Sitting atop the range of Gateway's entry-level desktop PC series, the Gateway 310XL is a great choice for the budget minded, balancing affordablilty with powerful features and including a 15-inch flat panel monitor. It comes equipped with everything for basic computing plus a built-in CD burner for backing up data, saving digital photos, and burning your own mix CDs. Other features include a 2.6 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor, 256 MB of RAM, and a 40 GB hard drive.
The Basics
- Hard Drive: The 40 GB Ultra DMA hard drive offers enough storage for all your documents, applications, and digital photos. However, it's less than adequate if you plan on maintaining a large multimedia (digital audio or video) library.
- Processor: The 2.6 GHz Pentium 4 processor offers more than enough power for everyday computing tasks as well as database and multimedia applications (from gaming to digital audio and video).
- Memory: The 310XL comes with a 256 MB built-in memory (DDR SDRAM, 333 MHz), which is adequate for basic computing needs. However, you'll want to add more memory for gaming and multimedia usage (the 310XL comes with an additional memory slot for a total of two). It also has an L2 cache of 512 KB.
- CD/DVD Drive: It is equipped with separate drives for DVD playback and CD writing. The DVD-ROM drive can read discs at 16x speed (the standard speed for DVD movie playback), while the CD-R/W drive offers a high-speed 48x (read)/24x (rewrite)/ 48x (write) capability.
- Keyboard & Mouse: The 310XL comes with 104-key keyboard and a scrolling mouse with PS/2 connection.
The 310XL features an integrated AC'97 (Audio Codec '97) that is built into the computer's main board. This computer also features headphone and microphone jacks, and two small, external speakers for enhanced music and gaming audio playback. The video/graphics card--Intel Extreme Graphics 2--is also integrated with up to 64 MB of dynamic video memory. It is suitable for basic needs, but it will need a better video/graphics card for professional design and graphics usage.
The included 17-inch flat panel monitor as a 15.9-inch viewable area.
Connectivity and Expansion Slots
You get a wide range of connectivity options with the S5400NX, including three PCI expansion slots and the following external ports:
- 6 USB 2.0 ports (2 in front, 4 in rear) for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
- 1 parallel port for connecting older printers and scanners
- 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice
- 1 serial port for older peripherals such as early PDAs
It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.92) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).
Preloaded System and Software
The 310XL comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). It also includes 6 months of AOL dial-up service and a 90-day trial with Norton Anti-Virus.
Dimensions and Weight
This micro-tower case measures 14.44 x 7 x 15.38 (W x D x H) and weighs 20.5 pounds.
What's in the Box
This package includes the Gateway 310XL desktop PC, 17-inch flat panel monitor, wired keyboard, PS/2 scroller mouse, power cord, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited warranty.