Customer Reviews

Gateway DX4200-09 Desktop, Phenom X4 9100e 64-bit Quad-Core Processor, 4GB, 640GB, 18X DVD+/-R/RW, Keyboard and Mouse, Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit), Refurbished

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is my second Gateway desktop. Not much over a year ago a model like this was selling for about $200 more. Yet, now, you get a 64 bit system (crunches data much faster), a quad core that hardly anything can slow down, big hard drive, and a good quality of design and construction.

Also important is the quality of Gateway support: the one question with my previous model was handled via a chat session with a tech who knew what he was talking about and was very professional.

The Vista SP1 which it ships with has been a pleasant experience. It's best to discount all the dissing it gets and just see how well it works in practice. There is a learning curve if you are coming from XP, but it is worth getting to know. I like it. I probably would like Apple's Leopard operating system, too, but I don't care to pay anywhere from two to six times as much for their machines.

I just surf the web, do light photo and video processing, and watch a movie on it sometimes. For these tasks this machine is overqualified - a dual core machine would do about as well. But, how about a few years from now? A quad core machine may well be necessary for these or similar tasks then.

A little confession: I took my previous Gateway desktop apart to replace the motherboard with a newer type. I was impressed with the quality of design and construction. The Apple desktop which starts at around $2500 would impress me much more, but I don't need its particular qualities for what I do with a computer.

You ought to know that the setup of this machine was the sweetest, most trouble free computer installation I have ever done. It just goes out and does practically everything for you. That is thanks to Vista and Gateway's well thought out systems.

The hard drive is a Western Digital, which has a good reputation. But start backing up as soon as possible after you finish the OS installation. By the way, there are no disks to load into the machine. It's all on the hard drive already.

My first backup after I had finished most of the setup to the point where I am happy with what is on the machine took up just 18.1GB on an old Maxtor 80GB external drive I had from a few years ago using an excellent backup software called ShadowProtect which has gotten excellent reviews and I would call it the easiest and best software of that type I have ever used.

You get 586GB free on the hard drive as it comes from the factory with the Vista and a small partition which I believe holds a recovery version. So, forget 640GB. The actual space you get is noticeably less that what is stated - it's always that way.

The ATI Radeon HD3200 onboard video chipset is fine for any ordinary use. Heavy gamers will have to pay another $100 or more for a video card such as the Sapphire ATI HD4830 which joins its power with the onboard unit to give much better gaming performance. I have that card which I will install shortly and leave some thoughts on how much better it is. You will also need a good power supply to go along with the HD4830 card. Corsair makes some good ones supplying 520 watts and up. Just around $100 as well. So, when you want to, this machine is upgradable.

I ran a cleanup of the unneeded files and also did a defragmentation for better disk performance at startup. The defrag took much less time than my previous Gateway. Vista SP1? 64 bit? Anyway, that's an improvement.

Also, gigabit ethernet may not be anything you need now, but in a few years with streaming video heading this way, you might be glad you have it. There were no problems whatsover with making the ethernet cable connection with my motorola modem/router. I didn't have to do a thing. Plug in the cable and forget it.

This has an onboard video out in the form of HDMI and VGA, which is what I'm using. The image quality to my HP 2207 monitor is excellent.

If you have this shipped to you, try to restrain the urge to rip open the package until a couple of hours have passed for it to warm up to room temperature so that there will not be condensation on the cold computer during winter shipping from moisture in the inside air.

It ships with a large, easy setup sheet. Just follow the color coding. You can't go wrong. In an hour and a half or so you will be through with the basic setup, but it may take five to ten hours of downloading and installing your favorite software to complete the installation.

Also important is the merchant: J&R Music And Computer World in New York. I have bought a few items from them during the past few years and they ship fast (I get it the next day near Boston with standard shipping) and seem to be straight shooters. Let you know how the graphics card install goes.

UPDATE AFTER 6 MONTHS:
No problema! Hardware is solid, dependable, certainly fast enough for me. It's still a great buy. I haven't even used half the hard drive space yet, so I would say for most people it has plenty. Card readers and CD/DVD units are still fine. Sound quality from the built in chip is excellent for playing my 20GB of music on my Klipsch powered speaker system. Just no complaints about this. It does what it should. I may upgrade to Windows 7 after the initial bugs are worked out in six months or so. Frankly, I haven't found Windows Vista to be bad - it is just something new to learn. I understand Windows 7 may use slightly less system resources and offer more eye candy for the trendy computer addicted amongst us. It has gotten good reviews in the NYT and major computer magazines. Maybe I'll put off buying a Mac.

