HP Pavilion A6230N Desktop PC (AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor 5600+, 3 GB RAM, 400 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)

I expected the memory & power specs would make this product fast, but it has been a huge disappointment with breakdowns & slow when it does occasionally work. Save yourself the expense.

Received on time & in perfect condition out of the box. Worked perfectly.
Thanks Guys!

Nice computer & working well so far.
It came fully loaded, but would have been better if it was in a packaged deal with a monitor & printer. It really becomes more expensive when you have 2 buy these components separately.

I would highly recommend this product. Performance is very good 4 everyday tasks as e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, etc. However, if you are planning 2 use it 4 games, I recommend you buy a better video card.
Finally, everything you have heard about Windows Vista does not begin 2 accurately describe the experience. I guess the pressure 2 put the product in the market after such a long wait was overwhelming, & it shows. If you can, I suggest you "downgrade" 2 Windows XP. Less learning curve, much better performance & you will be happier.

This HP 6230N PC was listed on Amazon as a brand new unit. Even though the price seemed too good 2 be true (it was). I checked & rechecked the description & it indeed was supposed 2 be new. When it arrived, it was clearly a refurbished unit. I contacted the seller, J&R audio & computer & they said I could refuse the shipment or accept a free 2 year warrantee. Even though I was disturbed by the "mistake" on Amazon I accepted the offer.

What a mistake.

Here is the short list of what is wrong with it.
1. Power cable 2 optical drive was not connected 2 drive.
2. Data cable 2 HP Pocket Drive reader was not connected 2 mobo
3. PCI-e x16 slot does not work, does not recognize any cards inserted into it.
4."Up" arrow key on keyboard stuck.
5. Small ding in face of pocket drive reader.
In addition there are various screws loose in the case.

I went through the proper channels, even contacted HP 4 help (they were fine) & they wanted me 2 send it 2 HP 4 warrantee repair. I have only had this unit 4 one week. If the technicians that repair these products are the same ones that refurbish them, I decline.

Other than these major issues, everything else seemed 2 work fine. Vista worked without a hitch & computer seemed 2 really speed through just about anything. Of course, I couldn't play any games because the PCI-e slot was bad...

So, after a week, this is going back. Prior 2 this I have never purchased anything "refurbed" & am not likely 2 ever again.

HP Pavilion desktop PCs include a variety of features that make taking & sharing digital pictures easier than ever. The HP Pavilion A6230N Desktop PC gives you the tools 2 make working with digital photos & video clips fun. Organize, edit, share & protect your digital photos with HP Photosmart Essential. The front-panel 15-in-1 Memory Card Reader makes it easy 2 transfer photos & files from your digital peripheral devices. HP Pavilion PCs feature the exclusive Pocket Media Drive bay that allows you 2 add instant storage. The SuperMulti DVD burner with LightScribe technology lets you create custom, silkscreen-quality labels & artwork directly onto LightScribe-enabled discs. The Windows Vista Home Premium operating system is the preferred edition 4 home desktop PCs. SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology - 16x DVD+-R, 8x DVD+RW, DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD+R DL, 8x DVD-R DL, 12x DVD-RAM, 16x DVD-ROM, 40x CDR, 32x CDRW & 40x CD-ROM nVidia GeForce 6150 SE Graphics with TurboCache with 128MB dedicated graphics memory Integrated 10/100BaseT network interface High Definition Audio 8 Speaker configurable 56k Fax/Modem 4 DIMM 240-pin, DDR2 Memory Slots Expansion Slots - 2 PCI slots (1 available), 1 PCI-E x16 slot (available) & 1 PCI-E x1 slot (available) Expansion Bays - 2x external 5.25(one available), 1 external 3.5 (occupied) & 2x internal 3.5 (one available) External Ports - 6x USB 2.0 ports (2 Front, 4 Back), 2x FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports (1 Front, 1 Back), Headphone, Microphone, Line-in (Front), 2x PS/2, Digital Audio In, LAN, Microphone, Line-in, Line-out, Rear speaker-out, speaker-out, Side speaker out, Center (subwoofer) & VGA-out (Back) Front panel 15-in-1 Memory Card Reader Operating System - Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium Dimensions - Length 16.28 x Width 6.89 x Height 15.24 Weight - 22 pounds Monitor is not included

Boasting a sleek & shiny black-and-silver chassis, the HP Pavilion a6230n desktop PC comes loaded with the all tools you need 2 easily create, manage, share, & enjoy your digital photos, home videos, movies, & music. You can easily burn your home video productions 2 DVD 4 friends & family with the dual-layer, multi-format DVD/CD burner, which enables you 2 store up 2 8.5 GB of data on a DL disc & provides a super-fast 16x DVD+R/-R write speed. It also includes LightScribe technology 4 personalized silkscreen-quality, laser-etched CD/DVD labels created right in the drive.

