HP Pavilion a810n Desktop PC (AMD Athlon 64 3300+ Processor, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Dbl Layer 16X DVD+/-RW/CR-RW Drive, CD-ROM Drive)

by HP

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 38 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0006VHV64
• Item model number: PP164AA#ABA
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 2, 2005

Product Description

Amazon Product Description

The Basics A strong all-purpose computer that'll efficiently handle most situations, won't break the bank, and is especially well suited to those who consistently use their PC to edit and store their digital photo, digital video or digital music collections, the HP Pavilion a810n is also notable for its 64-bit processing. Featuring an AMD Athlon 64 3300+ CPU running at 2.4 GHz, the Pavilion a810n will not only efficiently run today's 32-bit software, but will also operate the small but growing number of 64-bit applications as well. Other prominent amenities include a double-layer DVD burner, large 160 GB hard drive, and handy memory card reader. Serious gamers will want to upgrade the unit's 3D graphics capabilities, but most other home or home office users will find the Pavilion a810n delivers all they need today and in the future too.

Processor
At the heart of any computer lies the CPU (or processor), a massive collection of miniature transistors that governs the speed and power of the entire unit. For the Pavilion a810n, HP has opted to move away from traditional 32-bit technology – which is found in the vast majority of today's processors – in favor of the faster, futuristic technology of 64-bit processing. The AMD Athlon 64 3300+ processor installed inside the Pavilion a810n is powerful enough to speed through standard 32-bit applications and operating systems, but also supports the new 64-bit format that will begin to appear in software released over the course of the next few months and years. Thusly, owners of this system should be well prepared for anything the near future will bring.

Memory
Computers typically store information on their hard drive, but they keep frequently and recently accessed data in Random Access Memory (RAM) for faster retrieval. More RAM means more efficient computing, superior multitasking and less strain on your hard drive. The Pavilion a810n features 512 GB of fast PC3200 DDR SDRAM main memory, a typical allotment for today's midlevel and high-end PCs and certainly enough for most multitasking situations. Moreover, the system will accept later RAM upgrades to a stunning total of 2 GB.

Video
CPU's are usually so busy doing basic calculations that they need help translating visual output to the viewing screen. This is the duty of the graphics card (or graphics controller). Generally, graphics controllers that incorporate their own dedicated built-in memory are more powerful and more desirable (but definitely more expensive too) than graphics controllers that are integrated on the motherboard and share the system's main memory. The Pavilion a810n strives to offer the best of both worlds by utilizing an integrated SIS Mirage2 graphics chipset with 128 MB of shared video memory. This is a new breed of graphics controller that's comparatively economical because it shares the computer's main memory rather than supplying its own dedicated memory, but is a decent performer too because it appropriates so much of it (in this case, 128 MB). Ultimately, the system is capable of accurately displaying virtually any 2D and many 3D apps, but isn't quite ready for serious gamers who want to play the latest and most demanding 3D titles at the highest possible resolution and the smoothest possible frame rates. Those users will need to upgrade to a video card with 256 or 512 MB of dedicated video memory.

Display:
A display screen is not included, thus allowing you to continue using your current monitor or select from today's many alternatives.

Sound
The Pavilion a810n produces sound via an integrated audio chipset that delivers acceptable output but will need to be upgraded if you desire high-powered, audiophile-quality surround sound.

Hard Drive
At 160 GB, the internal hard drive is substantially smaller than today's largest hard drives and is therefore comparatively cost-efficient. However, because hard drive capacity has grown so much over the past few months, even a midlevel model such as this offers more than double the space and a more favorable price point than midlevel hard drives from just a year ago. With this much storage space at your disposal, you'll have plenty of room for a typical allotment of files and applications and a comprehensive library of multimedia files too.

Optical Drive
An optical drive is essential in today's computing environment. A "CD-ROM" drive allows you to install CD-based applications and play music CDs. A "CD-RW" drive adds CD "burning", so you can also backup your important files to long-lasting discs and create personalized music CDs. With a DVD-ROM drive you can enjoy all of the above plus watch the same big budget DVD movies you watch on your home entertainment system. And with a DVD-RW drive, you can also "write" home movies to durable discs and archive files to DVD (DVDs boast more than seven times the storage capacity of a CD).

This system features two optical drives -- a CD-ROM drive for playing music and data CDs, and a state-of-the-art Double Layer DVD+R/RW drive through which you can burn music and data CDs, play DVD movies, and record home videos to long-lasting DVD media. The "Double Layer" designation refers to the unit's ability to handle double layer DVDs, each of which offers nearly twice the capacity of traditional DVDs (8.5 GB vs. 4.4 GB). This is a real bonus for those who need to store or archive lots of data.

