Gateway throws Core i7 CPUs into two new FX6800 gaming desktops

Although we actually got to see just how potent the Core i7 was way back in September (at least, that's what was hinted at "off the record"), the chip had yet to go on sale until this week. Now that it's had its formal launch party, Gateway's joining the masses in offering up two new FX Series PCs with Intel's freshest silicon. For the gamer on a budget, the FX6800-01 gets going at just $1,249.99 and packs a Core i7-920 processor, 3GB of DDR3 RAM and an ATI Radeon HD4850 video card. For those with cheddar to burn, the $2,999.99 FX6800-05 steps it up with a Core i7-940, ATI Radeon HD4870 X2 graphics card and 6GB of DDR3 memory. The high-end beast also includes a 1TB hard drive plus an 80GB SSD, and both models can be outfitted with a Blu-ray drive should you choose. For the complete specs list, have a glance at the full release just after the break.

New processing technology breaks barriers with extreme performance for intense gaming and high impact entertainment

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 17, 2008 -- Gateway today announced two new
models in its FX Series of desktop PCs featuring Intel's fastest
desktop platform technology to date, the Intel(R) Core(TM) i7
processors and the Intel(R) X58 Express chipset. The new Core i7
processors feature faster, intelligent multi-core technology that
automatically applies processing power where it's needed most,
delivering an incredible breakthrough in PC performance.

An unrivaled value at just $1,249.99, the Gateway(R) FX6800-01e means
the world of extreme gaming and turbo-charged fun isn't limited to
high-priced systems costing thousands of dollars. At its heart lies
an Intel Core i7-920 processor, providing gamers with the critical
horsepower to pwn even the most worthy opponents. Partnered with an
ATI Radeon HD4850 video card, 3GB of DDR3 triple channel memory and
high definition audio, it delivers the performance, graphics and audio
necessary for those who want to experience their digital entertainment
full throttle.

"The new Gateway FX6800-01 featuring the Intel Core i7-920 Processor
is another example of our commitment to bringing high-performance into
the mainstream price range," said Glenn Jystad, senior manager,
desktop products for Gateway. "The screaming performance this desktop
delivers is more than enough for most gamers, and leaves them with a
lot more money for games, as well as the ability to play them better
than ever before."

Hard-core gamers who crave white-knuckle rushes and heart-palpitating
action will find the Gateway(R) FX6800-05 delivers all that and more.
Aggressively priced at $2.999.99, it is fueled by the even more
powerful Intel Core i7-940 processor, making it the ultimate holiday
gift and game crusher. Realistic heart-stopping, jaw-dropping visuals
are provided by ATI Radeon HD4870 X2 graphics card and 6GB of DDR3
memory for spine-tingling fun.

And the excitement doesn't stop there. In addition to its massive 1TB
hard drive, Gateway takes it to the next level, adding a revolutionary
new high-speed drive -- an 80GB Intel High Performance Solid State
Drive. This industry-leading drive can't be beat for drive-intensive
applications with extreme performance needs. Devoid of moving parts,
it provides faster and more reliable data storage than traditional
hard drives, with less heat and noise.

"Solid state hard drive technology on a gaming PC will make a huge
difference in the fun factor," continued Jystad. "Currently used in
mission critical environments, users are seeing boot up times that are
two to three times as fast and they are running cooler and quieter,
and without data fragmentation, all of which are hugely valued by
gamers as well."

"Fueled by the best desktop processors on the planet -- with Intel
Hyper-Threading and Intel Turbo Boost Technology -- the new Gateway FX
Series desktops will transport gamers to a new level of performance
and PC enjoyment," said CJ Bruno, vice president, sales and marketing
group and president, Intel Americas, Inc. "Not only can the new Intel
Core i7 processor handle today's most complex and immersive games, but
it's also powerful enough to handle tomorrow's gaming advances,
ensuring these new systems will continue to meet customers' needs for
years to come."

In addition to their powerful engines, the FX Series desktops offer
numerous user friendly features that add convenience, flexibility and
value to their overall proposition.

Hidden pop-out doors keep ports tucked away, out-of-view and free from
dust and debris. A pop-up on the top of the system provides
convenient access to media ports and the Smart Copy button, which
simplifies the storing of digital photos. A hidden pop-out on the
front hides the i/o ports most often used for temporary items such as
a microphone, headphone, and 1394 cables.