This desktop is powered by the 2.8 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ dual-core processor, which increases the efficiency & speed of the PC while running multiple programs & the latest multi-threaded software. Store more music, videos, & data on the super-sized 400 GB Serial ATA hard drive, which offers fast transfer rates. It also includes an open drive bay 4 an optional HP Pocket Media Drive (which can add up 2 160 GB of storage). Other features include 3 GB of RAM (which can be bumped up 2 8 GB), an integrated Nvidia GeForce 6150 video/graphics card with 128 MB of dedicated video RAM, a wide variety of connection ports on both the front & rear of the box, & a 15-in-1 memory card reader that's compatible with today's most popular digital camera formats.

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: AMD's Athlon 64 X2 5600+ dual-core processor is built 4 tomorrow's 64-bit applications, which will require a processor with significant power. Dual-core technology is like having two processors working together, each one taking care of different applications, so power-users actually experience greater performance when multiple applications are running. Digital media enthusiasts will appreciate the enhancements while simultaneously working in high-definition video & photo editing & audio mixing programs. It includes such AMD features as HyperTransport Technology (which increases the communication between integrated circuits) & Enhanced Virus Protection.

  This 2.8 GHz processor offers a system bus with speeds up 2 a blazing 2000 MHz & each core offers a 1 MB L2 cache--for a 2 MB total. (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 super-sized 400 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).

  This desktop also includes a drive bay that fits an optional HP Pocket Media Drive, which enables you 2 add up 2 160 GB of additional storage. The Pocket Media Drive also works with any USB-enabled PC, 4 easy transferring of multimedia files from other computers in your home.

• Memory: The 3 GB of installed RAM (PC5300, 2 x 1 GB & 2 x 512 MB) is an excellent start, but you'll want 2 add more RAM 2 handle today's demanding multimedia & gaming software. It also offers a top-of-class 667 MHz speed. This desktop has an 8 GB maximum RAM capacity (4 x 2 GB). To receive the faster data transfer 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 an HP multimedia keyboard & scroller mouse (both with PS/2 connections).

Screen, Video & Audio
This desktop features an integrated Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics/video card with 128 MB of dedicated graphics memory. Windows Vista can also allocate up 2 623 MB of total graphics memory from the system memory. It features NVidia's PureVideo technology--which provides great picture clarity, smooth video, accurate color, & precise image scaling 4 video content--and full support 4 Microsoft DirectX 9.0 4 stunningly realistic cinematic effects 4 all DirectX-compatible applications. It also offers 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 x1 slot (available), one PCI Express x16 slot (available), two 5.25-inch bays (one available), & three 3.5-inch bays (two available). It comes with the following external connectors:

• 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 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port 4 connecting digital video camcorders & other peripherals (1 in front, 1 in rear)
• 2 PS/2 ports 4 connecting keyboards & mice
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 2 headphone & 2 microphone (front & rear)
• 2 line-in (front & rear)
• Digital coaxial audio input/output as well as surround sound speaker outputs (rear/side/center)
• 15-in-1 multi-format memory card reader, compatible with CompactFlash I/II, IBM Microdrive, Secure Digital (SD), miniSD, MultiMediaCard (MMC), Reduced Size MultiMediaCard (RS-MMC), MultiMediaCard Plus (MMC plus), MultiMediaCard Mobile (MMC mobile), Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro Duo, SmartMedia, & xD Picture Card.
• 10/100 Fast Ethernet
• 56K modem

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 Basic Edition, Roxio Creator 9 & MyDVD Basic, HP PhotoSmart Essential, & Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 (with 60 days of Live Update).

Dimensions & Weight
It measures 16.3 x 6.9 x 15.25 inches (LxWxD) & weighs approximately 22 pounds.

What's in the Box
This package contains the HP Pavilion a6230n desktop PC, power cable, keyboard, & mouse. It is backed by a limited warranty 4 parts & labor 4 one year from date of purchase as well as technical telephone assistance 4 one year. Software is also covered 4 90 days from date of purchase.