UPDATE AFTER 8 MONTHS OF USE:
The machine went down about a month ago. No posting beep. So I upgraded my Core Two Duo HP laptop to Windows 7, installed a 320GB hard drive, increased core memory to 4GB and got a machine powerful enough to do what I had been doing on this Gateway desktop.

Not the end of the story though. Searching online forums on this model of Gateway and on the "no posting beep" symptom, I found that the problem was most likely that the core memory on the Gateway had failed. I remembered a cryptic message before it failed saying it was dropping to a slower memory speed.

So I ordered 8GB of 800Mhz DDR2 desktop memory, removed the old, installed the new core memory (relatively easy - just open the left side of the Gateway by removing two screws and pulling back and you'll find the core memory on the center right side of the motherboard and all you need to do is flip back the holding cams and pull) and, guess what! Success!!

So, my next project on this repaired desktop is to install a bigger power supply (as I said I would), a new AMD powered 4830 graphics card, and also upgrade to Windows 7, which I have found to be a much improved operating system. It gets your drivers, doesn't take long to install, and is easy, quick, in my view the best Windows operating system ever.

Bottom Line: The DX4200-09 is an excellent computer for the price.

I have 3 computers in use in our family of varying makes and ages. I tend to replace one when it gets to 5-6 years of age. Normally I plan and save for major purchases like a computer well in advance.

I was unable to do that this time around as my five year old computer's motherboard died unexpectedly. I take work home fairly often so waiting was not an option (nor is taking another family member's computer way an option for similar school/work issues).

Due to timing reasons, my budget was $500, no where near what I usually budget & save up for, so I did not have high expectations. I went to several stores and this is the best machine I could find for the price. I paid $470 plus sales tax. I never buy the extended warranty as my background would make it wasteful spending. I did not need a monitor, speakers, keyboard, or mouse. (You do get speakers, keyboard and mouse with this computer however I did not use them and they are not part of this review.)

This computer runs very well out of the box. Set up is easy. The on board video is typical of its kind in that it is adequate as long you do not do anything video intensive. 4 GB of RAM is the sweet spot for Windows Vista as there is very little software as of the date I am writing this that can use more. Only 2 of the 4 memory slots are used so adding RAM, if ever needed, is easy. The hard drive is large and reasonably fast (640GB @7200 RPM). The power supply is primitive and you will be replacing it if you perform any upgrades to this computer - it does not even have a standard 6 pin video card power connector!

Note: The computer case requires the left side (as you look at it from the front) be left unblocked for proper ventilation. This may be a problem for some of the furniture in use out there. Mine fit just fine fortunately.

After the computer was up and running I was then able to install my video card (ATI 4850), power supply (520 Watt), Samsung monitor, Wireless N LAN adapter, HP All-In-One printer, Saitek Eclipse keyboard and Saitek Cyborg Evo from my old dead computer without any problems. The 64 bit version of Vista home is old enough now that compatible drivers actually exist. As anyone on a budget knows, compatibility with existing hardware is a major concern when moving to a new Operating System. I was pleasently surprised with my experience, and yes I do understand that I was "lucky".

Afterwards I removed the "trial" software that ships with this computer and installed my own software comprising of Microsoft Office 2007, Symantec (Norton) End Point Protection 2008, Mechwarrior 4 with mods and a couple of online games (SWG & EQ2). Windows Vista takes some getting used to yet it actually is rather good once you learn it's quirks.

Conclusion: This computer has turned out to be a good, affordable surprise and I feel comfortable recommending it. I am giving it 5 out of 5 stars with the understanding that the power supply will need to be replaced when/if upgrading occurs. You will need a video card for graphic intensive work and gaming. If I had a larger budget I would have purchased the Gateway DX4200-11. It is the same computer as the affordable DX 4200-09 but with a faster 2.2 GHz processor. None-the-less I am happy that I was able to get such an excellent computer for the price and expect many years of use from it.

As a previous reviewer point out, this isn't the fastest processor available, but unless you streaming video, will you care? The machine comes with 4GB of memory, which to me is more important than the processor speed. The fact that the processor is a Quad-core, means that you virus protection software etc.. will not interfere with you daily use of the computer.

