HP Pavilion Media Center M8200N Desktop PC (AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor 6000+, 3 GB RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium)

I bought my first computer from a local PC shop around AMD K-166/200/233 days. Before that I had hand-me-downs. After that (for 10 years) I built my own so I could get the class of component that I wanted. This year I've bought two ready built systems including this one. So far I'm pretty satisfied with the HP but I've not been able 2 try everything out. I did add a DVI capable video card since it comes only with an onboard VGA.
No goofiness 2 Vista & I did install SP1 a couple of weeks ago. The TV & DVD capabilities have had no glitches.
A good home PC.

Bought this at an office supply box store in December 07--with the rebates it was a great deal. (Was $400 more if ordered from HP as a custom built.) No problems since then--not even any problems with Vista 2 my great surprise!

Added an 8500GT video card (connected 2 a Samsung LCD via DVI) & a 500W power supply (the original power supply is pathetic--I would not add anything the box without a new power supply--it is marginal--typical of most prepackaged computers of any brand.)

Had 2 call HP customer service once 4 a problem with one of the preinstalled software packages--service was excellent.

This is my first HP & I would recommend it. (I also own Dell & Lenovo.)

I've just had the worst experience I have ever had with tech support 4 any company I have ever dealt with. I bought an In-Home service plan, which HP support "couldn't find". So my computer was not working 4 2 months when I had paid 4 a plan that guaranteed service within 3 business days. I've taken this all the way 2 the CEO...answer: Too bad, we're sorry but we cannot compensate you in any way. DON'T EVER BUY AN HP SERVICE PLAN...BETTER YET DON'T BUY HP PRODUCTS PERIOD!

RAM = not upgradable(hard 2 upgrade..)
hard disk = hard 2 upgrade, noisy
anyway cpu is hella fast

I purchased this PC back in Jan 08 with a 20" HP monitor. Windows Vista is
nice but it takes some getting used to. I did'nt care 4 it at first but like it somewhat better now. I'm surprised that HP installed such a weak video card in a fast PC like this. My MS Flight Simulator X frame rate was only about 7-8 FPS. I have since upgraded the video card 2 a
Radeon HD3870 Overclocked PCI-E 2.0. I also had 2 change the stock 300 watt power supply 2 a 650 watt unit. The video card alone draws 270 watts under a load. I also increased the RAM 2 6 gigs. This PC now is a real hotrod & FSX & Realflight G4 Simulators run between 20 & 30 FPS with full scenery. A super improvement over the stock system. The whole upgrade was an additional $370 but well worth it. Since the new video card is wide the stock TV card has 2 go. Just make sure you plug the monitor into the new card of choice. Vista service pack 1 upgrade also has 2 be installed if you want the additional ram 2 take effect.
The whole upgrade took about 1 hour 4 the new hardware & about another hour 4 the Vista upgrades. Now I'm very happy with this system.

HP Pavilion Media Center M8200N Desktop PCs is designed & built 4 your digital life. Take control of your digital entertainment with a PC that helps you consolidate, organize & play your favorite TV shows, movies, music, photos & videos. The HP Media Center Remote Control provides access 2 your files from across the room. 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 x1 slot (occupied) Expansion Bays - 2x external 5.25(one available) & 1x internal 3.5 (occupied) 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 15.16 x Width 7.60 x Height 16.54 Weight - 32 pounds Monitor is not included

The easy-to-use HP m8200n Media Center PC is the complete home PC system that delivers more entertainment choices, & brings them together in one place with easy access from anywhere in the room. You can watch, record, & pause live TV programming as well as schedule the PC 2 record upcoming episodes or entire series. The built-in TV tuner (providing both standard NTSC & high-def ATSC transmission) & personal video recorder (PVR) let you watch, pause, rewind, & record live television--up 2 305 hours on this 500 GB hard drive. An online Electronic Program Guide (EPG) lets you review the TV schedule & select individual episodes or entire series, so you can watch your favorite shows on your own time, at your own convenience. And you can easily burn TV shows & home video 2 DVD 4 friends & family with the dual-layer, multi-format LightScribe DVD/CD burner (16x 4 DVD±R), which enables you 2 store up 2 8.5 GB of data on a DL disc. LightScribe technology burns custom, silkscreen-quality labels & artwork directly onto LightScribe-enabled discs, right inside the drive.

This desktop is powered by the 3.0 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ dual-core processor, which increases the efficiency & speed of the PC while running multiple programs & the latest multi-threaded software. A built-in drive bay fits an optional HP Personal Media Drive (PMD), 4 up 2 500 GB of additional storage that you can carry away with you when you go (PMD not included). It also features 3 GB of installed RAM (8 GB maximum), NVidia GeForce 6150 LE video card (with 128 MB of dedicated video memory), 15-in-1 memory card reader, up 2 8 channels of surround sound output, & a remote control with up 2 16 feet of range.

This PC also 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 6000+ dual-core processor is built 4 tomorrow's 64-bit applications, which will require a processor with significant power. It outperforms the highest-performing AMD Athlon 64 4000+ single-core processor on multi-tasking benchmarks by up 2 30 percent. 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 3.0 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 incredibly huge 500 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive (7200 RPM) offers a wealth of storage space--enough 4 storing up 2 305 hours of television programming, a vast multimedia collection, or 4 editing digital video. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin 2 FireWire & USB 2.0.

• Memory: The 3 GB of installed RAM (PC5300, 2 x 1 GB, 2 x 512 MB) is a good 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 enormous 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: This desktop comes with an HP multimedia keyboard & scroller mouse (both PS/2) & remote control.

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 features a drive bay that fits an optional HP Personal Media Drive--which enables you 2 add 500 GB of storage 4 your video & music libraries. It has two PCI expansion slots (none available), one PCI x16 Express slot (available), one PCI x1 Express slot (available), two 5.25-inch bays (one available), three 3.5-inch bays (two available), & the following external ports:

• 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)
• Composite video, S-Video, & analog audio inputs
• VGA video out
• Headphone & microphone jacks
• Digital SPDIF audio output
• Surround sound speakers--rear, side, center
• 2 PS/2 ports 4 connecting keyboards & mice
• 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 includes 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 Basic Edition, Roxio Creator 9 & MyDVD Basic, HP PhotoSmart Essential, & Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 (with 60 days of Live Update).

Dimensions & Weight
This desktop measures 15.16 x 7.6 x 16.54 inches (LxWxD) & weighs approximately 32 pounds.

What's in the Box
This package contains the HP Media Center m8200n desktop PC, keyboard, mouse, remote control, & power cord. 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.