Vista PC Reviewed: Gateway GT5404 Desktop

92 Replies to “Vista PC Reviewed: Gateway GT5404 Desktop”

1. I was merely curious. I tried to install xp pro myself on this same system. I see that you were able to do it successfully. When the windows installation begins I noticed that no drives were acknowledged in the partition create/delete setup. I’m assuming that a “third party” sata driver was necessary to get this working. Could you please explain to me the method you used to install xp if this wasn’t the case for you. Thanks. -m

2. yes .
   On the ram, you can upgrade to 2 gb(2-2048mb 667mhspc5300.
   what standard non ecc?

3. yes
   on the ram you can upgrade to a 2 gb (2-2048mb667mhz PC5300.
   what standard non ecc? can you tell specifications of the ram please.

   I use a major brand RAM (Kingston, Corsair, etc.). They are Non-ECC. I have only upgraded the RAM to 2GB (2x1024MB 667MHz PC5300). There’s no advantage of installing 4GB (2x2048MB 667MHz PC5300) because most 32-bit OS won’t recognize all the RAM and even makes the computer run a lot slower.

   I will post some more screen caps for the RAM info

4. was the ram standard non ecc dual channel?
   because i’am trying to upgrade my comuter .
   thank you …………..jamie.

   Currently I use: Kingston KVR667D2K2. They are Dual Channel, NON-ECC.

5. what is the highest video card that I can put in like 512 what?

   Most PCI-Express Video card will do – get the one with dedicated VRAM.
   For the integrated Video Adapter, the more system RAM you have, the more it will take automatically

6. hey
   I been looking on aol, and all the computer shops says
   that,and recommed the(2-1028mb pc2-4200 533mhz standard non ecc
   dual channel. They say that the highest. but you got a
   667mhz pc2-5300 and it works!

   GT5404 uses Intel D945GCL Motherboard. It supports PC5300 RAM.

7. thank for all your heip.

   jamie………….

   You’re welcome!

8. buy the way I still need a graphic card what the best one and dose it need a
   fan i found a geforce gt8500 with heat sink on it 256mb 128 is it good?

   jamie…………..

   GeForce GT8500 is a pretty good graphic card. It should run fine on that computer. You can always add fan on to the GeForce GT8500. GT8500 is DirectX 10 compliant.

   I’d recommend Zalman fan for the GPU if you choose to add it.

9. Is directx 10 good?
   It will help my computer out?
   It a gt8500 gigabite heat sink.
   Is the power supply good then?

   thank you jamie………….

   GT5404 has 300-Watt power supply, which is the minimum requirement for GeForce 8500 GT (BFG Tech branded). Worst case scenario you need to upgrade the power supply.

   DirectX 10 is natively supported under Windows Vista.

10. then do i need a power supply or not?

    Most likely you won’t need to replace the power supply. Check he power requirement of the graphic card first. I only checked the BFG Tech brand.

11. IAM sorry so many question it a gigabyte gv-nx85t256h
    gefore 8500 gt 256 128 bit will this work on my gt5404?
    power supply good?
    it costs around 100 dollar.

    let me know thank you .
    you have been a good help.

    jamie……………..thank you…….

    Theoretically, it should work on the GT5404 with its 300-watt power supply.

    It’s not actually published on their site, but based on all the other manufacturers, the power requirements:
    Minimum of a 300 Watt power supply.
    (Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 18 Amp Amps.)

    I’d check the requirement on the box if possible before buying it.

12. When I look for a graphic card .What does it need to have on it.
    What pixel pipeline 4,8,12. Do i need It. When I look
    for a card what a good clock speed.

    jamie…………thank you……..

13. what card would you use for the best graphic and every thing eles from 256mb or 512mb 128. that will work.

    jamie…………………

    GeForce 8500 GT is a nice gaming graphic card. 256MB is nice, and of course 512MB is better. If you’re a serious gamer, get GeForce 8800 series but it requires 400-watt power supply.

14. when I get a power supply, what does it need to have, and how big can I go
    on power like will a 600watt do?

15. will apevia atx-as600w work, got the right connectors, what connectors do I need,,
    what amps do I need ,,

    thank you jamie……………….you are great!

16. does it need dual 12v I need a good power suppply for the 512 video card
    what amp what volt
    thank you jamie……………………………

    I believe as long as it is BTX Power supply it should work fine.

