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-850, along with its
At US$3,390 (street), the Presario 5900Z-850 costs more than the other Athlon/850 systems reviewed here, but it also offers a lot more. In fact, its configuration is nearly identical to its 1-GHz counterpart, with the exception of the processor, obviously, and the graphics card, which uses standard SDRAM rather than DDR memory.
It includes 128MB SDRAM and a 7,200-rpm 40GB Maxtor 54098U8 hard disk. The Presario 5900Z-850 has the Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator Pro graphics card with the nVidia GeForce 256 chip set and 32MB SDRAM.
Across the board, the Presario system was a reliable, if not stellar, performer. When compared with the other Athlon/850 systems reviewed here, it turned in mediocre scores.
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 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-850 stands out by offering lots of features and reliable performance.
Product:Ã,Ã, Compaq Presario 5900Z-850Rating:Ã,Ã, 3 Stars
Street price:Ã,Ã, US$3,390 as tested
Configuration Tested:Ã,Ã, AMD Athlon/850 CPU, 128MB SDRAM, 7,200-rpm 40GB Maxtor 54098U8 hard disk, Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator Pro graphics card with 32MB SDRAM, 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
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