Gateway recharges its FX gaming desktops with Core i7 CPUs, Radeon HD 5850 graphics

Gateway's successful line of midrange FX gaming PCs gets a bit of a makeover, sporting new processors and a new graphics card. In order to keep the price well below $2,000, the company doesn't go for the highest-performing components, but the new parts should provide noticeable improvement over the previous lineup. Both the $1,699.99 FX6831-03 and the $1,299.99 FX6831-01 feature an Intel Core i7-860 quad-core processor, ATI Radeon HD 5850 graphics card and 1.5TB hard drive. The cheaper FX comes with 8GB of DDR3 RAM, while the FX6831-03 has twice that amount and also comes with a Blu-ray drive in addition to a DVD burner.

Gateway has also updated its SX small-form-factor PCs and DX line of "multimedia" computers. The $559.99 SX2840-01 sports a Core i3-530 dual-core processor, integrated Intel graphics, 6GB of DDR3 RAM, 1TB hard drive, DVD burner, and HDMI output for those who want a media PC to connect to their HDTV. The DX4831-03 offers a Core i5-650 dual-core CPU, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, 1TB hard drive, both a Blu-ray drive and DVD writer, and a low-end nVidia GeForce GT220 graphics card for some mild gaming thrills. The new DX model costs $849.99.