HP Pavilion Elite m9160f Desktop (2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Quad QX6700, 4GB DDR2, 2x360GB, DVDRW DL/HD DVD-ROM, Windows Vista Home Premium)

Core 2 CPU: One of Intel's Latest and Greatest Is Inside

This system is built around one of Intel's latest, greatest processors. The Core 2 Duo consists of two separate CPUs on a single die, sharing the same second-level cache. If this machine has a Core 2 Quad, that's two Duos married on the same die for a total of four cores. Meanwhile, Extreme Edition Core 2 processors, aimed at enthusiasts and gamers, are unlocked for overclocking, a process in which you increase the clock multiplier (9X, 10X, and so on) without increasing the computer's frontside bus speed (1066 MHz, 1333 MHz, or the like).

Most consumer applications can't take advantage of more than two cores, so spend the extra money on four cores only if you'll be using an application that you're certain can utilize them. Intel has strayed from the Celeron designation for its budget CPUs, so be sure to check a given processor's cache size and price (more of each roughly indicates faster performance) before buying.

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Large Amount of RAM Produces Blazing Performance

Simply put, this computer is likely to offer blazing performance. The large amount of RAM it ships with is more than enough to handle most memory-hungry applications and large files, and as a result the PC won't constantly swap memory to its hard drive.

The more installed memory your PC has, the more applications you can run smoothly at once, and the better the system will perform. Upgrading memory in a desktop after you purchase the PC is simple, but usually it's worthwhile to buy the amount of memory you want preinstalled with the system.

To use more than 4GB of memory on your PC, you need either Windows XP 64-Bit Edition (limited to 128GB) or a 64-bit version of Windows Vista (which can handle 128GB and beyond).

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Plenty of Hard-Drive Space for Multimedia Enthusiasts

This system's hard drive has good capacity, enough room for multimedia enthusiasts looking to store home video, ripped DVDs, MP3 music files, and digital photos. For the average user with decent file-cleaning habits, this much hard-drive space could be overkill. Most likely, you'd use this large amount of storage only if you're heavily into video, and even then you might consider RAID mirroring (for data redundancy) rather than a bigger drive.

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Included Disc Writer Burns CDs and DVDs

The DVD burner on this system will allow you to burn CDs and DVDs (including movies, with the right software), play DVD movies, install software from CDs and DVDs, and play audio CDs and other types of discs. Most DVD burners have a slide-out media tray, though you'll find some slot-loading models on smaller or more-stylish PCs. Half-height drives exist, too; you'll find them mostly in laptops or external boxes. Since DVD burners are now a commodity item, even entry-level models are fast.

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8xxx-Series nVidia Graphics Board Gives Good Performance for the Price

This system's nVidia 8xxx-series graphics board falls only a little short of the current video-performance high-water mark--in 2007 it would've been state-of-the-art. Boards in the 8xxx series are good performers on games, though not the equal of the newer nVidia 9xxx series or ATI's 4xxx series. That said, staying one step back from the cutting edge usually gives you the best price/performance ratio.

The 8xxx-series graphics chips were nVidia's first to accelerate DirectX 10 instructions and also support OpenGL 2.1. Because of this graphics card, this computer can drive a display of any resolution (and most likely, multiple displays).

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Single Graphics Card Slot Permits Upgrades

With only one video card slot (typically a 16x PCIe slot), this system is a mainstream PC likely intended for general home or business use. You can fill this slot with a premium graphics board--an important consideration if you're a gamer, video editor, or CAD specialist. If you're not a demanding user, however, the most high-end cards don't offer enough of a boost to justify their steep pricing. Instead, look for a PC configured with a decent CPU and a good GPU, such as nVidia's GeForce 9800 GTX or ATI's Radeon HD 4850.

Note: If this PC's graphics card slot is empty (and it therefore has only integrated graphics), incentives for you to upgrade to a dedicated graphics card include better game play at higher resolutions, guaranteeing more than one output to drive multiple displays, and running regular applications at higher resolutions (some integrated graphics top out below the maximum resolution of the largest monitors).

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Windows Vista: Good Multimedia and Security, but a Resource Hog

This computer ships with Microsoft's latest operating system. Windows Vista offers improved multimedia and networking savvy, looks better than Windows XP, and has greater security than its predecessor, but it can be a slower-feeling operating system due to heavier resource requirements. You can run it with only 512MB of main memory in your PC, but having at least 1GB will provide a much better experience.

Common 32-bit versions of Windows Vista can address no more than 4GB of RAM, even if your machine has more available. So unless you're using the 64-bit version of Vista (or 64-bit XP, if you can still find a copy), a computer with 2GB to 4GB of memory is the right target.

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FireWire Port Allows Rapid Data Transfer

The FireWire connection (also called an IEEE1394 or i.Link port) in this computer can rapidly transfer data to and from a range of devices, most commonly video cameras, external hard drives, and advanced sound cards.

Generally desktop PCs have a full-size six-pin FireWire port on the rear, often on a front panel. Some also include the smaller, unpowered four-pin connection that you can find on laptops and certain consumer electronics devices. (Camcorder makers often bundle a six-pin-to-four-pin FireWire cable because of this.)

The newer FireWire 800 (IEEE1394c) implementation is not backward-compatible and uses a nine-pin connector. If your peripheral (such as a video camera or external hard drive) uses FireWire 800, you should double-check to confirm that every desktop PC you're considering supports it, too. 

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USB Connections Let You Connect Various Peripherals

USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports allow this system to use any number of USB peripherals such as printers, keyboards, and mice. You can also use an external USB hard disk or a USB thumb drive to expand this desktop's storage or back up your data.

Note that the older, much slower (11 megabits per second) 1.x implementation of USB was fine for peripherals, but is frustratingly slow for storage. New desktop computers all support the speedier USB 2.0 (480 mbps)--but double-check on that if you're buying a used or older system. And when it comes to USB ports, the more the merrier.

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Card Reader Takes MultiMediaCard

This system's MMC slot allows it to read the older MultiMediaCard format--the predecessor of SD Card media. SD and SDHC slots will read MMC, too, but not vice versa. For the most part, MMC is simply an additional spec for an SD or SDHC slot, which will read the two (or three) types.

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Card Reader Accepts Sony Memory Stick

This computer can read and write to Sony's proprietary Memory Stick flash memory devices, and with an adapter it could also support variants such as Memory Stick Pro, Duo, Pro Duo, and Micro. Few non-Sony devices use Memory Stick; however, the company is so large that chances are you might need to read data from one someday. Most times, Memory Stick is just one among several media card types that a desktop PC can accept.

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Media Reader Takes SD Card

Equipped with an SD Card (Secure Digital) reader, this PC can transfer photos from a digital camera when you have no cable. With the proper adapter, SD slots will also read data from the miniSD media used in cell phones.

The newer SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) standard is not backward-compatible, so the slot may not read such cards; check the PC's specs further to determine whether it offers SDHC support. The latest SD variant, the microSDHC, is the tiniest flash memory card to date, measuring only 11mm across. It's also the fastest and roomiest, capable of holding up to 16GB of data.

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Media Reader Takes CompactFlash Cards

This PC has a multiformat card reader capable of reading CompactFlash (also known as CF) cards. Despite having been supplanted by SD Card and SDHC, CompactFlash cards are still used in older digital cameras.

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