Mick Lockey

Gateway 700XL

Gateway gave this edition of the 700XL a faster processor and primed the system for video editing. It started with two 200GB hard drives--the most hard-drive storage we've seen on a desktop. Then it added a DVD-RAM/-R drive, which is suitable for archiving data or for recording discs that work in many DVD players. (The company tosses in a generous seven discs to get you started.) Finally, Gateway included Intel's fastest desktop processor to date: the 3.06-GHz Pentium 4 with Intel's new hyperthreading technology. Intel claims that video editing is one of the tasks that will benefit from hyperthreading, but so far, our lab tests have not reflected that. The system's extensive software bundle consists of titles for both work and play, including Microsoft's Office XP Small Business Edition suite; the games Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Project IGI, Sacrifice, and The Sims; two video editing and authoring applications from Pinnacle; and CD Stomper CD Labeling Pro, for creating disc labels. Gateway includes both the Pinnacle manual and its own system manual dedicated to creating movies, and they come with plenty of colorful illustrations and instructions. This tall black-and-silver desktop offers numerous ways to connect digital devices. Our test unit arrived with two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire port on the front; four more USB 2.0 ports, plus an additional FireWire port, are located on the back. The 19-inch Gateway FPD 1910 LCD monitor is a terrific choice for viewing DVDs and playing games. Silver toned, its contoured edges are less boxy-looking than those on other large LCDs we've seen. It displayed crisp text at its native resolution of 1280 by 1024. Colors in a test photo appeared bright and lush; skin tones looked accurate. LCD panels are generally not noted for color quality in DVD movies or rapid redraws on fast 3D games, but the 1910 handled both nicely.
Intel's 3.06-GHz Pentium 4 processor is the most powerful desktop CPU you can buy to date, but it did not produce an exceptionally fast score on our benchmark. With 512MB of PC1066 RDRAM, the 700XL earned a PC WorldBench 4 score of 119, moderately fast for the power systems we've tested so far. It nonetheless trails a few points behind a previous 700XL we tested with a 2.8-GHz Pentium 4 processor and a gigabyte of 800-MHz RDRAM. Although this system is truly packed with high-end components, $3499 still seems a tad steep.
Remove one thumbscrew, and the 700XL's side panel slips off smoothly, giving you easy access to the interior. You don't need tools to upgrade or replace PCI cards or to remove drives from bays. The drive bays are flanked by silver handles that, when squeezed, allow the drives to slide out of their cages--a handy time-saver. The matching cordless Logitech keyboard felt smooth and steady during typing.
With a near excess of high-end features, this Gateway 700XL should be one of the top contenders on any power user's wish list.