Touch-sensitive media control buttons make it easy to control DVDs,
music play lists and TV functionality. Both the models can include
Blu-ray Disc(TM) optical drives.

The FX6800 PCs come standard with two internal hard drive bays.
Customers can also quickly and easily add a third and fourth hard
drive by simply sliding out a tray located on the front lower section
of the chassis. A completely tool-less process, users simply insert
the hard drive into the tray and Vista will immediately recognize and
configure it for use.

A backup button on the front of the system is tied to the backup
feature found in Vista. Using this button, consumers can quickly and
confidently copy their files to any storage location they choose.

Specifications, Pricing and Availability

Gateway(R) FX6800-01e: Available now at leading retailers for a MSRP
of $1,249.99.
1. Intel Core i7-920 Processor (2.66Gz Quad-Core w/ Intel
Hyper-Threading & Turbo Speed Technology, new 8-thread CPU
architecture with automatic acceleration up to 2.93GHz on a single
core)
2. Intel X58 Express Chipset
3. ATI Radeon HD4850 w/ 512MB Discrete Video Memory
4. 3GB (3072MB DDR3 1066MHz Three Channel Memory [3 x 1024MB])
5. 750GB SATA II hard drive (1) (7200RPM, 16MB cache)
6. 18X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti Drive featuring LabelFlash(TM) Technology(2)
7. 15-in-1 High Speed Digital Media Card Reader with Smart Copy Button
8. Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit with Service Pack 1
9. (8) USB 2.0 Ports, (2) PS/2, (2) IEEE 1394a, (2) eSATA, RJ-45,
RJ-11, (8) Audio Ports, (1) Serial Port
10. HDMI Connector v1.3 (via DVI-HDMI dongle)
11. 500W Power Supply

Gateway(R) FX6800-05: Available now at leading online retailers, with
an MSRP of $2,999.99.
1. Intel Core i7-940 Processor (2.93GHz Quad-Core w/ Intel
Hyper-Threading & Turbo Speed Technology, New 8-thread CPU
architecture with automatic acceleration up to 3.20GHz on a single
core)
2. Intel X58 Express Chipset
3. ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 Graphics w/ 2048MB Discrete Video Memory
4. 6GB (6144MB DDR3 1066MHz Three Channel Memory [3 x 2GB DIMM])
5. 1000GB SATA II hard drive (1) (7200RPM, 16MB cache)
6. 80GB SSD (Solid State Drive)
7. 18X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti Drive featuring LabelFlash Technology(2)
8. 15-in-1 High Speed Digital Media Card Reader with Smart Copy Button
9. Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit with Service Pack 1
10. (8) USB 2.0 Ports, (2) PS/2, (2) IEEE 1394a, (2) eSATA, RJ-45, (8)
Audio Ports
11. HDMI Connector v1.3 (via DVI-HDMI dongle)
12. 1000 Watt Power Supply

Gateway Limited Warranty, Service and Support
The Gateway FX Series Desktops are backed by a one year limited
warranty(3). Gateway's commitment to quality and reliability is
evident in its award-winning line of PCs as well as in its exceptional
service and support programs(4). In addition to the company's
standard limited warranty options, its extensive online support center
helps customers maximize their PC investment; it gives them easy
access to customer support representatives and information on
important issues such as warranties, technical issues and upgrading.

[stereobot @ Nov 17th 2008 12:24PM]

$3,000 on a gaming machine? In this economy?

wow.. it took me a year to feel OK about buying an iPod Touch for $300...

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 17th 2008 12:49PM]

How long does it take you to respond when someone asks to borrow a quarter for the vending machine?

[Will Rogers @ Nov 17th 2008 1:30PM]

In reply to the question below, 7 hours, 18 minutes.

[ZaxCG2 @ Nov 17th 2008 2:55PM]

Well... this person ... will be paying said quarter back... right?

[youngstunna @ Nov 17th 2008 12:27PM]

it says CPUs in the title. i was hopping for a dual socket board.

[bob sakamano @ Nov 17th 2008 12:33PM]

did you fail to comprehend the rest of the title that implied it wasn't about a dual socket board?

[Juxterium @ Nov 17th 2008 12:28PM]

I think people seriously considering buying i7 at this moment in time are more likely to be system builders themselves and not those buying pre-built machines.

