speedy PCs - News Briefs

Home Office Computing, Feb, 2000 by Robert S. Anthony

We examine 600MHz Pentium IIIs that are closing in on the mainstream

THANKS TO AN EXPLOSION of fast processors from Intel, AMD, and the IBM/ Motorola/Apple PowerPC consortium, there's no shortage of extremely powerful--and often extremely expensive--personal computers on the market. The surprise? You don't have to spend more than $2,500 to get spectacular performance.

Specifically, Windows users can save several hundred dollars by passing on the latest 700MHz and 733MHz processors and choosing a system based on an almost-as-fast 600MHz chip.

Complete systems based on Intel's 600MHz Pentium III cost about $2,100 at press time, and can provide you with all of the power, speed, and storage you need--and then some. We test-drove five of your options: loaded 600MHz Pentium III systems from Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Micron Electronics, NEC, and Quantex Microsystems.

To test the PCs, we loaded popular but demanding applications including Dragon Systems' Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred 3.52, Peachtree Software's Peachtree Complete Accounting 7.0, and Adobe Systems' Adobe Photoshop 5.0 Limited Edition. For comparison's sake, we submitted each PC to the system performance and disk read/write performance benchmark tests included with Symantec's Norton SystemWorks 2000.

While there are significant differences in performance, storage, graphics, Internet connectivity, and audio capabilities among the units, all should be able to support a busy home office.

On a technical note, Intel has muddied the waters by introducing two new Pentium III chips, built using a 0.18-micron rather than 0.25-micron manufacturing process that makes for a more efficient, cooler-running chip. The 600E uses this process, yet retains a 100MHz bus speed-. The 600EB, however, has both the new process and a faster 133MHz bus speed, which permits faster data transfer between the CPU and system memory. One of our test systems, the latest Micron Millennia Max 600, uses the 600EB.

This gave the Micron a narrow edge in our benchmark testing, but not one to write home about. And all the units reviewed here will be available with the newer 600E and 600EB Pentium III processors by the time you read this.

Compaq Presario 5700T

8.3

V   9
P   8
E   9
S   7

The value and performance of Compaq's Presario PC line have a lot to do with the company's status as the nation's leading PC vendor. The $1,962 Presario 5700T is a good example.

The large tower unit comes with a 22GB IBM hard disk, 128MB of RAM, and a 6x DVD-ROM drive, as well as a 56Kbps fax modem and Compaq CV715 17-inch monitor. Its multimedia subsystem is overkill for the home office: The 32MB Nvidia Riva TNT2-based graphics accelerator with a digital video port for LCD monitors is a plus, but the Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live sound card with two analog and one digital audio-out ports is more for gamers and MP3 addicts.

The 5700T offers some nice design touches that can make a crowded office a bit more manageable, including two USB ports and one FireWire port conveniently located on the front of the CPU (one more of each type is at the rear). The chassis slides out for easy servicing and offers four open drive bays for expansion.

The unit comes with ample assistance--an illustrated manual, online help, and remote support software that lets a technician dial in to your PC to diagnose and possibly fix configuration problems.

When tested with Symantec's Norton SystemWorks, the Compaq's system performance score was similar to those of the other units tested; its disk benchmark scores were slightly behind most of its rivals'.

Overall, the Presario 5700T is a complete solution, with more than enough power and storage for a busy home office.

Hewlett-Packard Pavilion 8590C

8.2

V   8
P   8
E   9
S   8

HP's Pavilion PCs are aimed more at family consumers than home office workers, but the $2,198 Pavilion 8590C provides a mix of solid hardware and convenience that should get most home workers off on the right foot.

The system's impressive specifications include a 27GB hard disk and both a DVD-ROM drive and an HP CD-Writer Plus 8100 CD-RW drive. The Pavilion also comes with a 56Kbps modem and a 10/100Mbps Ethernet card, making it ready for analog, DSL, or cable Internet connections.

Business-appropriate audio circuitry is embedded on the system's motherboard, as is a graphics accelerator incorporating an Nvidia Riva TNT chip and 8MB of memory. An AGP slot is available for graphics upgrades.

A pair of Polk speakers attaches to the sides of the 17-inch HP monitor, which has an imbedded microphone. The latter isn't suitable for use with speech-recognition software, but otherwise the system is a solid performer with average (for this high-performance crowd) benchmark scores.

We were impressed with the Pavilion's data-protection options, including an application-recovery CD and the Simple Trax utility for scheduling backups and protecting individual folders. Also included is HP Updates, a utility that monitors your machine and can send diagnostic information to HP, as well as download and install updates for your software.