Gateway FX6800-11

Don't expect to do much upgrading inside the FX6800-11: It has only one free 5.25-inch bay and one free (internal) hard-drive bay. I commend Gateway for making two hot-swap hard-drive bays accessible through the system's front, but the wasted space below said drive bays inside the chassis is disappointing. The only available PCI connector on the motherboard is a single PCI Express x16 slot; while that's enough for adding a second video card, it's a meager offering compared with the options in nearly every other top value PC.

At the very least, the FX6800-11's connections give you a tremendous amount of flexibility--an ideal lineup for the multimedia enthusiast. The rear of the system is home to six USB ports, two eSATA ports, 7.1 surround sound, a single FireWire 400 port, and gigabit ethernet. On the front, two USB ports and a multiformat card reader are nicely concealed beneath a pop-up box on the case's top. A single FireWire 400 port hides atop a similar mechanism on the system's front. While the sheer number of connectivity offerings isn't unique to Gateway's systems, the selection here is still a top-of-the-line assortment for a value PC.

I really like the case of the FX6800-11. That sounds like a total fanboy remark to make, but hear me out: Not only does the black and orange color scheme give the system a sharp, bold look, but Gateway has also gone to great lengths to ensure that the components and connections disrupt the design's flow as little as possible. As mentioned, the front-panel connectors are all hidden behind pop-out panels, and the hot-swap drive bays are covered by a sliding black panel. Both optical drives on the front of the chassis are stealthed, too. My only criticism is that the labeling on the system's front panel is a bit excessive.

But the good looks can't hide the unfortunate fact that the Gateway FX6800-11--a powerful performer with nearly every connection under the sun--is still too expensive. While the FX6800-11 is able to match the Dell XPS 435 in general performance, the Dell, priced $300 less, offers gaming performance at levels that the FX6800-11 just can't reach. Second place in the Olympics is still second place--Gateway should be proud of its accomplishment, but you should settle for nothing less than gold.