Compaq Presario SR2050NX Desktop PC (Intel Pentium D Processor 820, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Lig

Whether you're e-mailing family and friends, balancing your online checkbook, or listening to your digital music collection, the HP Compaq SR2050NX offers a versatile, strong base for your home computing needs as well as easy-to-use multimedia features. Focusing on affordability, this desktop provides room to grow with the ability to add up to 2 GB of RAM, available PCI and expansion slots, and access to a wide variety of peripherals via its six USB 2.0 ports. It's also chock-full of security and productivity software to get you going as soon as the PC's unpacked from its box, including Symantec Norton Internet Security 2006, Quicken New User Edition 2006, and Microsoft Works 8. You can also easily burn your home video productions to DVD for friends and family with the dual-layer, multi-format LightScribe DVD/CD burner, which enables you to store up to 8.5 GB of data on a DL disc, and manage your family's photo library with HP Photosmart Premier software.

This desktop is powered by the 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium D 820 dual-core processor. Other features include a 250 GB hard drive, 1 GB of installed RAM, an integrated ATI Radeon XPress 200 video/graphics card with up to 128 MB of shared video RAM, an audio card capable of handling an 6-speaker surround sound system, and Windows XP Media Center edition operating system with advanced multimedia functionality. This is a Windows Vista capable PC.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The extra large 250 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive (7200 RPM) offers a wealth of storage space, perfect for storing a vast multimedia collection or for editing digital video. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.
  
• Processor: The 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium D 820 dual-core processor delivers additional computing resources and help expand the PC's capabilities by providing higher throughput and simultaneous computing. You'll be able to perform multiple tasks such as digital rendering and gaming all while running virus scan or other background tasks seamlessly. Each core has 1 MB of L2 cache onboard (for a 2 MB total), and the two cores share an 800 MHz front-side bus. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.) The Pentium D 820 sits near the bottom of the speed spectrum for this processor class (as of June 2006).
  
• Memory: The 1 GB of installed RAM (PC4200, 2 x 512 MB, 533 MHz) 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 good 2 GB maximum RAM capacity (2 x 1 GB). Also, to receive the benefits of the dual-channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of same capacity and clockspeed.
  
• CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, this multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with writing 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, 8x DVD+R DL Write Once, 16x DVD+R, 8x DVD+RW, 16x DVD-R, 6x DVD-RW, 5x DVD-RAM, 40x CD-R, 24x CD-RW write speeds and 40x CD-ROM, and 16x DVD-ROM read speeds.

  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).

Screen, Graphics and Sound
Video is powered by the ATI Radeon XPress 200 IGP video/graphics card, which delivers good, though not high-end, 3-D graphics. It delivers 128 MB of dedicated video RAM (separate with the system memory). 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 has an integrated audio card that can produce high definition surround sound configurable to 6 speakers.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
For expansion, this desktop has three PCI slots (two available), one PCI Express x16 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 the following external connectors:

• 6 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players (2 in front, 4 in rear)
• 2 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals (1 front, 1 rear)
• 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video port for connecting to a TV
• 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 line-out (1 front, 1 rear)
• 2 line-in (1 front, 1 rear)
• SPDIF digital audio output (rear)
• Connections for home theater surround sound speaker systems

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
The pre-installed Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is essentially Windows XP Professional Edition with a variety of tools to help you to create, organize, and enjoy digital media ranging from music to home movies to photo slide shows. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Symantec Norton Internet Security 2006 (with 60 days of LiveUpdate), Encarta Encyclopedia 2006, Quicken New User Edition 2006, Microsoft Money 2006, Sonic DigitalMedia Plus, and HP Photosmart Premier for digital image editing and organizing.

Dimensions and Weight
This desktop measures 15.4 x 7.15 x 16.25 inches (HxWxD) and weighs approximately 24 pounds.

What's in the Box
The HP Compaq Presario SR2050NX 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.