Desktop PCs

Gateway has the history of being trendsetting in its efforts and with the latest DS series, it has kept up the impression.  With a rags to riches story, this company plans to make a comeback with the new DS series business desktops.  Does it succeed?  The Gateway DS50 has set sail and its journey looks smooth except for a few small winds.  Launched for the business world, powered by the latest Intel core i3 processor, this office assistant boasts of high performance and power all packed into a concise midi tower. Let us delve deeper into the details.

Design:

Gateway DS50 Desktop PC chassis is available in the usual black with a red stripe down its front being the only colour to catch your eye. The dimensions (H x W x D) 101.5 x 396.84 x 266.5 in centimeters tell us how compact the whole ensemble is. The device is heavily perforated with holes in two cooling panels on the side which reduce the heating up of the PC to a large extent. So we suggest that your cup of hot cocoa should be placed nowhere near them. It is also rather quiet apart from the humming of the 3.5 inch hard drive.

Maintenance should be a piece of cake with this one. At times however, owing to the dimensions, upgrades and repairs can be quite time taking. But on the whole the extremely simple small form factor design is a major perk. This tiny tot packs a bunch with multiple sockets, two PCI express half-height expansion slots, x1 and x16, external SATA and an integral power supply.

Features:

Operating System:

In trying to be the best, it has to have the best. This means that it comes loaded with the exemplary Windows 7 professional as its operating system. With features like the Aero view and snap, it is more user friendly and seems less messy. It has become much easier to breeze through documents, music and video files, to share photos with the advent of this OS. Other features like the jump list, resizing, the new and improved windows media player make the ride all the more enjoyable.

Processor:

This is perhaps one of the best features to the Gateway DS50 Business Desktop PC. The DS50 gives you the option of powering it up with the latest state of the art Intel core processor family, i.e i3, i5, i7. These processors boast the return of hyper threading which is used for performing several computations at once. Turbo boost and Virtualisation are other exclusive features of the i5 and i7 processors which are used to increase clock speed and allow multiple operating systems to run simultaneously respectively. All this translates to a new computing experience.

Memory and Hard Drive:

The memory that one offers is always a deciding factor and in this sector the DS50 scores big.  Say goodbye to all your storage problems because with the amount of space being given, you will leap up. Gateway Ds50 has 2GB of DDR3 RAM at 1066 Mhz.  Latest in the market and with twice the speed of DDR2,  the DDR3 translates to less power consumption and high speed. This can be increased upto 16GB.  The processor is linked to a 320GB Seagate Barracuda SATA drive which can support up to a whopping storage capacity of 1TB.  With the amount of space being used up, there is also no compromise on the functioning of the PC.  Need we say more?

Graphics:

The graphics card that the DS50 is supplied with is the Intel GMA 4500 HD. This plays its part just enough so that you can get average video playback and gaming experience. It is also considerably slower compared to modern integrated graphic cards.

Too much is not to be expected from this. This will get those high end gamers nowhere. Its performance just equals the other entry level graphic cards in the market. 3D gaming is a big NO with this one and the video decoding is not very impressive either. However, it will suffice everyday needs. Those in business, for whom this pc is aimed for, would probably not spend their time gaming so perhaps it is probably not that big a deal.

Performance:

The performance overall is satisfactory.  The latest in processor technology and amazing storage capacity add to its perks. There is a considerable boost in power with the inclusion of the latest Intel core processor.  System lag due to browsing multiple files are a thing of the past. Multitasking is made easier and less frustrating.  Power consumption is incredibly reduced without compromising on the performance and functioning.

We think that now would be a good time to mention the TCO’05.  It happens to be the latest standard for desktop PCs that stand for environmental and ergonomic excellence. It acknowledges those that guarantee low power consumption, noise levels, electric and magnetic fields along with minimal utilization of substances that have a harmful impact on the environment. Our little buddy is one of the few to walk away with this certification.

Power Consumption:

We think we have said enough about its energy consumption. It has the latest intel core processor and DDR3 memory which helps zoom through files real quick. The sleek and simple design further reduces the need for more power. On the whole there should be a decrease in overhead costs as each part has been designed keeping that in mind.

Warranty:

Gateway ensures all its new desktops with a limited 1 year on-site warranty and also covers parts two years after that from the date of purchase.  You can also extend your warranty coverage for up to 5 years. Visiting GateWay’s official site and contacting their customer care unit will give you more details.

Verdict:

Designed accordingly for small businesses, the Gateway DS50 Desktop PC covers all their needs. Gaming might not be a smart choice with this one.  It is capable of multimedia editing.  There has been a mixed response with its release but so far there is more good than bad.  Though capable of video playback, it is not exactly home theatre material.  The intelligent design of the Gateway DS50 is what has stolen so many hearts.  Priding in low power consumption with the TCO’05 certification to its name, it gives you more for less along with top notch performance. We are guessing businesses will welcome this with a moo.

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Gateway DS50 Desktop PC – Technical Specification Table

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