17. what is a btx means on the power supply?
    jamie………………………………..thankyou

    It’s the form factor of Motherboard, the power supply must be compatible with it.
    From Gateway: http://support.gateway.com/s/POWER/6506054R/6506054Rnv.shtml

    From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BTX_(form_factor)

    Example of BTX compatible power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817701003

18. hello I’am going to get the power supply you said the n82e16817701003
    msi but I was wondering if the xion n8ze16811208021 work it is a atx case
    from newegg please let me know you been a great help

    jamie…………………………thank you

19. I mean n82e16811208021

20. btx power supply with btx case or atx case?
    so whats up?
    jamie…………………..thank you

    BTX

21. I appreciate your information on the Gateway. In my experience with my Gateway GT5408 I had to replace the power supply to be able to add a PCI-E video card (nVidea 7600 series). The computer wouldn’t even start after adding the video card- no memory check, couldn’t get into bios settings, nothing. Pull the card and the machine started fine. Gateway tech support had no suggestions other than to buy a video card from them. Come to find out, the power supply is a low wattage one. Replace the ps with a 575 watt one and voila, everything now works. I’ve also replaced Vista with XP Media Center Edition. Vista wouldn’t run half my software, so out it goes. Too much bloat and incompatability just to get a bit of eye candy, IMHO.

22. Umm I got a GT5404 and an nvidia geforce 8600gt oc. I didnt need to update my power supply everything runs great is there something I am missing here?

    It depends on the requirement of the Graphic Card.

23. Hey mate,

    I appreciate this review and have just purchased this system. However, I am not knowledgeable about computers, and would love if you could help me with something. I’m looking to buy a monitor, and have found one I want:
    http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2945470&body=REVIEWS

    Now I’m looking to upgrade the video card so I can use the DVI so the display doesn’t look like crap. This is where I’m hoping you’ll come in. I’m looking to get one from here:
    http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/category/category_slc.asp?Recs=10&Nav=|c:1558|&Sort=4

    Can you pick out the cheapest, yet best one that’s on there. I have no clue what to look for.

    Thanks a bunch in advance.

24. Scratch that. I don’t need a graphics card anymore. Just a DVI-D cable.
    http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/search.asp?keywords=DVI-D&mnf=160&cat=&sort=Price%20asc
    What would you recommend?

    You don’t need to buy expensive DVI cable. I’ve used a $10 DVI Cable and it works just fine.

25. does vista support dir.x 9 32 bit ? and i got a his hightech x 1650 pro ice q 512 it need a 450 what power supple i have a 460 msi will this work?

    Windows Vista supports DirectX 10 that is backward compatible with DirectX 9 (at least that’s what the specs says). If your power supply is higher than the recommended, it should work just fine.

26. so will it work or not

    thank you ………….jamie

    I believe it should work.

27. hey thank you guy are computers god so if any one needs help this is the site.

    thank you……………………………..jamie

    Thanks for the compliment. Glad I can help. My main site is on 37prime.com and the main blog is at http://37prime.com/blog/.

    One other thing, would you please forward to everyone.
    This one is for a good cause.

    More Videos, Pictures, and stories from the Appalachian Trails are coming soon.

    http://37prime.com/podcast/category/charity/

    
    
    

    http://37prime.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/jeremy-keeble-raising-charity-for-american-diabetes-association/

    Thank You

28. will dir x 9 work on windows vista?

    let me know …………jamiee……….

    DirectX 9 is supported under Windows Vista.

    Windows Vista Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:
    WDDM Driver
    128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)
    Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware
    32 bits per pixel

29. hello again

    I would like to know if i can go with a bigger processor?
    than stock.

30. yes on the motherboard how big can you go on the processor .

    thank you jamie,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

    
    E6700 – 2.66 GHz – 4 MB L2 Cache – 1066 MHz FSB

31. yes will the quad q 6600 work with my motherboard? its from newegg.

    thank you jamie

    I don’t think it will take Core 2 Quad.

32. can you post the max mhz for this motherboard and what socket type .
    and the board specs

    thank you jamie

    Check it here!

33. And is the processor 2.8 800mhz 2*2 much different from
    2.66 ghz 4mb L2 cache -1066mhz fsb

    thank you jamie

    I believe that you need different motherboard for the Quad-Core ones. So, yes, they are a lot different. Performance-wise, quad-core is better if the softwares can take advantage of it.

34. how does a person over clock a processor.

    thank you jamie

    Over-clocking the CPU can be done through the BIOS. Not all MotherBoard BIOS supports over-clocking. Please check the BIOS settings.

35. so is the stock as good as the e6700 beside the 1066mhz then 800.

    and 2 times2 for the 800
    4mb L2 cache on the 1066 same right beside mhz yes or no?

    thank you jamie

    The “stock” processor in GT5404 or GT5408 are not as good as the E6700. GT5404 has the Pentium D, and the GT5408 has the Core 2 Duo with 2MB Cache. If you have the cash to burn get the E6700.

