Gateway Retail Dumps Intel for AMD CPUs
Irvine (CA) - Gateway officially announced its new high-end retail desktop PC offering. And if you haven't seen these PCs in your local Best Buy already, there's a surprise: At least for now, the company has stopped offering Intel quad-core processors in its retail configurations and is using AMD quad-core Phenom 9500 and 9600 processors instead.
Gateway now offers three different Phenom quad-core configurations in U.S. retail stores. In addition to the Phenom 9600-based FX7020 gaming PC (priced at $1100), the company now ships what could be considered the first mainstream quad-core PC in retail, the GT5662, as well as a higher end multimedia version called the GM5664.
The GT5662 model includes a Phenom 9500 (2.2 GHz) processor, 3 GB of memory, a 256 MB ATY 2400 XT graphics card and a 500 GB hard drive. Without a monitor, the MSRP of this system is $750 - below the critical $800 mark, which is generally considered the entry-point to the mainstream segment of desktop PCs. This model replaces last season's GT5628, which came with an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4 GHz) CPU, 3 GB memory, an Nvidia GeForce 8500GT graphics card and a 500 GB hard drive for an MSRP of $850.
The GM5664 is pricier at $1150 (without monitor) but not only upgrades the GT5662 to a 2.3 GHz Phenom 9600 chip and a 1 TB hard drive, but also includes a hybrid HD DVD/Blu-ray drive and a TV tuner.
For the entry-level market, Gateway introduced two new eMachines systems: The new T3642 $350 model comes with a single-core Athlon processor, 1 GB of memory and a 250 GB hard drive, while T5246 includes an Athlon X2 dual-core chip as well as 2 GB of main memory and a 400 GB hard drive for $430.
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Wolfgang Gruener is an experienced professional in digital strategy and content, specializing in web strategy, content architecture, user experience, and applying AI in content operations within the insurtech industry. His previous roles include Director, Digital Strategy and Content Experience at American Eagle, Managing Editor at TG Daily, and contributing to publications like Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware.