Desktop Reviews

• Powerful, thin PC that is one third the size of a conventional PC tower with sleek, silver and black chassis
• 2.5 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ dual core processor, 320 GB hard drive, one GB RAM 2 GB max, multi format/dual layer LightScribe DVD drive
• 54g Wi Fi LAN 802.11b/g, 10/100 Ethernet, Nvidia GeForce Go 6150 video card with up to 319 MB shared memory
• Connectivity: five USB, one FireWire, one VGA, one line out, one microphone/line in, one S/PDIF out, two PS/2, 15 in 1 memory card reader
• Pre installed with Windows Vista Home Premium with Media Center capabilities

The HP Pavilion s3200n Slimline desktop PC gives you all the power of a completely loaded home/office desktop in a sleek, silver and black chassis that is one third the size of a conventional PC tower, enabling you to place it unobtrusively anywhere from your office to entertainment center to kitchen. You may be able to 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 thanks to its integrated Wi Fi potential 802.11b/g, you do not have to worry about stringing Ethernet cable from your broadband modem in another room.

This desktop is powered by the 2.5 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ dual core processor, which increases the efficiency and speed of the PC while running many programs and the new multi threaded software. It features a spacious 320 GB hard drive, and it will include an open drive bay for an optional HP Pocket Media Drive which can add up to 160 GB of storage. Other features are one GB of installed RAM 2 GB maximum, NVidia GeForce 6150LE video card with 128 MB of dedicated memory and up to 319 MB of available memory, multi format memory card reader, a large range of connectivity alternatives including both USB 2.0 and FireWire, and audio output for home theater surround sound.

This desktop also comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, which will include all of the Windows Media Center potential for turning your PC into an all in one home entertainment center. Also to easily playing your DVD movies and managing your audio library, you will be able to record and watch your beloved TV shows even HDTV. Vista also integrates new search tools during the operating system, will include new parental control features, and offers new tools that can warn you of imminent hardware failures.

The Basics

• Processor: AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 4800+ dual core processor is built for tomorrow’s 64 bit applications, which will require a processor with important power. Dual core technology is like having two processors working together, every one taking care of different applications, so power users really experience greater performance when many applications are running. Digital media fans will appreciate the improvements while at the same time working in high definition video and photo editing and audio mixing programs. It will include such AMD features as HyperTransport Technology which increases the communication between integrated circuits and improved Virus Protection.

  This 2.5 GHz processor offers a system bus with speeds up to a blazing 2000 MHz and each core offers a 512 KB L2 cache for a one MB total. An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data, and a bigger L2 cache may 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 in general performance.

• Hard Drive: The extra big 320 GB Serial ATA SATA hard drive 7200 RPM offers a money of storage space, perfect for storing a vast multimedia collection or for editing digital video. This SATA hard drive has a 3Gb/s interface speed that enables up to 300MB/s data move rates double the speed of the current SATA interface of 1.5Gb/s.

  This Slimline PC also will include a drive bay that fits an optional HP Pocket Media Drive, which enables you to add up to 160 GB of extra storage. The Pocket Media Drive also works with any USB enabled PC, for easy transferring of multimedia files from other computers in your home.

• Memory: The one GB of installed RAM 2 x 512 MB DDR2 is a good start, but you will want to add more RAM to manage today’s calling for multimedia and productivity suites. It has DIMM slots and has a two GB maximum RAM capacity. It also offers a top of class 667 MHz speed. To get the faster data move benefits of the dual channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of same capacity and clockspeed.
• DVD/CD Drive: This multiformat DVD/CD drive is matched with writing both DVD+ and DVD disc formats also as dual layer DL DVD+/ R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. It features 8x DVD R DL Write Once, 8x DVD+R DL Write Once, 16x DVD+R, 8x DVD+RW, 16x DVD R, 6x DVD RW, 12x DVD RAM, 40x CD R, 32x CD RW write speeds and 40x CD ROM, and 16x DVD ROM read speeds.

  This LightScribe DVD+/ RW drive allows you to laser etch silkscreen quality text and pictures 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 &amp, Mouse: This desktop comes with an HP multimedia keyboard and optical mouse both PS/2 and remote control.

Video &amp, Audio
This desktop features an integrated NVidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics/video card with up to 319 MB of shared video memory allocated from the system RAM. NVidia’s exclusive TurboCache technology lets direct generating from the GPU to system memory by leveraging the bi directional PCI Express bandwidth. The TurboCache Manager dynamically allocates memory for maximum system performance while intelligent software algorithms maximize application performance. It also offers an integrated audio card that can create high meaning surround sound configurable to six speakers.

Networking, Connectivity &amp, Expansion
This desktop has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that is completely matched with 802.11b/g wireless networks. For expansion, this Slimline desktop has one PCI slot occupied, one PCI E x16 slot available, one 5.25 inch external bay occupied, and one interior 3.5 inch bay occupied. It comes with the following external connections:

• 5 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a large range of peripherals from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire also called IEEE 1394 or i.Link port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 15 in 1 multi format memory card reader, matched with CompactFlash I/II, IBM Microdrive, Secure Digital SD, miniSD, MultiMediaCard MMC, Reduced Size MultiMediaCard RS MMC, MultiMediaCard Plus MMC plus, MultiMediaCard Mobile MMC mobile, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro Duo, SmartMedia, and xD Picture Card
• 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 line in, one line out, one microphone, and one audio output
• Fast Ethernet port for 10/100 networking
• 56K modem

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it will include all of the Windows Media Center potential for turning your PC into an all in one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your audio library. You may also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your beloved TV shows even HDTV and to access new types of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an secondary Windows SideShow display will also let you to access key data when your computer is off. It’s also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi Fi.

Every edition of Windows Vista gives the essential tools and technologies to help protect you if you’re browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of imminent hardware failures long before you have lost any vital personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that let you to manage and monitor your family’s use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other actions.

Preloaded Software
Will include Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office 2007 Student and Teacher Edition 60 day trial, Muvee Autoproducer Basic Edition, Roxio Creator nine and MyDVD Basic, HP PhotoSmart Essential, and Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 with 60 days of Live Update.

Dimensions &amp, Weight
This Slimline desktop measures 12.4 x 4.2 x 10.9 inches LxWxH/D and weighs roughly 19.7 pounds.

What’s in the Box
This package holds the HP Slimline s3200n desktop PC, keyboard, mouse, and power cord. It’s supported by a restricted warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of buy also as technical telephone help for one year. Software is protected for 90 days from date of buy.

Daydreaming about having a computer in the kitchen or many other convenient nook in your home? Make the dream real. The Slimline s3200n?Just a 3rd the size of a regular PC?Goes wherever it?S needed for easy Web surfing, recipe lookup, and more.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 at 8:59 am and is filed under Desktops. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.