It also comes with Vista ultimate. I was regretting the day I would buy a Vista based computer, but its not been bad and with the free upgrade to Windows 7, I won't have to worry about it for too long. The other included software is MS Works. Everything else included is trialware.

The machine included 4GB main memory, 640GB HD, built-in graphics ( but did include VGA and HDMI interfaces), a keyboard, mouse, pair of speakers ( not real good ), network card, DVD.

Gateway website and support seems to be heading down hill since purchased by Acer. The bug fix program which was on my computer was removed after installation because the program was no longer supported. The Windows 7 upgrade website was terrible and error prone though I eventually got through it.

I purchased it because I didn't want to speed above $400. I was looking for a desktop for the kids and me to share, and one that would last for 3+ years. And I think I found it. I could have spent 500-700, but since I don't play graphic extensive games, why bother. And the processor speed is enough. I'm unlikely to add more internal components so the issue with the power supply is not a big deal.

I priced around. I originally wanted to speed under $300, but I wanted at least 3GB of RAM, and a Dual-Core. This computer is priced very close to the bottom, but gives a few extras, like the additional memory, larger hard drive, Vista Ultimate ( not basic) etc..

The only thing I've added was a USB Wireless Network Card from Netgear. No issues with it or the computer so far after two weeks.

I was hunting all over for the most powerful computer for the money and I hit right on with this one.I has everything mine has (except mine has a separate video card), but mine cost twice as much and I had to build it. This one was for my son and I didn't want to spend a lot of time building one. It's almost as fast as mine (except in video) and he hadn't reported any of the previous problems he used to tell me about with his previous computer. He says video games and streaming videos play really well and I am very happy for him. Excellent bargain for me.

This computer is a total bargain, it is very fast not SLOW as some of the other reviews have stated,it is more than likely operator error, I liked my first computer so much that I purchased one for my grandsons birthday and it came with a 2.4GHz cpu, that was a pleasant suprise, these computers are stable, fast, reliable, and well built, my daughters boy friend liked it so much he bought one and so did his parents, if you whine about this computer you obviously do not know much about them! the Gateway DX4200 is a very good unit, none of us have had a single problem with the DX4200, and the people that said they did more than likely purchased a refurbished unit, if you are looking for a well built inexpensive unit with alot of preformance then this is your model. A BEST BUY, I would have no qualms about purchasing another Gateway computer, remember it is not cheap just inexpensive.
thank you
Rick

UPDATE 5-15-10 Running strong. No problems. Connected LCD HDTV 32 in screen thru HDMI without any difficulty as a large computer monitor. Really like it.

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UPDATE 1/10: Computer is running great after several months. Now using the HDMI output with great success. Both sound and picture use the HDMI. Most software runs well - the only difficulties have been older DOS programs - 16 bit and a few older Windows programs. The older DOS programs run in a VM using DOSBox. Upgraded to 8 gb before the big price hike in DDR2 memory. Very pleased with the purchase from J&R.

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Actually came with the 9750 AMD cpu Quad (not 9100e). This is a significant upgrade to the entire computer. The 9100e CPU was slower and a little buggy. The OS is Vista 64 bit. Should be able to play many games even with the stock graphics. So far, even business 32 bit applications are working nicely ie Microsoft Office XP, etc (not Outlook). Used an old WiFi USB adapter with older 32 bit driver and it worked fine! (there was a scare that a lot of 32 bit software and drivers would not work - I don't know but everything I threw at the OS worked fine). NOTE: older 16 bit programs do not work on a 64 bit OS. You can run them thru a VM (virtual machine) installed on your 64 bit computer - which is another topic.

With a more powerful GPU and PSU upgrade this would be a better gaming machine too! Some of the GPU's (geforce 9600 low power model - runs off PCI express slot and does not need separate power plug) might be used without an immediate PSU upgrade - this has a stock 300 w PSU. ( I have installed a 9600 on a desktop with only 250 w PSU and it is working without problems. One way is to measure power consumption of your computer is to use Kill-o-watt - it will give you an idea of your base power consumption - and the real state of how much power your computer is using in watts. Run some test programs that stress your system and/or Crysis video game and measure power consumption. While I have done it, you may not want to risk it and it is usually better to upgrade the PSU to be safe).

