HP's Compaq Presario desktop systems continue to be one of the most affordable on the market with prices consistently under $400. Their latest CQ5700 series systems for the most part are very similar to the previous CQ5600. There are some important changes internally though as they have moved to a different motherboard platform that has some big implications.
Processors for the new Presario CQ5720f have been upgraded slightly from the past CQ5620f model. An AMD Athlon II 245 dual core processor handles all the computing. While this isn't anywhere near the performance of AMD's affordable Phenom series or Intel's Core i3 processors, it is sufficient for those looking at using a desktop system primarily for web, productivity and light media usage. One disappointing aspect is the memory though. While most companies have moved to using 4GB, this one comes with just 3GB of DDR3 which does hurt its performance as it can't run the memory in a dual-channel mode.
Storage features for the price are pretty decent on the Compaq Presario CQ5720f. Most desktops at the sub $400 price range come with 500GB of less of space. HP has put a slightly larger 640GB hard drive that provides it with roughly 30 percent more space for applications, data and media files. A dual-layer DVD burner is also standard for handling playback and recording of CD or DVD media. One nice feature for the drive is the ability to burn labels directly to compatible LightScribe CD or DVD media. A small media card reader is also included for the most popular forms of flash media.
The graphics on the Presario CQ5720f rely on the AMD Radeon HD 3000 integrated graphics. This offers better performance than the Intel GMA 4500MHD as it does offer a bit of 3D performance but it is still very limited to just casual PC gaming at lower resolutions and detail levels. What hurts this revision of the desktop is the removal of the PCI-Express graphics card slot. This means that there is no effective way of upgrading the graphics within the system and you will be stuck with the integrated solution. Then again, the low wattage power supply would prevent many cards from being installed anyways.
Other internal upgrade space remains the same as the previous generations. The only internal storage space is a secondary 5.25-inch drive slot. There is plenty of space within this mini tower case for extra drive cages for 3.5-inch drives but HP probably elected to not have them to keep the costs so low. Similarly, the motherboard had space for two addition memory slots so the system memory could be upgraded but they were not wired onto the motherboard. This means that the RAM is also heavily limited. Essentially, when you buy the Compaq Presario CQ5720f, you can forget about any internal upgrades beyond two x1 PCI-Express slots.
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