Gateway DX4850-27eu

Gateway DX4850-27eu

The Gateway DX4850-27eu ($649.99 list at Best Buy) is a mid-tower desktop PC that won't "wow" enthusiasts with future-proofed features like USB 3.0 or Blu-ray. But with its strong performance on multimedia tasks, scads of storage space, and plenty of room to grow internally, the DX4850-27eu will appeal to consumers and those on a tight budget. Taking design cues from its sibling, the Gateway DX4320-45 ($899.99 list, 3 stars), the DX4850-27eu sports the same protruding lip on top of the system that makes for a dynamic design than the traditional boxy desktop. The front of the chassis has a black glossy finish with a glowing white light that frames the front panel (this can be turned off, if you wish). There's an included DVD-R/RW drive and an empty 3.5-inch hard drive bay, which is already prepped for a drive (in case you want to expand your storage). Both are hidden behind doors that fold out when the side eject buttons are pressed. The aforementioned lip houses a media card reader that accepts a wide array of formats, including xD, Micro SD, SD/MMC, MS/PRO, and CF media cards. Next to the card reader are two USB 2.0 ports and audio jacks.