Gateway FX530XT (8800 GTX) Review

In this age of dual-graphics-card gaming systems, single-card systems just don't get no respect. Then along comes the Gateway FX530XT (8800 GTX). With a single "factory overclocked" nVidia GeForce 8800 GTX graphics card, it can rival systems costing significantly more. And though it can't beat the latest dual-card systems, it is more than enough for the casual gamer.

The FX530XT's performance is helped along by a quad-core Intel QX6700 processor, overclocked form 2.66 GHz to 3.2 GHz, as well as twin 150GB 10.000-rpm SATA hard drives, and 4GB of RAM. Old-fashioned air cooling of the CPU keeps the system's price in check.

Games looked good on the system's 24-inch widescreen display. The FX530XT chalked up an imposing 139 frames per second on Prey and 153 fps on Company of Heroes at 1.280-by-1.024 resolution. When your trigger finger starts aching, you can relax with a high-def movie, thanks to the system's Blu-ray drive and the HDCP-compliant monitor. Movies looked crisp and clean when played back at the monitor's full 1.920-by-1.080 resolution.

The motherboard doesn't support SLI, so you wouldn't be able to add a second nVidia graphics card, even if you wanted to. But with the DX530XT's impressive performance, many gamers will be happy with this rig just as it is. This is a system for the gamer, high-end multimedia user, and all-around new tech fanatic. Only its inability to support an SLI graphics configuration holds it hack.

Specs: 2.66-GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 (over-clocked to 3.5GHz); 4GB 667-MHz DDR2 SDRAM; two 150GB, 10.000-rpm hard drives in RAID 0 array; 768MB nVidia GeForce 8800 GTX graphics card; BD-RAM (Blu-ray) drive; Windows Vista Home Premium.

PROS:

Single graphics card performs like recent dual graphics systems.
Simple air cooling.
Blu-ray, HD DVD versions available.

CONS:

BTX form factor.
Comes with an nVidia card, but not SLI-compatible.
Could use an extra data hard drive.

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