At a glance, this cheap, powerful computer provides a lot that you could need from a cheap computer system.

What I like about this computer is that is supports an 800MHz bus, which speeds things up.

It has all the usual built in parts like USB, LAN and audio. It’s processor suits my speed needs fine, as it will anyone else who uses it for day to day operations.

512MB of memory will more than suffice for the needs of surfing the net and wordprocessing, but those who are looking for something that would work well as a cheap powerful gaming computer might be a little disappointed.

In it’s price range this computer features well. Do bear in mind that it does not come with an operating system, so one needs to be purchased or you need to have one already.

It’s lack of a PCI express graphics slot, but instead the now being phased out AGP kind is not too much of a concern as these cards are still in abundance and would meet the needs of even the most demanding gamer.

The system also needs a monitor.

The Gateway 420GR is the perfect fit for anyone who wants to get a lot from their computer, without breaking the bank, but with specifications that will keep it up to date for at least 3 or more years.

What I do like is that it is a Pentium 4, which is my personal choice of processor. I also like that it is Socket 775, which is the way the processor connects to the motherboard. The old style socket 478, although not completely gone, is on it’s way out, and this feature will allow easier and less costly upgrades in the future.

The Sata Hard drive, which is a new kind of connection between hard disk and motherboard inside the computer, that makes data transfer faster is certainly a good choice. No need to upgrade for a very long time.

The range of extras is so broad there is very little that would need to be added. Of course it needs a monitor. You can use your current one or look at a range of monitors that would be suitable for this system.

If there is anything that would need changing it would be to add a graphics card. If you intend on gaming, it would be better to add one at the beginning. For general use, it would still be fine, as it is quite capable of high resolutions and refresh rates.

Overall a good choice that will be suitable for many years.