I have built multiple computers over the years and was considering building another. This systems beats anything I could have done (in total cost including shipping). Stock system is a bargain and to upgrade should not be too difficult. Comes with 4 g memory and with Vista 64 bit you can use all of the memory up to a max of 8gb (this computer's limitation; with 32 bit Windows can only use around 3 gb no matter how much memory is installed). Price just dropped.....I don't know if all the DX4200-9's are now including the 9750 AMD - sounds like they are closing this line out so "get 'em while the're hot".

This is a great Linux box.
I bought an extra 500gb sata drive, to test Linux. If I had known in advance
that this performed so well I would have just gone with the the 640gb and simply erased Vista.
I'm using sabrent wi-fi.
My system monitor, while running two browsers on youtube and playing a dvd, shows that I'll have plenty computer power for a while.

I got this brand new when it first came out.

This is what I got to go with it

Gatway HD1900 < a wonderful monitor that I actually ruled out of 7 others!!!
Gateway HD1900 - LCD display - TFT - 19" - widescreen - 1440 x 900 / 75 Hz - 300 cd/m2 - 1000:1 - 5 ms - 0.2835 mm - DVI-D, VGA

And this thing lol but hey it works
Epson NX105 - ALL-IN-ONE Stylus Color Multifunction Printer/ Copier/ Scanner NX105

With Norton 360 anit virus (I'm not even going to begin to review that lol I have no freaking clue, but I don`t have any viruses so far so I`m happy) .

Ok so I'm not a computer guy...I'm not going to tell you the specs or any of that junk because I probly wont make any sense to me or anyone else lol. I use the thing every day for long periods of time. I've got vista on it and so fare not one single problem. I don't think it could handle like PS3 type stuff (no dedicated ram) but for online gaming is dose just fine even when running 2-3 accounts at once (5-7 if you do low quality). The quality of game I'm talking about is "World Of Kung Fu" visit the web site to get an idea of this comps ability with online gamming. It's pretty good detail, alsmot like the mid-late PS2 games. It runs cool and quite, it has plenty of cooling that I've been able to assess. Just make sure them heat sinks and fan blades stay clean, I had to clean it once to get off some dust and the fan went back to normal speed and was quite as new. Unless I want to turn my comp into a DVR the amount memory it has will never be an issue for me. I've had no problems doing any kind of office 07 or picture editing stuff every thing is quick. I'm not sure what you call fast video stuff, but my friend was able to edit together some simple youtube clips for something stupid he was doing and said "your comp did pretty good it's not what I need but pretty nice" lol!! Visually it's quite the looker, black with that blue glowing botton and sivler trim.

Really I think it manly boils down to your OS and how much your trying to squeeze out of it. People that know computers are going to get the one they want/need. Like I said folks I'm not a computer guy lol, but this system will do anything you want it to do for normal home use and more.

I bought this computer from J&R and it came with the 9150e processor as the previous reviewer stated. Overall, it's a quality computer at an amazing price (I purchased for $339 with free shipping)!

My main purpose for the computer is to create a central media hub for music, pictures, and video in my living room. The out of the box functionality is perfect for this, as there is an HDMI port built in! I'll be using it heavily for streaming video through hulu, boxee, and the like, and so far it is working perfectly.

640GB hard drive gets it done for now, and I finally have a place to centralize pics and music from all the laptops floating around. - Why buy an external hard drive when you can buy a whole new computer for not a ton more? And I can add a cheaper internal hard drive later.

The next great aspect, as people have posted, is that it is very upgradeable. The case has plenty of room for more hard drives, graphics cards, etc. But, out of the box, it gets it done. Unless you are doing hardcore graphics-intensive gaming, you really don't need anything above this computer.

Also a plus is Gateway's completely free Windows 7 upgrade plan. I put my serial number in the night I purchased, and it will (hopefully) be coming soon after launch! Some manufacturers were charging fees, but at least Gateway provided it for $0.

Great find!

I ordered this on Thursday the 8th and it was here on the 9th. J&R music is the Best! $339.00 was a steal for this unit. Its fast,quiet and was ez to set up. I have no complaints at all at this time. Mine came with a 9150e processor not a 9750 as some reviews state and you should check the reviews on other sites as well, There almost all as praising as this one. I may do some minor tweaking with a graphics card some memory and a psu at a later date but this unit is Grrt right outta the box Thanks Gateway,Amazon and J&R music.