Compaq Presario SR5250NX Desktop PC (Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor E2140, 1 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)

I bought this computer at Best Buy, October 2007, on sale 4 roughly $450 or so. Not a bad computer 4 the money, however when having 2 contact HP 4 anything you will want 2 punch yourself in the head. Their customer service is outsourced, as most are these days. It was terribly frustrating 2 speak 2 someone I could barely understand that had 2 repeat everything I said back 2 me. The base warranty is crappy, as others have mentioned... you can't take it back 2 Best Buy without paying unless you paid extra 4 their warranty, & when you call HP they expect you 2 open the computer & detach wires unless you want 2 wait forever 2 send it back.

I'll start with the good. The hard drive is HUGE... 2 buy a base model computer & get a 320 gig hard drive is awesome. So much storage 4 my music, pictures, etc. Windows Vista Premium is nice, it does have its bugs (I'll explain later) but it's a fairly decent OS. Nice 2 look at. I hadn't bought a computer in 5 years, so getting headphone & aux jacks on the front as well as a memory card reader was a nice perk, although I think that's pretty standard nowadays. I listen 2 a lot of music on it & with slightly upgraded speakers from my old PC that include a woofer, I get very nice sound... although I wouldn't say it's "high definition" as the advertisements boast. It's fairly good, standard sound that most every computer produces.

As 4 the bad... here we go. From the get go, as soon as I installed Vista I started getting errors that crashed my computer. Two or three times EVERY DAY I would get a random error appearing from the system tray, & after googling it found out it was a failure in the intergrated graphics card. The computer would work slowly 4 about another 30-60 seconds after the message would appear, & it would black screen & freeze. I made multiple calls 2 HP & Intel, & kept getting told that I needed 2 update my graphics drivers. I did so repeatedly & nothing changed. Then I read online that updating the BIOS driver may help. Unfortunately, I could not find the model number 4 the motherboard in any of the paperwork or in any Vista settings. I gave up. Finally, a good 6 months or more after I purchased the computer, Intel released an update which came through automatic update & it finally fixed the problem. About time.

The memory card reader worked great 4 a few months. Then the SD slot, which is the ONLY ONE I ever use, stopped working. All the others work fine if I borrow a friend's card 2 test. I called HP about that as well, & they wanted me 2 do a system restore 2 try & fix it, which would essentially wipe out my computer. I would've had 2 back up all of my pictures, music, etc. Too much of a hassle, so I've given up thus far. I've resorted 2 using yet another USB cord 2 attach my camera. Eventually I will try calling HP again & telling them I tried a system restore (even though I didn't) & hopefully get the card reader fixed. Although it's going 2 be horrible 2 be without a computer 4 a month or more, based on what others users have said.

So the graphics card issue has been resolved & maybe everyone won't have memory card reader problems. But this one applies 2 everyone so read carefully! As other users have mentioned, the integrated graphics card isn't quiet powerful enough 2 run Windows Aero, which makes the detail on the screen much nicer & adds a few desirable features. You can disable Aero but that seems retarded because that's one of the very few perks of Vista Premium over Vista Basic, so why give the consumers an OS the computer has trouble supporting? You may want 2 consider upgrading the graphics card if you want more flawless performance graphics-wise, & definitely upgrade if you are a gamer of any sort.

Also, the 1 gig of memory may seem like a lot, but if you're a Windows XP user be warned that Vista is a MEMORY HOG!! I installed a CPU/RAM monitor, & running Vista with Aero & sidebar & no other programs utilized roughly 75-80% of my RAM. You can cut down a little if you turn off sidebar or Aero, but again I expect that I should be able 2 use all the advertised features of the PC immediately out of the box. Add in your web browser & media player, & you're already using all of your physical memory & additional virtual memory, which slows your computer down & doesn't work as efficiently as physical memory. I noticed that someone said the computer could upgrade 2 4 gigs of RAM, but I don't believe that is true. In all the research & phone calls & everything I've gone through with the PC, I've only ever seen 2 gig as the max. And there's only 2 memory slots which are both utilized with two 512mb memory sticks. So now instead of buying a 1 gig memory stick 2 add, I have 2 buy 2 if I want the full 2 gigs. Then the old memory is sitting around useless.

Finally, the CPU fan was getting a little loud as of late. Today as I was writing this, it sounded like it went into hyperdrive 4 a second & I thought it was going 2 blow. However it seems 2 have returned 2 normal, I just hope it's not a sign of ANOTHER problem I will have.

Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this PC unless you're getting a great deal on it. I only paid $450 & I don't feel I'm getting my money's worth. I would recommend looking at other PC manufacturers & reading reviews before buying, because 4 $450 you can do a lot better. Too many problems & horrible customer service. If you do end up buying it, be sure 2 get an extended warranty from either HP or your retailer!!