Connectivity and Expansion
With no less than seven high-speed USB 2.0 ports -- three of which are conveniently located on the front of the unit -- you'll have plenty of room for plug and play gadgets such as digital cameras and printers. HP has also included two IEEE 1394 "FireWire" ports (commonly used for fast data transfer from digital camcorders) and a versatile 9-in-1 front panel card reader for reading memory cards from devices such as digital cameras, PDAs and more. Communication options include an integrated 10/100Base-T networking interface for fast Internet and network communication and a V.92 data/fax modem for low-speed dial-up connections.

Operating System and Software
The Pavilion a810n incorporates an ample software package headed by Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition operating system. HP will also pre-install Microsoft's new Works 8.0 productivity suite, two finance packages (Microsoft's Money Standard 2005 and Quicken 2005 New User Edition), and an impressive collection of top-notch digital photo, music and imaging utilities.

Control
You'll control your Pavilion with an HP Internet keyboard (complete with several convenient one-touch hotkeys), and a super-accurate, no-hassle HP optical mouse.

Product Description

The people-friendly Pavilion a810n is a value-laden home-office desktop PC that's been built to enhance your lifestyle with intuitive functions that support productivity, foster creativity, enhance commnicability, and expand your capabilities in many directions. With HP Image Zone Plus software, using your digital-camera or digital-camcorder, and Internet become simpler yet more sophisticated. The DVD +/-RW CDRW combo drive also has the ability to record new DVD+R Dual-Layer discs. A dual layer disc can hold up to 8.5GB of information which is nearly twice the capacity of other DVD (4.7GB). With lots of ports and open slots for expansion, this PC is ready to meet you and your family's growing needs and, with preinstalled software and Windows XP Home from HP, it's ready for a wide variety of use - out of the box. So power-up your life with the Pavilion a810n desktop PC. You'll be amazed at the difference! 2 Available PCI and 1 AGP expansion slots 160GB Hard-Drive (up to 7200-RPM), preloaded with Microsoft Windows XP Home and assorted HP and third-party productivity, security, financial, and multimedia software - for rapid startup and use Front panel 9-in-1 card reader reads/writes vitually every available digital-media card used by digital-camera and camcorder models USB 2.0 - 3 Front; 4 Back Firewire IEEE1394 - 1 Front; 1 Back 1 Parallel / 1 Serial / 2 PS2 (Back) Microphone and Headphone connector Includes HP Scroll Mouse and HP Internet Keyboard HP 1-Year Limited Warranty with up to 90-Day Software support / 24/7 Tech support Monitor and Printer is not included

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best bang for your 64bit buck!, January 22, 2005

By 

C. Miller (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: HP Pavilion a810n Desktop PC (AMD Athlon 64 3300+ Processor, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Dbl Layer 16X DVD+/-RW/CR-RW Drive, CD-ROM Drive) (Personal Computers)

HP Pavilion a810n (ready to ship version of the a850e series)

Factory Specs:
Processor: AMD® Athlon™ 64 3300+ processor (2.40GHz)
OS: Windows XP Home SP2
Memory: 512MB DDR PC3200
Graphics card: Integrated SiS® Mirage2 Graphics with 128MB shared video memory
Hard drive: 160GB Ultra DMA [gigabyte is defined as 1,000,000,000 bytes, accessible capacity may vary]
Primary CD/DVD drive: Double Layer DVD±R/RW drive with CD writer capabilities
Secondary CD/DVD drive: CD-ROM
Memory slots: 2 DIMM (one available)
Front-access ports: 9-in-1 memory card reader; 3 USB 2.0 ports; 1 FireWire (IEEE 1394) port; microphone/headphone/line-in
Communications: Integrated 10/100Base-T network interface; 56K fax/modem
Sound: Integrated audio


A couple of things about the factory specs:
- With the factory setting (128MB shared video memory) and no additional RAM installed you are actually working with 384MB of RAM right out of the box. You can however enter the BIOS and change the video memory to 64MB or 32MB to free up some RAM.
- The 160GB hard drive is actually partitioned, one drive (C) is actually 142GB and obviously is the main partition where all your files will be managed, and the other drive (D) 6.06GB and is locked and contains all the factory reformat files, this way HP (as many other companies do) can save money and not actually send you a factory recovery disk. Now how 142 + 6.06 = 160GB is obviously PC maker new math and is why they add accessible capacity may vary to the system specs.

