Hewlett-Packard's new Pavilion m8400f desktop computer features a cutting-edge quad-core processor, which gives a nice boost to multitasking and gaming performance. This system ships with high-end components for everything from data storage to DVD burning, and it is offered at a surprisingly low price.

The m8400f is powered by AMD's 2.2GHz Phenom 9500 processor, which features four processing cores on a single chip. Most benchmarks show that you can see up to a 50-percent bump in multimedia performance when using a quad-core CPU instead of a dual-core processor.

HP also includes a whopping 3GB of high-speed 800MHz DDR2 memory in this desktop. The core power provided by this CPU and RAM will handle pretty much any application you decide to run on this computer without any slowdown. It also runs the included Home Premium Edition of the Windows Vista operating system with maximum efficiency, so you can use the Aero graphical interface and all the multimedia tools (and more) from Windows XP Media Center Edition without a problem.

Storage space will not be a problem for most users thanks to the twin 360GB 7,200rpm hard drives. This gives you plenty of room for housing video files, installing large games and creating backup partitions, among other things. One minor caveat of the twin drives: they cut into the available expansion space on the inside of the midsize tower, making it somewhat difficult to add PCI card peripherals.

The optical drive is also one of the best that HP offers: a SuperMulti DVD burner with LightScribe technology. This drive can burn to almost any standard DVD format and allows you to imprint monochromatic labels on the surface of LightScribe-compatible DVDs and CDs for professional-looking end products.

The video card found in the m8400f is Nvidia's GeForce 8500 GT, a mid-range card with 256MB of dedicated video memory. Extreme gamers may want more power than this card has to offer, but most gamers will be satisfied with the level of performance that the 8500 GT provides for even the latest 3D games.

This computer also features a great collection of connectivity ports and slots. It includes a 15-in-1 media card reader that lets you swap photos and files from almost any digital camera or PDA flash card format. There are also two USB ports and a FireWire port on the front of the tower that let you hook up a few high-speed peripherals without having to reach behind the system (where you'll find four more USB ports and another FireWire port). There are also a variety of audio and video ports -- including composite and S-video -- on the front of the system so you can hook up the computer to your home theater components.

Practically the only thing missing in terms of video connections is a TV tuner. It'll cost you extra to add an internal or external tuner to this desktop computer, but with its core power and vast storage, it's a great system for watching and recording television.

The rest of the m8400f's bundle is serviceable. You get a wired optical mouse and a multimedia keyboard, and both modem and network interfaces are provided so you can connect to the Internet via dialup or broadband. This computer also includes a decent set of software, including HP Photosmart Essential, Cyberlink's DVD Suite Deluxe and Microsoft Works 9.

The only major omission from this system is a display. You can add an HP LCD as an optional upgrade; this will increase the price noticeably, but you probably will need a compatible display that shows off the graphical bells and whistles of which this desktop computer is capable.

If you want to get your hands on quad-core performance in an affordable package, the HP Pavilion m8400f desktop computer offers excellent core speed without sacrificing the rest of the system.


Pros: Awesome core power, great storage
Cons: Monitor not included, no TV tuner

Warranty
1 year, limited