Gateway DX4200-09 review

Our performance benchmarks solidify our buying recommendation: the Gateway trails the rest of the competition in every single test, most notably in the Cinebench and multitasking results, where HP enjoys the major advantage by comparison. In terms of features and performance, the HP a6700y takes the prize, but storage stackers and users itching to expand will be satisfied with the Gateway.

Per usual, Gateway offers a one year warranty with the DX4200-09 that covers parts and labor. You can also receive toll-free, 24-7 phone support via the Gateway call center. Finally, the Gateway Web site offers a comprehensive list of FAQs as well as driver downloads and model specs for comparison shopping and system troubleshooting.

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System configurations:

Gateway DX4200-09
64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium; 1.8GHz AMD Phenom 9100e Quad-Core ; 4GB DDR2 SDRAM; 256MB (shared) ATI Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics chip; 640GB 7,200rpm hard drive.

Dell Inspiron I530-120B
64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium SP1; 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E7400; 6GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 128MB (shared) Intel GMA 3100 integrated graphics chip; 750GB 7,200 rpm Seagate hard drive.

Dell Inspiron I530S-119B
64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium; 2.5GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core CPU E5200; 4GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 128MB (shared) Intel GMA 3100 integrated graphics chip; 500GB 7,200rpm hard drive.

HP Pavilion a6700y
64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium SP1; 1.8GHz AMD Phenom X4 9150e; 4GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM; 128MB (shared) Nvidia GeForce 6150SE integrated graphics chip; 500GB Seagate 7,200rpm hard drive.

HP Pavilion a6750y
64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium SP1; 8GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 256MB DDR2 ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics card; 750GB 7,200 RPM Hitachi hard drive.