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Gateway is completing the transformation of its line of business desktops to the new BTX chassis design, aimed at improving reliability and energy efficiency while reducing heat generation and noise.
The Irvine, Calif., computer maker on Thursday released three new E-Series desktops that will feature the new design. At the same time, Gateway Inc. rolled out two new Performance flat-panel LCDs, also aimed at the professional space.
Gateway started rolling out desktops with the BTX chassis in August 2004, and has been aggressively expanding the design throughout its PC line.
The BTX design, which was developed in large part by Intel Corp. and is being adopted by other PC makers as well, places the hottest-running components—such as the processors, memory modules and graphics cards—at the center of the chassis, where they can be cooled by a front-to-back airflow.
In Gateways BTX desktops, there is a fan on both the front and the back of the chassis, bringing the airflow through the system and across the components, said Marc Demars, senior director of product marketing for Gateways desktop business.
The design increases the airflow through the system by up to three times over the current Micro ATX chassis, he said.
The BTX chassis increases the reliability of the components within the computer, Demars said.
Gateway research shows a 64 percent improvement in hard drive reliability and 82 percent jump in fan reliability with the BTX model.
“The hotter something gets, the sooner its going to fail,” Demars said.
The three new commercial desktops also come with variety of options.
The seven-bay, high-end E-6500 offers Intels 945G chip set and on-board RAID support.
It also offers Intels dual-core Pentium D chip as an option.
The midrange E-4500 currently comes in a six-bay tower design, but will be available in a three-bay desktop version in the third quarter.
It also comes with the 945G chip set, with a range of 64-bit Pentiums to choose from.
The entry-level E-2500 also is a six-bay tower, with a three-bay desktop coming in the third quarter. It runs on the Celeron D or Pentium 4 chips.
The new displays, the 17-inch FPD1775 and 19-inch FPD1975, offer improvements in response time, contrast and brightness, and support both analog and digital input. They range in price from $329.99 to $399.99.