WHAT'S HOT: The guts of this new Gateway include a 1.7-GHz Pentium 4 processor and 256MB of PC800 RDRAM, which helped drive the system to a PC WorldBench 2000 score of 224--a scant 3 points shy of the fastest score we've recorded for an Intel-based machine running Windows 2000. Two USB ports reside on the front of the two-tone gray midsize tower, and two others sit on the back of the machine. A single thumbscrew secures the sturdy metal side panel, which comes off easily after you remove the thumbscrew and slide two latches; snapping the panel back on takes some effort, however.

Inside, nothing impedes access to the system's three open PCI slots. You can easily release the 60GB hard drive from its slots by pulling on green tabs. All of the drive bays in the system use this tool-less mechanism, as does the power supply. You can access the PCI slots without using tools by removing a thumbscrew and pulling back a bar. Graphics looked rich on the 19-inch Gateway EV910 monitor, and text looked crisp at most resolutions, blurring slightly only at the maximum resolution of 1600 by 1200. A helpful setup poster and well-marked, color-coded rear ports make assembly a simple task. The system manual is a thick tome loaded with color illustrations and a massive troubleshooting section, but it's aimed at beginners.

WHAT'S NOT: Gateway earned a rating of only Fair in our recent series of anonymous tech support calls, giving advice that was not always accurate.

WHAT ELSE: The S1700 includes an ATI Radeon VE graphics board with a DVI port for connecting to most digital flat-panel monitors and with an S-Video output port for connecting to a television or VCR. The monitor's push-in wheel controller makes changing settings simple. The $2362 price tag covers such useful extras as a 12X/8X/32X CD-RW drive and an ethernet card for broadband or network connectivity. The S1700 also ships with Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition. Key response on the nearly silent Gateway keyboard felt a little sluggish.

BEST USE: Small or medium-size offices will like the well-rounded features of this powerful, easily upgradable Gateway.

SUMMARY

Gateway Professional S1700 PC WorldBench 2000 score of 224, Pentium 4-1700 CPU, 256MB of PC800 RDRAM, 256KB L2 cache, Windows 2000 Professional, 60GB hard drive, 20X-48X CD-ROM drive, 12X/8X/32X CD-RW drive, ATI Radeon VE graphics card with 64MB of DDR SDRAM, 19-inch Gateway EV910 monitor, Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live sound card, Boston Digital BA735 speakers, network adapter, midsize tower case, Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition, three-year parts and labor warranty, free unlimited 24-hour tech support. $2362 800/315-2536 www.gateway.com