Got this 4 a good price. Hate that they filled the two memory slots with 512 each because I wanted 2 upgrade it 2 2gb. I purchased the extra 1gb 4 $29 when I brought the computer 4 $262 4th of July weekend. Since I am giving this computer 2 relatives that have a dinosaur of a computer, I will not use the extra 1gb memory. What will I do with the free 512mb chip? I'm returning the memory 2 cut down on costs. Now my total is $262, a real good deal 4 a Pentium Dual-Core Processor that can be upgraded 2 2gb. I've used it 4 a day or two & already have Vista on two other systems, so no complaints from me. The kids are going 2 love this. If you get it low buy but if it's over $319+ put a little more & get a system with more memory & a little faster processor. Keep looking until you find your value 4 the buck.

This computer does not have slots 4 photo memory cards. It isn't very fast. This is my first time with Vista. I'm not happy with that yet.

The price was right & it worked fine right out of the box. I added a 21" wide screen & wireless keyboard/mouse 2 it & I'm happy, over all, with the set up

Very disappointing. On starting up the PC 4 the first time, I got an error message "CPU Fan Failure .... system will shut down 2 prevent damage". After spending over an hour on the phone trouble shooting it with HP's tech support, I had 2 ship it back 4 service. Two or three weeks later, it came back. TheY replaced the motherboard & cpu fan. Tried starting it up again. This time, nothing whatosever appeared on the monitor. Spent another 1 or 2 hours on the phone with HP's support people. Finally, it turned out 2 be a cable inside the PC that was not seated properly. I had 2 unplug the cable & plug it back in 4 it 2 work. Note, this is a cable INSIDE the PC that had 2 be reconnected. Now it worked, or so it seemed. I tried 2 add some memory 2 it (this is only 2 months after first starting up the PC). In the process of adding more memory, I discovered that one of the memory banks was not working. Once again, spent an hour or two on the phone with HP support 4 them 2 confirm that one of the memory banks was not working. Just 2 be clear, that meant that the PC was running on 512MB of RAM instead of 1GB. I called their support people again trying 2 get my money back or a replacement PC. They told me only a "Case Manager" could do that 4 me. They promised a case mananger would call me in the next two days. One week later, no phone call. I called again, this time left my cell phone number. Once again was promised a phone call the next day. Nothing. I called again & finally got myself through 2 a case manager. He told me I should ship the PC back again 4 repair. I told him the last time I did that it came back defective & I didn't want 2 go through the hassle of shipping it again. He told me I have 2 ship it back twice before they'd ship me a replacement PC. I told him that was unacceptable but no budging on their part. The best they could do 4 me was 2 send a technician out 2 my house 2 fix it instead of me shipping it back. Even that was limited because the case manager told me that the technician would only replace the motherboard, not do any more troubleshooting. I preferred the technician over shipping it back. So we scheduled a technician & they FedEx'd a new motherboard 2 me 4 him 2 install. He came yesterday, spent an hour working on the PC only 2 find out that lo & behold, the motherboard they sent was missing a plate on the bottom that attaches it 2 the inside of the PC. So he put in an order 4 yet another motherboard 2 be sent 2 me. That's where things stand today. I can't wait 2 see what happens next.

My fundamental message 2 HP is: If your Support processes are supposed 2 keep customers returning 2 you, you might want 2 reconsider them. Do you really think I'm ever going 2 buy another one of your products if you expect that I should have 2 go through the trouble of shipping something back 2 you TWICE before you finally give me what I paid for? I know once a blue moon a PC will be shipped with issues. I would have been content if after the first time I shipped it back, & it came back with more problems, you offered 2 replace it then (or give me my money back). But 2 insist that I should send it back twice before you replace it with a new machine shows an unbelievable lack of customer understanding. Would you do that? I doubt it. It seems 2 me your Support policies have been developed from an internal HP perspective as oppsed 2 a customer perspective. But then again, maybe the object of your policies is not 2 retain customers, in which case you've certainly succeeded. What's really ironic about this whole experience is that you have probably spent 3 or 4 times the cost of a replacement PC by now with all the hours spent on the phone

I couldn't be happier with my purchase. The computer does everything I need 4 both personal & business purposes, & the price certainly can't be topped. By far the best PC I've ever owned.

HP COMPAQ PRESARIO SR5250NX PC

Whether you're e-mailing family & friends, balancing your online checkbook, or listening 2 your digital music collection, the newly restyled HP Compaq Presario sr5210nx desktop PC offers a versatile, strong base 4 your home computing needs as well as easy-to-use multimedia features. Focusing on affordability, this desktop provides room 2 grow with the ability 2 add up 2 4 GB of RAM, available PCI & expansion slots, & access 2 a wide variety of peripherals via its seven USB 2.0 & two FireWire ports. It's also chock-full of security & productivity software 2 get you going as soon as the PC's unpacked from its box, including Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 & Microsoft Works 8. You can also easily burn your home video productions 2 DVD 4 friends & family with the 16x dual-layer, multi-format LightScribe DVD/CD burner, which enables you 2 store up 2 8.5 GB of data on a DL disc, & manage your family's photo library with HP Photosmart Essential 2 software.