[Dee @ Nov 17th 2008 12:36PM]

When will I see a killer PC gaming rig costing < $500. In comparison to the days PC filled whole rooms and cost $$$$$ to where we are now, the price drop in hardware seems to have leveled out. As new technology comes out it always seems the software has a way of rendering it obsolete or mediocre; so you'll be forced to upgrade in 3 yrs or so if you want to run the latest version of software. The result of which is leaving behind old technology that's only valuable as recyclable material (or as some sort of file server).

I doubt I'll see the day when I can buy a PC for

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 17th 2008 12:50PM]

For what?!?! THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!!

[nerdtalker @ Nov 17th 2008 1:07PM]

I accidentally the whole sentence!

[Dee @ Nov 17th 2008 1:47PM]

...less than $500 - That's what happens when you post while at work ;)

[phanbouy fan fan @ Nov 17th 2008 5:34PM]

oh yeah Dee? who knew that clicking Add Comment was quicker than Alt-Tab

[z0phi3l @ Nov 17th 2008 12:58PM]

Too bad there's no option to replace the crap ATI cards for nVidia cards :(

[Chin-Poh @ Nov 17th 2008 1:09PM]

Too bad your too idiotic and/or ignorant to see how good the Radeon HD48XX series are. Forced Nvidia to drastically cut the prices on their GTX 200 cards back when these babies launched, always good to have competition, especially strong competition. : )

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Nov 17th 2008 2:53PM]

It's too bad that ati is better than nvidia and im feeding a troll.

[fikhl @ Nov 17th 2008 1:34PM]

I used to hate both AMD / ATI, but look at the CPU arena now where AMD is losing ground to Intel each and everyday, and Intel, with no rival in sight can now safely charge whatever it wants on Atoms in netbooks for instance. That is where I found how vital it is for us consumers to have options rather than a monopoly.

I personally prefer nvidia cards. but I do not let my fanboyism drive me doing something crazy...

[ProfessorKaos @ Nov 17th 2008 2:12PM]

If it wasn't a Gateway product, I would be slightly interested. If anyone can remember, when they sold out to Acer, and mpc (I think thats the name) picked up support of many of Gateways products, I further lost faith in the company. Rank me however you want, but if you honestly think Gateway is a shining star in the PC business anymore, you are very mistaken.

[Inane_Asylum @ Nov 17th 2008 4:18PM]

Gateway...gaming...

Does not compute

[LonnieDvD @ Nov 17th 2008 7:26PM]

Why anyone would pay $3,000 for a gaming PC when they can pay $300 for an Xbox 360 is beyond me.

[Cal @ Nov 17th 2008 7:35PM]

you are definitely on the wrong site.

[Spacedooky @ Nov 17th 2008 9:47PM]

The base spec doesn't seem that bad. They don't seem like they're making much of a profit, really...

[eugenix @ Nov 27th 2008 11:32PM]

have the fun of owning a good gaming rig is building it

and the ATI 4870 x2 is the best card i've ever bought (after being an nvidia die hard)

[eugenix @ Nov 27th 2008 11:33PM]

*half

[KISS @ Nov 28th 2008 11:53AM]

Gateway FX6800-05 @ MSRP $2,999.99 sounds overpriced for what it's got, which is a strangely configured high-end system. The selling point seems to be the new series Intel CPU; but developers aren't really developing anything yet to take advantage of Nahalem's strengths and it'll probably be a couple years at least before they start to do so. There are two other major hardware brags in the system that cost lots of money: the 80GB no-name unbranded SSD which is as yet unproven (I don't want everything written to one sector on an SSD - for now, fast, high quality, huge HDD's are just fine for high-end desktops) and the best retail, desktop GPU on the market nowadays in the outrageous ATI 4870 X2. Gateway needs to reconsider this mass-market build to optimize quality of this ferocious GPU. I'll wait til they replace the Intel CPU with an AMD 9950 Quad Core, push the RAM to a minimum of 8GB RAM, replace the SDD and go with a minimum of 2 TB HDD in RAID 0 for gamers and add mega-tons of far more serious system cooling. That system is available right now from the system builders for far less than half this MSRP and better utilizes the unique strengths of the GPU. Remember that Gateway's going to weld everything to the mobo anyway, making the system un-upgradeable. So, yes, I like the GPU and the BR drive, but that's about it.