I used it as it came out of the box for a while (1+ week) and my initial impression was that even with using it at the factory configuration of 384MB of RAM it was much faster than my old Athlon 1300+ with 768MB of RAM (which granted isn't very hard). The first thing that you notice about it is how incredibly quiet it is, you turn it on and if there weren't lights on the front you would honestly think that it wasn't running, and it's not that it doesn't have fans, it does indeed have two, one on the CPU cooler and one on the rear of the case (inside). I ran very intensive program combinations (i.e. Adobe Photoshop + Trillian 3 Pro(which oddly enough is a memory hog) + Excel, Word, Outlook 2003) with no sign of stutter what so ever. I even traded up the old Microsoft keyboard I was using in favor of the new quiet key keyboard that came with the PC.

Pros:
- Quiet (Very quiet)
- 64 bit processor
- Double layer DVD burner (does not include the LightScribe HP DVD burner)
- Price (sub $700 system after rebates)
- Interesting bunch of included software including a DVD authoring/editing program, MSN Money 2005 (OEM), Quicken
- 7 total USB 2 ports (4 back, 3 front)
- 2 FireWire ports (1 front, 1 back)
- 9 in 1 memory card reader is very convenient
- Sound is very decent (but that could be attributed to my Bose MediaMate Speakers)
- Integrated video card performs better than expected playing newer games, with no stutter

Cons:
- 128MB of shared video memory, I don't understand why PC makers don't just place a chip of memory the size of the "shared" video memory into one of the DIMM slots...it isn't going to break the bank.
- Integrated video
- Integrated audio
- Slathering of HP specific drivers/programs preinstalled
- Mail-in rebate...if you are planning on giving money back just do it - when will companies realize that if they just take money off at the time of purchase they will indeed be saving money by not having to hire an outside firm to handle the rebates
- Secondary drive is a CD-ROM only; in my opinion another DVD (plain with no writing ability) is more user friendly

My upgrades and would suggest to anyone:
Add another 512MB PC3200 DDR Ram to make a total of 1GB and replace the onboard graphic with a card like a 128MB Video Card GeForce FX 5200.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Base System, March 10, 2005

By 

Software Engineer213 "Software Engineer213" (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: HP Pavilion a810n Desktop PC (AMD Athlon 64 3300+ Processor, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Dbl Layer 16X DVD+/-RW/CR-RW Drive, CD-ROM Drive) (Personal Computers)

I can't believe Gadgester is a top reviewer. All of that garbage about the 3300 not being a 64bit processor is wrong. Anybody who has followed the life cycle of the AMD64, knows that one problem AMD faced with the processors was the cost to produce them. By reducing the cache AMD was able to significantly lower production cost while not sacrificing much performance. While the size of a cache does affect performance, the machne needs to be running at full capacity for it to become an issue. Pentiums went to 1mb caches because their old
architectures generates bottlenecks while playing process intensive games and such. I suggest doing your homework before spouting BS.

Take this box and add a video card and some memory and you have one nice system.

If you can install XP pro and delete all of the spam software HP installs on these boxes. My bootup went from 1 minute to 20 secs.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great computer but one serious flaw, March 14, 2005

By 

John Galt - See all my reviews

This review is from: HP Pavilion a810n Desktop PC (AMD Athlon 64 3300+ Processor, 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Dbl Layer 16X DVD+/-RW/CR-RW Drive, CD-ROM Drive) (Personal Computers)

I agree with most of the others here. This is a great box if you get rid of all the "extra" HP software you don't want or need. I removed over 1 gigabyte of "fluff". After doing that, adding another 512 Megs of ram, and tweaking XP, it runs quite fast. Next will be one of the new NVIDIA 6200 AGP cards that will be on the market next month. NVIDIA just announced this chip, and says it will be used in cards at "the $79 price point". If you want to add a 2nd hard drive, you will have to add a hard drive cage, as one is not supplied. This you can order from HP parts (800-227-8164) for $10.06 +shipping. The part # is 5069-7338.
Ok, now the serious flaw. I have a 160 gig Seagate external USB hard drive. HP a810n computers will not boot with this and I expect, other USB hard drives attached. It locks up at the blue bios screen with the drive access lights on solid on both the HP a810n and the USB hard drive. The same USB drive works fine with 5 other computers I tried, but not with my a810n, or another a810n I tried. After 3 weeks of working with HP support, they admit it is a bios problem and promise to fix it within the next week. I hope they do. Still, all in all, I'm happy with it.