CNET editors' review
- CNET editors' rating: stars Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 02/13/2009
Intense gamers, multimedia editors, and families looking for a multipurpose computer heavy on 3D graphics power and connectivity can end their search with the Gateway LX6810-01. It's sold exclusively at Best Buy and makes a compelling argument for off-the-shelf systems with high-grade components that won't disappoint even more demanding users. While other prebuilt desktops settle with middle-ground components for a low price, Gateway offers a fast HDMI-equipped Nvidia graphics card, an eager 2.3 GHz quad-core processor for constant multitasking, a TV tuner for onscreen entertainment, and plenty of room for expansion inside and out--all for a very reasonable $779. Although this system lacks pricier extras such as Blu-ray, Bluetooth, or a wireless network card, we still give this Gateway a solid recommendation for intense gamers and media editors who need a reliable, affordable, and versatile desktop machine.
The Gateway LX6810 is about the same size and shape as the Dell XPS 430-121B, although you probably won't want to move the Gateway around too much--it's a little heavier at 31 pounds. However, it hides its aesthetic bulk using sliding doors and a hinged media bay. The front of the system looks unassuming at first, but pushing a button at the top reveals a media card reader with a copy button and two USB 2.0 ports.
The optical bay includes a dual-layer DVD burner and a free slot for an aftermarket upgrade. Another hatch below the power button reveals a FireWire port, headphone and microphone jacks, and a convenient set of audio and video connectors for use with a digital camera, camcorder, external hard drive, or other audiovisual source. Finally, you can pull down the last door at the bottom to slide-out a couple SATA hard-drive bays, should you need even more storage. We saw this same case design last year with the higher-end Gateway's FX 6800-01e, and we find it as well-designed now as we did then, perhaps more so given this newer model's lower price.
The back of the tower houses the usual array of inputs, including four more USB 2.0 ports, an additional FireWire port, as well as a wired Ethernet jack and a standard collection of analog audio plugs. As with the Dell, you only get wired networking here. We don't necessarily demand Wi-Fi in standard midtower PCs, but we also appreciate anything a vendor can do to eliminate cable clutter, and wireless networking is a relatively cheap way to help the cause.
In a side-by-side comparison, we have to applaud Dell for its quick-release handle that pops off the side panel, while Gateway still uses screws to secure the chassis. Not that it's difficult to break out a screwdriver, but it's not as if tool-free case access is a new invention either. Once you do get into the system you'll find the case spacious and ready for expansion. Gateway gives you plenty of room to add an additional optical drive, install two SATA hard disks, or plug an additional expansion card into the free PCI slot. You can even squeeze out another PCI-E x1 slot if you remove the 56k modem card. One foreseeable downside is that the memory is already maxed out at 8GB, but that's still the largest amount of RAM we've seen at this price, and we suspect most of you will find 8GB plenty for the foreseeable future.
| Gateway LX6810-01 | Dell XPS 430-121B | |
| Price | $779 | $900 |
| CPU | 2.3GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 | 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q8300 |
| Memory | 8GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM | 6GB DDR3 1066MHz |
| Graphics | 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 120 graphics card | 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3650 graphics card |
| Hard drives | 640GB, 7,200rpm | 750GB, 7,200rpm |
| Optical drive | dual-layer DVD burner | dual-layer DVD burner |
| Networking | 10/100Mbps Ethernet LAN | 10/100Mbps Ethernet LAN |
| Video outputs | DVI, VGA, HDMI | DVI, HDMI |
| TV tuner | Yes | Yes |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) | Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) |
This Gateway doesn't claim to be a true home theater PC, but still gives you the added entertainment of a TV tuner card with both analog and digital inputs as well as a remote to control the airwaves. You can even connect it to an HDTV thanks to the HDMI output on the Nvidia GeForce GT120 graphics card. The spread of components in the Gateway makes it a very different system from the Dell XPS 430-121B. For more than $100 less, Gateway cuts back on processor speed and storage space, but gives you two more gigabytes of slightly slower RAM that will benefit digital media editors, provided you're content with the reduced storage space.
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