By Joel Strauch

Gateway Professional S1800

Armed with a 1.8-GHz Pentium 4 processor and 256MB of PC800 RDRAM, the Professional S1800 soared to a score of 229 on our PC WorldBench 2000 tests--13 points above the average for 1.7-GHz P4 machines running Windows 2000 (the Professional S1800 is the first Pentium 4-1800 system that we've tested). You can open the well-designed, gray-and-beige midsize tower case without tools simply by pressing on two tabs. The sturdy side panel then swings out smoothly and reattaches easily. Green tabs allow you to release each of the three open drive bays with minimal effort. The thumbscrews on each of the three open PCI slots let you upgrade cards without using a screwdriver.
The small thumbscrews on the PCI slots can be difficult to grip. The only printed documentation included is a color setup poster, though Gateway does provide a detailed system manual on CD-ROM.
Our test system's 15-inch Gateway FPD1510 flat-panel LCD monitor delivered bright colors and sharp text. Adaptec's Easy CD Creator and DirectCD come bundled for use with the 12X/10X/32X CD-RW drive. However, some smaller desktop vendors offer 16X/10X/40X drives, and even faster models are available. Gateway shipped Microsoft's Office XP Small Business Edition with our test system as well. The basic, sturdy Gateway keyboard allows for smooth, quiet typing.
Small to medium-size businesses needing a powerful, well-rounded system that can be upgraded easily should be pleased with the Professional S1800.

Buying Information

Gateway Professional S1800 PC WorldBench 2000 score of 229, Pentium 4-1800 CPU, 256MB of PC800 RDRAM, 256KB L2 cache, Windows 2000, 40GB hard drive, 12X/10X/32X CD-RW drive, VisionTek GeForce3 graphics card with 64MB of DDR SDRAM, 15-inch FPD1510 LCD monitor, Creative Sound Blaster Live Value CT4870 sound card, Boston Acoustics BA735 speakers, network adapter, midsize tower case, Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition. Three-year parts and labor warranty; free 24-hour daily tech support. $ 2168 PC WorldBench 2000 score of 229, Pentium 4-1800 CPU, 256MB of PC800 RDRAM, 256KB L2 cache, Windows 2000, 40GB hard drive, 12X/10X/32X CD-RW drive, VisionTek GeForce3 graphics card with 64MB of DDR SDRAM, 15-inch FPD1510 LCD monitor, Creative Sound Blaster Live Value CT4870 sound card, Boston Acoustics BA735 speakers, network adapter, midsize tower case, Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition. Three-year parts and labor warranty; free 24-hour daily tech support. http://www.gateway.com 800/846-2000