If you are considering a PC with a 1,000- or 850-MHz processor, chances are you want the works, and that is precisely what Compaq delivers. The Compaq Presario 5900Z-1 GHz, along with its
Compaq Computer Corp. spared no expense in making the 1-GHz Athlon system (US$3,740 street) the best out of the gate. It includes 128MB SDRAM, a 7,200-rpm 40GB Maxtor 54098U8 hard disk, and a Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator Pro graphics card with the nVidia GeForce 256 chip set and 32MB of DDR memory that makes a dramatic difference in testing.
Across the board, the Presario system was a reliable, if not stellar, performer. The Presario 5900Z-1GHz lagged behind the
The Presario 5900Z-1GHz also excelled on Internet tasks, especially on our Java and XML tests. But it was less successful on tests that measure performance on 3-D graphics and gaming, as was the Gateway Select 1000. In fact, it was bested by several systems with slower processorsââ,¬"both Athlon and Pentium III.
In addition to the Accton PCI Fast Ethernet 10/100-Mbps adapter, the Presario comes with a Conexant PCI modem that supports both 56K connections and ADSL connections up to 6 Mbps. Compaq also had the only systems tested that support IEEE 1394 (FireWire) and include USB and FireWire ports on the back and front panels. Compaq tops it all off with a well-designed keyboard with shortcut keys and the biggest software bundle in our roundup.
Our only real complaint is the one-year warranty on parts and labor. On less costly systems, this wouldn't be much of an issue, but buyers of high-end systems expect them to last. However, the Compaq Presario 5900Z-1GHz stands out by offering lots of features and reliable performance.
Product:Ã,Ã, Compaq Presario 5900Z-1GHzRating:Ã,Ã, 4 Star
Street price:Ã,Ã, US$3,740 as tested
Configuration Tested:Ã,Ã, AMD Athlon/1000 CPU, 128MB SDRAM, 7,200-rpm 40GB Maxtor 54098U8 hard disk, Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator Pro graphics card with 32MB DDR memory, 10X/32X DVD-ROM drive, 32X/8X/4X CD-RW drive, ADSL and 56K modem, 10/100 Ethernet adapter, Klipsch Pro Media speaker system, and 19-inch Compaq MV920 monitor
Company:Ã,Ã, Compaq Computer Corp; www.compaq.com
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