Customer Reviews

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)

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

So far this unit has given me little trouble, as far as hardware is concerned--bought it at Circuit City, as an `open-box' item in April 2005. I've added the following: 1GB RAM, Nvidia GeForce FX 5500 256MB graphics card, an extra cooling fan, and a Zalman 2-ball bearing CPU cooling processor fan/heat-sink. A few weeks after these purchases, I got a 19" flat screen monitor, Monsoon sound system, and an 80G Western Digital external hard drive. Most of my computer use is for the internet, and/or gaming use. Granted, if I wanted to play more serious games or manage tons of digital photos, I would need to upgrade my video graphics card again, and add a larger external hard drive--or purchase a gaming consul. But for now, I'm pleased with this little unit. The only thing you have to remember is that ALL computers need regular cleaning to prevent dust build-up and check for wear-and-tear.

I have had this PC for about a year and a half. I have had no problems its a great little pc.

I purchased this computer as an alternative to building my own. What I wanted was a fairly capable gaming machine that wouldn't cost a fortune. After receiving the computer I promptly added an extra 512mb of ram, a standard 400w ATX PSU, and a Nvidia 6600gt. Now this machine truly flies. WoW, Half Life 2, and all the newer games play as smooth as silk on 1024*768 high detail. I have determined that the Athlon 64 3300+ processor does live up to its numbers in real world performance, despite the low L2 cache others might have mentioned. In all the years I've bought and used prebuilt HPs, I have never had quality issues, so I cannot comment on their customer support. However I will say that this computer is the best prebuilt value to date, and I don't regret my descision to purchase it. Kudos HP for creating an quality upgradable machine, and Kudos Amazon for the fast delivery.

This CPU is an authorized AMD Athlon 64 3300+. It has the same processor as the AMD Athlon 64 3400+ except is has a smaller L2 cache. (3400+ = 512mb L2 cache / 3300+ = 256mb L2 cache)

They both operate on the Newcastle Core AMD 64 bit processors.
It is NOT a Sempron processor, and it is a true 64 bit unit. It is impossible to make a 32bit processor into a 64bit processor. So don't listen to the speculation.

Below I will remind rookie of the reasons for the lowered factory settings.

1. The processor is set to "energy star compliant mode" which automatically lowers the system clock speed to 1.8Ghz to conserve energy and run cooler. FIX--go to the energy settings and choose "allways on - PC"...instant boost to 2.4Ghz.

2. 512MB memory is lowered by 128MB because of the onboard video processor which uses shared memory. Buy a Radeon or GeForce 128MB video card for about $100 and you not only get a good AGP video card with excellent 3D gaming capabilities, but you get your RAM back due to the add-on card's on-board memory.

3. The low level of LS cache has nothing to do with performance as this guy is stating it. This processor has the same speed capabilities as the 3400+ except that it stores slightly less information in it's cache. This unit fits between the AMD Athlon 64 3200+ and the 3400+. Hence the name. FYI: the 3200+ has a 512KB L2 cache, but this unit IS faster in almost all benchmark tests.

4. If you need more RAM (like I do), spend 50-75 dollars and pick up a 512KB 400mhz pc3200 SDRAM and install it. Wow, took 5 minutes to plug that in. Now, with that add on and the video card add on, I have almost 960KB of RAM. More than enough for a serious gamer.

5. You show me where you are gonna get a Pentium 4 3.2Mhz or better with comparable peripherals (160MB hard drive, 512MB ram, dual layer DVD/RW, etc. for under $700???

You must be one of the geeks who thinks they know how to compare a Pentium and an AMD. Reminder---AMD clock speeds are much lower than Pentiums because AMD is able to perform at much lower speeds!!!

My experience with this computer, HP, and Circuit City has been a sad one. The only reason that I would buy a computer with such a large hard drive is to have multiple partitions, both to protect programs and data in Windows and for various versions of linux, which is now just as good, in some ways better, than Windows XP.

Because of the way that restore is handled on a separate partition, before purchasing the computer, I called HP to determine if I could partition the hard drive. They assured me that I could but said that they would tell me how to do it when I bought the computer.

As soon as I got the computer from Circuit City, I called HP in order to partition the hard drive and set up my computer. I was warned that I had better not partition because it would void the HP warranty. As anyone who knows about these things understands, and two Circuit City techs agreed, there is no sensible reason to void the warranty as partitioning is a standard feature of Windows. I tried to speak to the HP technician's supervisor but was told that he was too busy.

