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Photograph: Rick Rizner
Compaq Presario SR1214nx
| WorldBench 5: Performance word scores reflect comparisons of PCs in the same category running the same operating system. See Your Guide to the Top 100 for more details. | Good: 69 (Windows XP Home) |
| Base configuration | Very Good |
| CPU | 2-GHz Athlon XP 2900+ |
| System memory | 512MB of DDR400 SDRAM |
| Hard drive (GB) | 80GB |
| Monitor size and model | No monitor included |
| Graphics: Most integrated graphics systems use the PC's main RAM. | Integrated VIA graphics |
| Case type: Vertical cases are towers (over 20 inches), midsize towers (15.5 to 20 inches), or minitowers (under 15.5 inches). Horizontal cases are desktops (5 inches or taller) or compacts (under 5 inches). | Minitower |
| Open bays, slots | One externally accessible bay, two slots |
| Extra features | Good |
| Removable-media drives | 16X DVD-ROM/48X CD-RW combination drive, media card reader |
| Sound card | Integrated audio |
| Speakers | No speakers included |
| Communications | V.92 modem, network adapter, seven USB 2.0 ports, two FireWire ports |
| Software | Microsoft Works 7, Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition 2003, Microsoft Money Standard 2004, Quicken 2004 New User Edition, Microsoft MSN Encarta Standard |
| Other | N/A |
| Graphics quality | Poor |
| Setup and ease of use | Very Good |
| Vendor's reliability/service: A vendor's score is based on surveys of PC World readers. Vendors receiving an Insufficient Data score did not generate enough responses to our most recent survey for us to make a determination. | Worse/Worse |
| Vendor's support policy | One-year parts and labor warranty; 24-hour daily toll-free support during warranty period |
Compaq Presario SR1214NX
Presario SR1214nx Review, by Sean Captain February 2, 2005
For a budget system, the Presario SR1214NX looks as good as its high-end siblings. The solid, black metal case features an attractive front panel with swinging doors that hide the drive bays. The front also provides easy connection options: ports for a headphone and a microphone, line-in audio, three USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, and a media card reader.
The case's beauty is more than skin-deep, too, as this system is a cinch to upgrade. The side and front panels pop off easily, without requiring the use of extra tools; for instance, a single thumbscrew holds the side panel. All drives (including the 80GB hard drive) slip out the front of the system after you flip the latches that hold them in place, and removing a single screw releases a metal tab that anchors the PCI cards. The interior is well organized, providing easy access to two available PCI slots and an AGP slot.
Compaq provides a generous software bundle that includes Microsoft Works 7, Microsoft Money Standard 2004, and Quicken 2004 New User Edition. Although the bundled keyboard has shortcut buttons for volume and for launching apps such as a Web browser or e-mail, it felt cheap and its keys were too mushy for our taste. Compaq's printed documentation was limited to a setup poster and a warranty information booklet. But the company's Web site provides a good, illustrated manual for repairs and upgrades.
The system's WorldBench 5 score of 69 landed in the middle of the pack in our budget-PC roundup, but 20 points below the average for value systems on our Top 15 Desktop PCs chart. Graphics performance was worse: The S3G UniChrome graphics from the integrated VIA KM400A chip set relies on main memory, and it posted an abysmal 6 frames per second in Unreal Tournament 2003 at 32 bit color depth and 1024 by 768 resolution. Anyone wishing to play action games would need to fill the AGP slot with a graphics card.
The SR1214NX is clearly not suited to demanding tasks such as intense gaming or heavy video or photo editing, but it offers enough power for standard office applications, light photo editing, and CD ripping. In our tests, when no other significant applications were running, it had no problem playing a DVD movie, too.
Upshot: The Presario SR1214NX is a nice-looking, easy-to-upgrade PC suitable for basic computing chores.
Seán Captain
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