    E6700 still costs above $300 – NewEgg: $317.00
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115002

    Faster Front Side Bus (FSB) means better theoretical performance. 1066MHz is better than 800MHz FSB – You still need other things to achieve the performance boost, such as RAM.

36. yes when I get the e6700 2gig of dual chann 667ddr2enought.
    and can I go with more ram because their is only 2 slots and
    both are filled up .

    thank you jamie

    I am not sure if you can have 4GB of RAM. I believe that Windows XP/Vista 32-bit version won’t be able to see all 4GB. Conservatively, it will take 3GB of RAM.

37. I just bought this Gateway GT5404 computer YES the graphics card makes the computer run much slower. It “supposed” to have Intel integrated card which run at 32mb Ram with 96 shared according to gateway specs but still it is ONBOARD card which will slow your bus system down because it runs on the motherboard! I just purchased PNY Nvidia 7300 GS card (and i know geeks say that THE latest and more expensive cards are better i heard that before and i never had problems with lower cards) . It fixed a lot of gaming problems. With integrated graphics I could not play my games like Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Doom 3, and even my favorite Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. Now when i got the new card all of these games work just perfect.

38. I just bought a ddr2-5300. I have two memory speeds that run on my laptop which one is ddr2-5300 and ddr-4200 and yes the higher memory does go down to the clock speed with the system. The 5300 run at 4200 speed. I will try to test the same with the GT5404. I do not belive it will cause problems. I also installed GeForce 7300 GS PCIe card and it works we will see how it works with 2gb of ram. I have tried to play Bioshock game at 1gb of ram and yes the game gets the gidders because there is not enough RAM for the game after Vista eats it up!

    2GB of RAM will help a lot. If not go to 3GB (1GB + 2GB)

39. The other gig i put in it helped a lot. Made Vista run quicker. I have not found that it will shut down faster but i leave the computer on 24/7 anyways and anything in VFista runst faster. Thou for some reason BioShock will only run at 640 by 480 resolution with no problems. I even downloaded the latest recommended drivers. But I usually use the computer for doing video editing anyways so yes the when i render the video which it went down from one hour or so to 15 or so minutes. Before I got 1 hour of video would take 1 hour of rendering now it went down 1 hour equals to about 15 minutes of redering. Big difference when you make a living out of it 😉 Thanks for your website! Chris

40. you are the guru of information. I’ve got a super easy question for you. I have the 5404 and have upgraded to 2×1024 ram. I want to run 2 gateway 19″ flat panels off the system. Obviously I need to upgrade to a pci e graphics card. What do you recommend that will afford me dual dvi outputs? I’m not doing any editing or anything just want to use both my monitors on one comp. Also I tried out a geforce 8600 gt and for some reason I couldn’t get it to run on my system. Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the genious website. Brendon

    GeForce 8600GT requires a higher capacity Power Supply if memory serves correctly. It requires 400 Watt power supply I think. I’ll check this and will update it here.

    UPDATE:
    EVGA GeForce 8600GT requires minimum of 350 Watt Power Supply (400 Watt Power Supply recommended).

    Amazon has EVGA GeForce 8600GT 256MB on sale for $124.18 and you get another $15.00 rebate.

    EVGA GeForce 8600GT 512MB is on sale for $159.81

    What brand of 8600GT do/did you have?
    

41. Thx for all the Info.. Im looking at Tigerdirect has it for 299 and thought it might be worth the money. I do have a extra PS thats a Diablo 450 w ATX will it work in this PC? I see that RAM is 2×512 so to get a 1 gig stick will I be able to use a 512 and 1 gig together? Just a few questions before I buy it. Thx for help.. I do hope to get to play some of the newer games that I have to pass on since Im running a 1.5 mhz pc atm.

    It requires uATX/BTX compatible power supply. It comes with 2x512MB PC-4200 RAM. I’d replace them with PC-5300 RAM.

42. hmm cost is startin to creep up ram $100 , Vc $120, and PS
    Can u link me to a PS thats a Uatx.. couldnt find one.
    Thx for fast reply

    I’ll have to look for the Power Supply. Search through the comments, you might be able to find the link, if any. I’ll get back to you as soon as I found a good sale price.

    Right now, Fry’s has a good Power Supply cheap. Today (11.23) only.