Since I had no use for a computer that I could not partition and was unwilling to gamble on not having a warranty, I took the computer back to Circuit City and was charged over a $100 restocking fee.

I called Circuit City's technical support to complain about this charge and spoke with a supervisor. My argument was that the computer was misrepresented on their website, since it was described as having WindowsXP home and a one year warranty. There is no way for anyone to know that using a standard feature of Windows would void the warranty, like using the window washer on a new car voiding its warranty. The supervisor said that if he had the authority he would return my money, but corporate headquarters in Richmond, VA would not allow the return of a restocking fee.

I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau but am not too hopeful since VA is a "Red" state.

I can't believe two people gave this five stars. Maybe they didn't know, or maybe they just don't know.

The HP Pavilion a810n is probably the worst computer in HP's desktop lineup. Yes, it has an attractive low price, a seemingly large hard drive, and a "64-bit" processor. But read on, and you'll see why it's really a crippled system to fool those who don't know better.

- If you search on AMD's website, there's no such thing as the AMD Athlon 64 3300+ processor. In fact, there was never an AMD Athlon 64 3300+ CPU, at least not officially. Also, you'll see that all Athlon 64's released since last summer have at least 512KB of Level 2 cache (a.k.a., L2 cache), whereas the CPU in the a810n has only 256KB. (More on this later.) I searched on the web for more information. Many modders (hardware hackers who like to overclock and enhance their systems) speculate that this 3300+ processor is actually an AMD Sempron (AMD's equivalent of Intel Celeron) but with some 64-bit instructions thrown in. So, in other words, this is really a low-powered, low-cost processor masquerading as an Athlon 64. Doesn't this just suck? You thought you were getting a powerful processor that could compete with Pentium 4, but in truth you are getting shortchanged.

- Does the low level of L2 cache matter? Yes! Ok, if you just e-mail and surf the Web, it probably doesn't. But for most other tasks, from burning CDs/DVDs to ripping MP3s to graphics applications (esp. video editing) to gaming -- ah, esp. gaming -- a large L2 cache is a must. In fact, all recent Pentium 4's have 1MB of L2 cache, and the cheapest official AMD Athlon 64's have 512KB. 256KB is really late 90's technology. In real world performance, it does make a difference. Don't fall for this trap!

- What's more, the a810n's processor, even though rated at 2.4Ghz, runs only at 1.8Ghz, so that's a mysterious 25% or more reduction in performance. I thought it had something to do with power management, but this is a desktop, not a laptop. I just couldn't get the processor speed up to 2.4Ghz. (To check the true processor speed, press Windows-Break keys. It'll bring up the System control panel. On the "General" tab, you'll see the true processor speed as well as the amount of physcial RAM.)

- The system is also crippled in other ways, compared to even cheaper systems. For example, all HP's desktops sold online have serial ATA (SATA) hard drives. The a810n has a Samsung hard drive that still uses 10-year-old technology in transfering data. The drive is also noisy, esp. when you write large files to it.

- The a810n comes with 512MB of RAM, but only 380MB or so is available to the user. But even then, because HP pre-loads tons of junk on this, you get less than 200MB you can actually launch programs into. Yes, you can uninstall the programs to free up the RAM, but why should you, as the user, be forced to waste time optimizing a *new* system??? This is truly anti-consumerism at its best. (FYI, HP makes money for each third-party icon it puts on the desktop, like those from Apple and Symantec.)

- The a810n has dual optical drives. But many systems in this price range have a DVD burner *and* a CD burner. The a810n has a DVD burner and a CD-ROM drive. BTW, the CD-ROM drive is noisy and slow.

- The onboard video controller is very slow. Forget about playing any real 3D games on this.

When I first saw the a810n on sale at Staples last Sunday I was so excited, thinking I could get a 64-bit system to play with. (Microsoft just released a free download of Windows XP 64-bit Edition.) After I bought it yesterday, the more I played with it and the more I learned about it, the more I became dismayed. For this price, I could have gotten a real Pentium 4 system with hyper-threading (a kind of multiprocessing technology) and just as much RAM and even a bigger, faster hard drive. In fact, HP sells a retail-channel system (a710n?) that's way better than this, for about the same price!

Don't fall victim to HP's trying to sell you a crippled system. If you want an HP desktop, go to their website where the PCs are actually much better, at least they give you real processors and real hard drives.