HP Compaq Business Desktop dc7800 - Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4 GHz

Intro: The HP Compaq Business Desktop dc7800 - Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4 GHz is a Core 2 quad-based, business desktop.Compared to other business PCs on the market, it is relatively expensive at around $1,210.This system comes with 2 GB RAM, and a 80GB hard drive.

Noteworthy Features: Has a DVD? RW(? R DL) / DVD-RAM disc drive, which is more preferable than some similarly priced PCs.Also, this PC has a stereo sound output mode.This is more favorable than the average PC on the market today, but is to be expected for a PC of this price.The Core 2 quad based processor installed on this machine is fast enough to handle demanding applications, such as graphics and multimedia.

Weaker Features: This PC only has an integrated graphics chip, which can use up system resources.A dedicated card will generally offer better performance for graphics intensive applications.

Suitability: Ideally suited for office computing, including word processing, e-mail, and networking.Also comes with office-grade word processing software -- fine for most serious business or academic document authors.However, preserve favorite home movies for future generations by saving them onto DVD with this computer's DVD burner.You can distribute presentations on CDs by using this computer?s CD recorder.

Value: In general, this PC's features are as expected for this price.If you were to judge strictly by CPU speed, however, the price of a business PCs with similar speed is about 30% lower.

Suggestions: (1) Check to make sure that an AGP or PCIe slot is available if you plan to upgrade to a stand-alone graphics card.(2) For help in deciding if this is the right desktop for you, see CNET's buying guide for desktops.