43. Thx for such great detailed info on this Pc package. I think Im gonna go with a core system since I will have to spend extra money. Heres core and I can add the other stuff and keep it under Emachine package..
    http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3501283&Sku=P459-1236%20C
    With Ram,HDD, and VC I can still keep cost below other.
    Thx again best and most responsive product review Ive seen.
    Of course I couldnt find as much info on MB/processor as you gave here.lol

44. Hey there. I bought the GT5404, changed towers, installed more RAM and threw in a EVGA 8800 GTS card. I couldn’t be more happy however I am growing very tired and frustrated with Vista. I have a clean copy of XP pro that i would love to install. I don’t have my serial number due to the fact that i threw away the original tower so to easily get drivers from gateway for my hardware is a mystery. What do I do? Can I do it? I really want this operating system off my pc but am a little reluctant because I don’t know if it will be a smooth and complete ride. HHHHEEELLLPPPP!!!!!

    Serial Number for Gateway or for Windows?
    For drivers, look for them through the links posted here.

45. Hi Jamie,

    Recently bought the following:

    GIGABYTE GA-G31MX-S2 Mobo
    GIGABYTE Geforce 8500 GT 256MB (GV-NX85T256H)
    Intel Core 2 DUO 2.4Ghz 2MB L2 cache
    Corsair 667Mhz DDR2 1GB (x2)
    HAD OLD PARTS I USED as follows:
    OLD 300W PSU (1 Year old)
    Windows Xp Professional SP2

    Now: My problem is the following;

    After installing fresh the PC seems slow for what I put in. XP boot time is not as I believe it should be but my main concern is this. After clean install I installed the latest Nvidia Drivers for my 8500 GT and rebooted. All seemed fine but when I enter NVidia Control Panel the PC freezes up. There is also intermittent discoloration of text while browsing websites. Found that when I use the included Gigabyte Tuner and change the 2D Core Clock waaaay below the norm it seems to work a bit better but still not as desired. Could this be compatibility issues between Mobo and GFX card or is Old 300W PSU too little. Tried almost all old and new GFX Drivers and did a few clean installs of both XP and Vista with no joy!

    PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!

    Thank you in advance….

    K

    I believe you should upgrade the Power Supply. 300W PSU is not enough for newer Video cards.

46. Pingback: Driver problem - Lurking Mastermind

47. I noticed that in the earlier comments you recommended a BTX power supply for this system. However on the motherboard specs on Intel’s website it says different:

    http://www.intel.com/products/motherboard/D945GCL/

    How I am reading it it would suggest that you need a microATX power supply. Am I incorrect on this? I would hate to purchase the wrong power supply for this machine as an upgrade and lose out on time and possibly money.

    Thanks

    PS. This upgrade will be due to my purchase of an EVGA 8600GTS which requires a 400W PS.

    You can get BTX/Micro-ATX power supply if you’re in doubt. They are essentially the same, as long as it can physically fit in the chassis.

    As a matter of fact, it is using BTX/µATX power supply

    http://support.gateway.com/s/POWER/6506054R/6506054Rnv.shtml

48. Last question. Will a regular ATX PS fit in this chasis? It seems like it hard to find a microATX or a BTX power supply that will comply with the graphics card I’m looking to purchase. It recommends a 400W PS, as well as it being able to do +12V@22A. Or should I not worry about the last part so much?

    Thanks

    theoretically, this one should work.
    I have to take a look at the computer, for I don’t have immediate physical access.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817338008

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817701003

49. Here is a quick update to the above question. This is for an EVGA 8600GTS. The minimum requirements are as follows:

    Minimum of a 400 Watt power supply.
    (Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 22 Amp Amps.)
    Minimum 450 Watt for SLI mode system.
    (Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 24 Amp Amps.)
    An available 4-pin Molex hard drive power dongle

    The part number is 512-P2-N773-AR. Hope this helps to answer the above question.

    Thanks

50. Well the MSI you posted only puts out +12V@18A and the Athena only does +12V@20A where this card asks for +12V@22A. I am still searching on the side as I type this but finding the right replacement PS is looking to be a challenge.

    Thanks

    I have to do a little bit more research on this. Please give me some times.

    UPDATE: 2008.01.05
    I think that you’re gonna have a hard time finding compatible power supply to work with that Video Card. After all, it’s power-hungry. You need specific type power supply for that Video Card.

51. is there any way to overclock this system?

52. Hey I have the GT5404 and I’m pretty impressed with it. I heard a lot of people say the Pentium D sucks but i haven’t had any problems. I have a X1650 pro and 2.5 GB s of ram and don’t have too many problems playing the latest games on at least medium settings including Crysis. BUT I only have 1 PCI-E x16 slot and I really need at least 2 of them, so I guess I need a new motherboard and while I’m at it I might as well try and get one with 4 slots of ram. My question is what motherboard do I need that will have this and still hold the stock processor, ram, and other hardware that came with the original GT5404. I looked around but couldn’t really get the info I was looking for.

