the option for adding a TV tuner. For multimedia use, we suggest saving some money and opting for the more affordable DX300, which has the specs for handling a variety of tasks. The FX510 series is overkill for all but the most demanding users, and without SLI graphics as an option, serious gamers will want to look elsewhere.
Gateway Profile series
Gateway's all-in-one PC isn't nearly as sleek and stylish as
Apple's iMac, but it does pack a fair amount of features into a small footprint. As with other all-in-one PCs, you pay a premium for the form factor; choosing the same components in a traditional tower case and adding a comparable LCD will cost less. The Profile's base is chunkier than you'd expect for an all-in-one PC, but it provides easy access to the optical drive and the audio ports. The Profile 5.5 is being phrased out and sold via Gateway's consumer site. It's available in three sizes, with a 15-inch, a 17-inch, or a 19-inch screen. Gateway sells the newer Profile 6 to its professional customers (and it'll soon replace the Profile 5.5 on the consumer site). Available with either a 17-inch or a 19-inch display, it features an updated chipset (Intel 945 vs. Intel 915) and uses a slightly different but still boxy base. Regardless of which Profile you choose, Gateway gives you a nearly identical set of customization options, including Intel processors (dual-core processors are available, however, only on the Profile 6), up to 2GB of memory, up to a 250GB hard drive, and the choice of a DVD burner and a media card reader.
eMachines T series
We've long pointed budget buyers to eMachines' T-series desktops. Gateway acquired eMachines in 2004, and not much has changed with the line. eMachines desktops are available only at retail outlets, and Gateway refreshes the entire line each fiscal quarter. You can still find older models from past quarters on store shelves alongside the current models. The newer models cover the $400 to $600 range, and because they're sold off the shelf, they're all fixed configurations that allow no customization. We repeatedly review the "high-end" $600 model each quarter, and we're constantly pleased by the specs and performance for the price. Features such as 1GB of memory, a 200GB hard drive, a double-layer DVD burner, and a media card reader may be found separately on other budget PCs, but rarely will you find all of these items offered on a budget system, as you will with the T6420. The lowest two T-series models typically use a budget AMD Sempron or an Intel Celeron chip, and the highest two models step you up to a midrange Athlon or Pentium chip, along with added features, more memory, a larger hard drive, and the Media Center OS. Impressively, all eMachines models now feature an x16 PCI Express slot to let you add a graphics card, which will help improve overall performance down the road. The PCs include a keyboard, a mouse, and a two-piece speaker set; a monitor adds to the bill.
Gateway E series
Gateway offers a number of models in its E series for both small business and larger enterprises. Low-end models such as the E-1500, E-2500, and E-2600 feature budget Intel Celeron D processors; the E-4500 uses mainstream Pentium 4 processors, and the E-6500 boasts dual-core Intel Pentium 900-series chips. Pricing for all E-series models starts at less than $1,000, including the E-6500 when you configure it with a dual-core processor. Oddly, the business models offer more configuration options than Gateway's consumer-focused DX and FX series. For example, the consumer DX300 models offer two processor choices, two memory capacities, and three hard drive options, whereas the business-minded E-4500 models offer 10 processors, eight memory configurations, and five hard drive options. All E-series models, save the E-1500, feature a BTX motherboard and case design, which means they'll run very quietly--something any office will appreciate, but particularly one that's home to a large number of PCs. The standard warranty for E-series systems lasts three years and includes next-day onsite service. You can extend the warranty to five years or choose to save money and roll the dice with a one-year plan. Gateway guarantees at least a 12-month life cycle for platforms and adherence to Intel's Stable Image Platform, which dictates standardized hardware configurations.
TV with DVR & Internet: $84.90/mo
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