Compaq Presario 5900Z-850
From PC Magazine
March 14, 2000
If you are considering a PC with a 1,000- or 850-MHz
processor, chances are you want the works, and that is
precisely what Compaq delivers. The Compaq Presario
5900Z-850, along with its 1-GHz sibling {{LINK}}, are not
only solid performers, they also come loaded with
features such as a huge hard disk and a high-speed
modem.
At $3,390 (street), the Presario
5900Z-850 costs more than the other
Athlon/850 systems reviewed here,
but it also offers a lot more. In fact,
its configuration is nearly identical to
its 1-GHz counterpart, with the
exception of the processor,
obviously, and the graphics card, which uses standard
SDRAM rather than DDR memory.
It includes 128MB SDRAM and a 7,200-rpm 40GB
Maxtor 54098U8 hard disk. The Presario 5900Z-850 has
the Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator Pro graphics
card with the nVidia GeForce 256 chip set and 32MB
SDRAM.
Across the board, the Presario system was a reliable, if
not stellar, performer. When compared with the other
Athlon/850 systems reviewed here, it turned in
mediocre scores.
In addition to the Accton PCI Fast Ethernet
10/100-Mbps adapter, the Presario comes with a
Conexant PCI modem that supports both 56K
connections and ADSL connections up to 6 Mbps.
Compaq had the only systems tested that support
IEEE 1394 (FireWire) and include USB and FireWire
ports on the back and front panels. Compaq tops it all
off with a well-designed keyboard with shortcut keys
and the biggest software bundle in our roundup.
Our only real complaint is the one-year warranty on
parts and labor. On less costly systems, this wouldn't
be much of an issue, but buyers of high-end systems
expect them to last. However, the Compaq Presario
5900Z-850 stands out by offering lots of features and
reliable performance.
Product: Compaq Presario 5900Z-850
Rating:
Street price: $3,390 as tested
Configuration Tested: AMD Athlon/850 CPU, 128MB
SDRAM, 7,200-rpm 40GB Maxtor 54098U8 hard disk,
Creative Labs 3D Blaster Annihilator Pro graphics card
with 32MB SDRAM, 10X/32X DVD-ROM drive,
32X/8X/4X CD-RW drive, ADSL and 56K modem,
10/100 Ethernet adapter, Klipsch Pro Media speaker
system, and 19-inch Compaq MV920 monitor
Company: Compaq Computer Corp; Company Info,
Houston, Texas; (800) 888-0220; www.compaq.com
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