Why You Can Trust CNET Gateway DX200 review: Gateway DX200
The DX200X occupies an awkward middle ground: it's too expensive for value shoppers and lacks the features found on slightly pricier midrange PCs. See which models we like better.
The Gateway DX200X sits in the middle of Gateway's budget DX200 series and delivers some mainstream features, such as Intel Pentium processors, an ample allotment of memory, and BTX technology. The DX200X starts at $700 and offers a fair amount of customization options; our $944 review system's performance will ably serve budget buyers looking for a PC to handle basic tasks. Still, the DX200X disappoints with its older Intel 915G chipset and limited upgradability.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
The DX200X occupies an awkward middle ground: it's too expensive for value shoppers and lacks the features found on slightly pricier midrange PCs. Gateway's DX300 machines aren't much more expensive and should better stand the test of time, with their more recent chipset and superior expandability (look for a review of a DX300 system soon). For mainstream users looking for a home PC for less than $1,000, we recommend a DX300 model or the Dell Dimension E510. Budget buyers are better served by choosing a model from the Gateway-owned eMachines line, such as the T6524.
Housed in an attractive black-and-silver BTX-style chassis, the DX200X hums along at barely an audible level, thanks to its two large 120mm cooling fans that distribute air throughout the system. The fan in front of the case draws cool air into the system, and the rear exhaust fan pushes hot out.
Only a pair of thumbscrews stands between you and the interior of the case, but once inside, you won't find many options for upgrades. Both memory slots are occupied as is one PCI slot (by a 56Kbps modem card); you have only one free PCI slot and an open 1x PCI Express slot. You'll need a screwdriver to remove or upgrade the optical and storage drives. There's room for an additional hard drive and one more optical drive; our DX200X review unit included a Seagate 160GB hard drive and a double-layer DVD burner.
External expansion is acceptable, with one exception: the case supplies plenty of USB 2.0 ports--three in front and another four around back--but lacks FireWire connectivity. You'll also find an 8-in-1 media card reader and a pair of audio jacks on the front panel.
The DX200X's motherboard is based on Intel's 915GV chipset with integrated Intel GMA900 graphics that share up to 128MB of the machine's 512MB of system memory. Because there are only two memory slots, you can populate the DX200X with up to 2GB of RAM, but that would involve using two expensive 1GB sticks--a $435 upgrade if done through Gateway. And, unless you can dig up an older PCI graphics card, you're stuck with the embedded video solution because the system lacks 16x PCI Express or AGP slots. The eMachines T6524, for example, features a 16x PCI Express slot.
The DX200X is powered by an Intel Pentium 4 519K processor. The Prescott-based CPU is actually an OEM chip that's available from system vendors only. It has a clock speed of 3.06GHz and includes Intel's EM64T extensions (for future 64-bit applications) but lacks support for Intel's Hyper-Threading technology. The DX200X can handle general home and office applications with ease; on our SysMark 2004 application benchmark, it turned in a nearly identical result as the competing Dell Dimension E510. The $1,230 HP Pavilion a1250n desktop PC is roughly $300 more (with a larger monitor) than the DX200X and was an eye-opening 31 percent faster, thanks in large part to its dual-core AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ processor. The $600 eMachines T6524 (without monitor) cruised to a 10 percent advantage over the DX200X.
We could not get the Gateway DX200X to run our Half-Life 2 gaming tests, but we were able to run older games at low resolutions without a problem. We were able to get playable frame rates, for example, with Unreal Tournament 2004 at 1,024x768.
A 15-inch Gateway FPD1560 LCD monitor and a pair of generic desktop speakers are included in the price of our test system. The display offered a decent image, but we recommend spending the additional $80 for the roomier 17-inch model if the DX200X will serve as your primary or only PC. Likewise, you can upgrade to 2.1-channel Logitech X-230 speakers for $45, currently offered with a $50 mail-in rebate. A basic multimedia keyboard and optical mouse are also part of the package.
The default operating system on the DX200X is Windows Media Center Edition. Windows XP Home and Professional are also available, although Pro will set you back an additional $100. Though Media Center is the default OS offered, a TV tuner is listed as an upgrade option. We don't recommend using the DX200X as both a DVR and a PC. Bundled software is limited to Microsoft Works 8, CyberLink's PowerDVD 5, and an OEM version of the Nero CD/DVD burning suite.
Gateway's colorful documentation is easy for casual users to understand, but its stingy Desktop Value Service Plan covers parts and labor for only 90 days. Add $49 to upgrade to one year of Desktop Value Plus coverage, which includes onsite service, but for both plans, Gateway has ditched the toll-free phone number. You'll have to make a long-distance call to reach the company on the phone. Upgrading to the $99 one-year Total Protection Plan seems like a bargain in comparison, with a toll-free number, no phone-tree menus, and its own dedicated support staff.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
 | BAPCo SysMark 2004 rating | | SysMark 2004 Internet-content-creation rating | | SysMark 2004 office-productivity rating |
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System configurations:
Dell Dimension E510
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005; 3GHz Intel Pentium 4 531; Intel 945G chipset; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 400MHz; ATI Radeon X300 SE; Maxtor 6L160M0 160GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA
eMachines T6524
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005; 2.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 3500+; ATI Radeon RS482 chipset; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; integrated ATI Radeon Xpress 200 graphics chip using 128MB shared memory; WDC WD2000BB-22GUC0 200GB 7,200rpm EIDE
Gateway DX200X
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005; 3.06GHz Pentium 4 519; Intel 915G chipset; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; integrated Intel 915G graphics chip using 128MB shared memory; Seagate ST3160023AS 160GB 7,200rpm SATA
HP Compaq Presario SR1620NX desktop PC
Windows XP Home SP2; 2.0GHz AMD Sempron 3400+; ATI Radeon RS480 chipset; 512MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; integrated ATI Radeon Xpress 200 graphics chip using 256MB shared memory; Seagate ST3160021A 160GB 7,200rpm EIDE
HP Pavilion a1250n
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 2.0GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+; ATI Radeon RS480 chipset; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; integrated ATI Radeon Xpress 200 graphics chip using 256MB shared memory; Hitachi HDT722525DLA380 250GB 7,200rpm SATA