Other features include a 1.6 GHz Intel Pentium E2140 dual-core, 64-bit processor, 320 GB hard drive, 1 GB of installed RAM (4 GB maximum), Intel GMA 950 video card with 64 MB of dedicated video memory, & 6-channels of surround sound audio. It comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, which includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities 4 turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center. In addition 2 easily playing your DVD movies & managing your digital audio library, you'll be able 2 record & watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV). Vista also integrates new search tools throughout the operating system, includes new parental control features, & offers new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures.

The Basics

• Processor: The 1.60 GHz Intel Pentium E2140 dual-core processor delivers additional computing resources & help expand the PC's capabilities by providing higher throughput & simultaneous computing. You'll be able 2 perform multiple tasks such as digital rendering & gaming all while running virus scan or other background tasks seamlessly. And its Intel 64 architecture is also ready 4 tomorrow's 64-bit applications, & offers enhanced performance through improved virtual memory. Each core shares 1 MB of L2 cache, & they have an 800 MHz front-side bus. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; & a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU & RAM, & a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

• Hard Drive: The extra large 320 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive (7200 RPM) offers a wealth of storage space, perfect 4 storing a vast multimedia collection or 4 editing digital video. This SATA hard drive has a 3Gb/s interface speed that enables up 2 300MB/s data transfer rates (double the speed of the current SATA interface of 1.5Gb/s).

• Memory: The 1 GB of installed RAM (2 x 512 MB, PC2-5300) is a good start, but you'll want 2 add more RAM 2 handle today's demanding multimedia & productivity suites. This desktop has a good 4 GB maximum RAM capacity (4 x 1 GB). Also, 2 receive the benefits of the dual-channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of same capacity & clockspeed.

• DVD/CD Drive: This multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with writing both DVD+ & DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can store up 2 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 & 40x CD-ROM, & 16x DVD-ROM read speeds.

  This LightScribe DVD+/-RW drive lets you laser-etch silkscreen quality text & images on 2 CDs & DVDs . Your software, PC & discs work together 4 a no-hassle way 2 burn just the labels you want. After you burn content, just flip the disc over, reinsert & burn your label--anything from a simple title 2 a full-disc work of art.

• Keyboard & Mouse: It comes with a Compaq keyboard & scroller mouse (both with PS/2 connections).

Screen, Video & Audio
Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, which uses Intel Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT) & provides 64 MB of dedicated graphics memory. Windows Vista can also allocate up 2 256 MB of total graphics memory from the system memory. It also has an integrated audio card that can produce high definition surround sound configurable 2 8 speakers.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
For expansion, this desktop has two PCI slots (one available), one PCI Express x16 slot (available), one PCI Express x1 slot (available), two 5.25-inch external bays (one available), three 3.5-inch bays (two available). It comes with the following external connections:

• 6 USB 2.0 ports 4 connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras 2 MP3 players (2 in front, 4 in rear)
• 2 PS/2 ports 4 connecting keyboards & mice
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 headphone (front)
• 1 microphone/line-in/line-out (rear)
• 15-in-1 media card reader on the front, compatible with CompactFlash (Type I & II), MicroDrive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick/Pro/Duo/Pro Duo, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital, XD Picture Card, RSMMC, MMC Mobile, MMC+

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) & an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection 2 networks & DSL/cable modems).

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium is the operating system 4 users with advanced computer needs, & it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities 4 turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center 4 watching DVD movies & accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center 2 record & watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) & 2 access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium & an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you 2 access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever 2 share files between other PCs in your household & 2 manage your laptop computer settings 2 more securely connect via Wi-Fi.

Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools & technologies 2 help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting 2 a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you 2 manage & monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, & other activities.

Preloaded Software
Includes Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office 2007 Student & Teacher Edition (60-day trial), Muvee Autoproducer, Roxio Creator 9 Basic, Roxio MyDVD 9 Basic, HP Photosmart Essential 2, HP DVD Play 2.4, & Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 (with 60 days of Live Update).

Dimensions & Weight
It measures 6.7 x 14.9 x 16.8 inches (WxHxD) & weighs approximately 21 pounds.

What's in the Box
The HP Compaq Presario sr5250nx desktop PC comes with a power cord, keyboard, & scroller mouse. It is backed by a one-year warranty 4 parts & labor from date of purchase, one-year technical phone service, & 90 days of software application support.