The FX7020 packs a 2.3-GHz quad-core AMD Phenom processor, the first use we've seen of that chip. The nVidia GeForce 8800 GT is a good midlevel graphics card. A 500GB SATA hard drive and a dual-layer DVD burner with Labelflash labelburning technology (similar to HP’s LightScribe) round out the hardware. It does have some cool media features, such as a 15-in-1 card reader, an integrated IR receiver paired with a Media Center remote, and a built-in HDTV tuner. Another nice perk is the 1GB of online storage-free forever!

The system comes with major bloat ware. Worse still, it has only one PCIe x16 slot, so you can't upgrade to a dual-card SLI configuration should you outgrow the single card's limited, though solid, performance. Although it did fine on older games, its frame rates were pokey with the latest DX10 games, especially at higher resolutions. (Crysis at 1,920 by 1,200 looked almost like a slide show at 7 fps)

The comparable Dell XPS 630 costs $170 more, but it’s upgradeable to either an SLI or a CrossFire dual-card array. When you buy from Dell, though, you have to wait for the techs to assemble and ship your system. Pick up the Gateway FX7020 at your local Best Buy and you can start fragging today.

Gateway FX7020 Review
Price range: $1,100
Specs:
2.3-GHz AMD Phenom 9600 processor
2GB 667-MHz DDR2 SDRAM
500GB 7,200 rpm SATA hard drive
512MB nVidia GeForce 8800GTgraphic card
dual-layer DVD±RWdrive
six USB 2.0 ports
Windows Vista Home Premium

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