Gateway GT5692

Gateway GT5692
Low-cost desktop is decent, unremarkable

AT JUST $549.99, Gateway's GT5692 is priced well within the reach of most anyone in the market for an inexpensive desktop PC. With a three-core 2.1GHz Phenom X3 8450 processor and 4GB of DDR2 RAM, the machine is decently outfitted for a system in this price range, and it kept up nicely with similarly priced systems we've recently tested.
So, what do you want to do with it?
If you want to play games, you'll need to spend some additional money on a decent discrete graphics card for the free PCI Express (PCIe) x16 slot, as the integrated Radeon HD 3200 solution here won't cut it; we got a chilly 15.7 frames per second in Company of Heroes DirectX 9 at a resolution of 1,280x1,024. (For the expansion-minded, there's also a free PCIe x1 and a regular PCI slot available; a modem occupies another PCI slot.)
Looking for a media machine? You've got the start of one here: THere are ports for eight-channel audio, an HDMI output for connecting to an HDTV, a 500GB hard drive, a multiformat card reader to simplify getting pictures off your digital camera, and Windows Vista Home Premium. Add a TV tuner and you'll have a full-featured multimedia companion.
If the only thing you're sure you want is plenty of storage options, there's a bit of free space here-an empty 5.25-inch external bay (a DVD+-RW drive with Labelflash occupies the other), an external 3.5-inch drive bay, and room for one more hard drive.
The best way to think of the GTG5692 is as a blank state, ready to meet your requirements-once you've decided what they are. - Matthew Murray.
source: Computer Shoppwer September 2008.

www.gateway.com