Description:
Similar in many respects to HP's high-end Pavilion A530N Desktop PC but with noticeably less 2D and 3D power and a smaller hard drive, the Pavilion A520N Desktop PC is a good fit for those who can't financially justify a top-of-the-line computer but need more than an entry-level machine can offer. Featuring lots of storage space, impressive connectivity, DVD burning capabilities and strong multimedia support, the Pavilion A520N is a versatile performer that won't break the bank. At it heart, the Pavilion A520N features an AMD Athlon XP 3200+ processor running at 2.2 GHz. While this 2.2 GHz clock speed is noticeably slower than that of current state-of-the-art Intel Pentium 4 processors, it should be noted that clock speed is just one of many factors contributing to a processor's overall power. In fact, AMD claims its CPUs deliver more real world oomph than their higher clock speed Pentium equivalents. The Pavilion A520N also features 512 MB of fast PC2700 DDR SDRAM main memory and an nVidia GeForce4 MX graphics card with 64 MB of dedicated video memory. Serious gamers or 3D animators will want to upgrade the video card or investigate other, more powerful Pavilion models, though the system certainly packs more than enough muscle for most typical 2D or 3D leisure, home office, or business task. Data handling options are solid. The unit's 160 GB hard disk provides plenty of space for files and multimedia libraries, and its dual optical drives allow you to archive your files, play and record audio CDs, watch DVD videos, quickly copy the contents from one CD to another, and burn videos to long-lasting DVD discs. Other key amenities include a front panel 9-in-1 digital card reader for accessing memory cards from devices such as PDAs and digital cameras, five high-speed USB 2.0 ports (one of the front) for exchanging information with external devices such as scanners and external drives, two FireWire ports (one on the front) for fast interaction with digital camcorders, six-speaker surround sound audio support, and a TV-out jack for routing your signal to a television set. The package does not feature a speaker system or a monitor, thus allowing you to choose from the many alternatives currently available. Communication facilities include a 56K modem for low-speed dial-up surfing and a 10/100Base-T Ethernet interface for high-speed e-communications. An HP Internet keyboard with hotkeys and an HP optical mouse (no moving parts to get dirty) complete the hardware picture. The bundled software package features such essentials as the Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition operating system, Microsoft's Works 7.0 productivity suite, Quicken New User Edition 2004 financial center, and an impressive assortment of audio and video utilities.
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