Whether editing your family photos, balancing your online checkbook, or listening to your digital music collection, Compaq's SR1720NX offers a versatile, strong base for your home computing needs. Focusing on affordability, this desktop has room to grow with two available expansion slots (one 3.5-inch and one 5.25-inch), 2 available PCI slots, 7 USB ports for connecting peripherals, and the ability to add up to 4 GB of RAM. This desktop comes with a large 160 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, 2.2 GHz AMD Sempron 3500+ processor, Lightscribe dual-layer/multi-format DVD drive, and a memory card reader that's compatible with a wide range of formats.
The Basics
- Hard Drive: The 160 GB hard drive (7200 RPM) is very large in size compared to other budge-conscious, family-oriented desktop PCs. It provides a good size for a wide range of software applications and a generously sized digital audio library as well as room enough for editing digital home video.
- Processor: AMD's Athlon 64 3500+ processor is built for tomorrow's 64-bit applications, which will require a processor with significant power. This 2.2 GHz processor offers a system bus with speeds up to a blazing 2200 MHz and 512 KB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance.) It includes such AMD features as HyperTransport Technology (which increases the communication between integrated circuits) and Cool'n'Quiet Technology that conserves power while also keeping the PC nicely quiet.
- Memory: The 512 MB of installed RAM (PC3200) is enough to get you started, but you'll want to add more RAM to handle today's demanding multimedia and productivity suites. This desktop has a very good 4 GB maximum RAM capacity (4 x 1 GB).
- CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, the SR1720NX's multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. It features 4x DVD-R DL Write Once, 2.4x DVD+R DL Write Once, 16x DVD+R, 4x DVD+RW, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD-RW, 16x DVD-ROM, 40x CD-R, 24x CD-RW, and 40x CD-ROM speeds. It also comes with a second DVD-ROM optical drive, with 16x read speed.
This LightScribe DVD+/-RW drive lets you laser-etch silkscreen quality text and images on to CDs and DVDs . Your software, PC and discs work together for a no-hassle way to burn just the labels you want. After you burn content, just flip the disc over, reinsert and burn your label--anything from a simple title to a full-disc work of art .
- Keyboard & Mouse: It comes with a Compaq keyboard and scroller mouse (both with PS/2 connections).
Graphics and Sound Video is powered by the ATI Radeon XPress 200 IGP video/graphics card, which delivers good, though not high-end, 3D graphics. It delivers up to 128 MB of video RAM shared with the system RAM. ATI's HyperMemory technology allows the chipset to run in either Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) mode or with dedicated frame buffer memory to enhance graphics performance. It also features an integrated audio card with microphone, line-in, and headphone jacks.
Connectivity and Expansion Slots
For expansion, the SR1720NX has three PCI slots (two available), one PCI Express slot (available), two 5.25-inch external bays (one available), two external 3.5-inch bays (one available), and one internal 3.5-inch bay (occupied). It comes with a built-in floppy drive and the following external connectors:
- 7 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players (3 in front--including 1 in memory card reader--4 in rear)
- 2 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals (1 in front, 1 in rear)
- 1 parallel port for connecting older printers and scanners
- 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice
- 1 VGA monitor port
- 9-in-1 media card reader on the front, compatible with CompactFlash (Type I and II), MicroDrive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital, and XD Picture Card
- 2 headphone (1 front, 1 rear)
- 2 microphone (1 front, 1 rear)
- 2 line-in (1 front, 1 rear)
It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).
Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works 8.0 (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), HP Image Zone 5, Symantec Norton Internet Security 2005 AntiSpyware Edition (with 60 days of LiveUpdate), Encarta Encyclopedia 2005, Quicken New User Edition 2005, Microsoft Money 2005, Sonic DigitalMedia Plus, Sonic MyDVD Plus, WinDVD 5 Player Basic, Google Toolbar, and PC Doctor.
The included HP Image Zone 5 photo and imaging software makes it easy to organize, edit, share, print, protect, and store your photos and video clips. Organize and find your photos easily by timeline, keywords, and/or location using the unique photo-globe mapping tool. Remove red eye and fix other common problems. Share your photos quickly via e-mails that include thumbnails with links to the full-sized images--without downloading time-consuming attachments.
Dimensions and Weight
This desktop measures 15.4 x 7.2 x 16.5 inches (HxWxD) and weighs approximately 30 pounds.
What's in the Box
The Presario SR1720NX desktop PC comes with a power cord, keyboard, and scroller mouse. It is backed by a one-year warranty for parts and labor from date of purchase, one-year technical phone service, and 90 days of software application support.