    Thanks in advance -Richard

    To be honest, if you’re going to replace the motherboard, you might as well get Core 2 Duo processor too. Well, then you’d need to get new RAM, possibly. Currently you can find great deals on Core 2 Duo at Fry’s Electronic (watch for their sales ads). But, you can always get any ATX Motherboard, as long as they support Pentium D. With multiple PCI-E port, you might need to replace the Power Supply too.

    I’ll have to do a little bit research to give you a specific model of the motherboard.

53. I am seeing a lot of talk about upgrading the RAM on this system.

    As far as the GT5404 goes, am I not correct in stating that the mobo can only hold up to 2GB of RAM?

    what is with the 2.5 or 3 people are speaking of. I understand that 32bit Vista will only recognize 3GB, but wont the MOBO only recognize 2?

    I ended up using 2 x 1GB Gskill PC6400 sticks. I know the 6400 is too much, but the deal was right. Can the stock mobo only recognize up to PC5300? If so, does that mean my pc6400 ram will just operate as if it was PC5300?

    Bascially whay is the max amount and speed ram can the stock MOBO on a GT5404 utilize.

    Thanks.

    We were talking about 32-bit Windows in general. If you read the specs, this computer can only take up to 2GB of RAM.
    The spec of the motherboard states that it can take up to 2GB of PC5300 RAM. If you’re using PC6400 RAM, as long as it’s backward compatible because some RAM don’t, it will operate at lower clock speed (667MHz – PC5300).

    1. You are not correct, and neither are Gateway’s specs. The gt5404 with the Intel d945gcl mobo Is capable of 4GB RAM (2 sticks x 2GB). I know this for a fact as I’m running this setup right now.

       No, a 32 bit system won’t see all of the RAM, but I put it in anyway, and here’s why:

       1) The price difference between 3GB and 4GB is minimal.

       If you buy different capacity sticks (ie 2GB + 1GB), your memory will not run in dual channel. Dual channel is faster.

       3) My system sees 3.3GB of RAM, so it uses most of it.

       4) Your next system may take at least 4GB RAM, so why not buy RAM with the future in mind?

       5) I even bought PC6400, knowing fully that the Gt5404 would slow it down to PC5300. Again- thinking about my future rig…

       Someone above stated: “There’s no advantage of installing 4GB (2x2048MB 667MHz PC5300) because most 32-bit OS won’t recognize all the RAM and even makes the computer run a lot slower.”

       Incorrect. A PC simply ignores the extra RAM that it can’t use, but it won’t become slower! I just checked Newegg: 3GB of pc5300(2GB +1GB)RAM costs $46. 4GB of PC6400(2GB + 2GB DUAL channel) runs $48. That’s a no brainer.

       So, for anyone looking to flog their gt5404 for a few more years, this is what you need:

       -4GB PC6400 (DDR2-800 same thing)
       -NON-ecc ONLY, ecc won’t work
       -1.8 volts, no more, no less

       If you don’t believe me about this PC’s RAM capacity, go to Crucial.com and download their mobo scanner, it will confirm that the d945gcl takes 4GB RAM. Then buy your RAM at Newegg- they’re way cheaper. Good luck!

54. I just recently purchased a GT5404 and I wanted to upgrade the graphics card on it. I have been looking at either purchasing the EVGA GeForce 8600 GTS, XFX GeForce 8600 GT, or the XFX GeForce 8600 GTS. But all these cards require a minimum of a 350w power supply. After reading some of the comments above I have found that the GT5404 has come equipped with a Delta 300w ps that is BTX/uATX. Im guessing the BTX/uATX is the type of ps. I was wondering if you might be able to show me a ps that would be 500w and above, reasonable priced, and would be able to fit and run fine in a GT5404 because I do not really want to purchase another tower since I just got this one.

    I’ll look into finding one example for you. Please check back, and hopefully you’ll get a better answer.

55. In response to the above question, I ended up going with this combo for GPU and PSU.

    GPU: PNY VCG86GTS5XWB-OC GeForce 8600GTS 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

    PSU: Athena Power AP-MPS3ATX40 Micro PS3 ATX 400W Power Supply

    I have had no power issues using this card with this PSU. Both purchased at Newegg. I am able to run COD4 at max setting with no problems whatsoever. Also have 2gb of PC-5300 ram. Hope this helps.

56. So i was reading the comments and it seems like upgrading the PS will be a bit of a problem. I just ordered the MSI PS the comments were talking about and since its a BTX it should theoretically fit right? my question is that can the GT5404 fit micro-atx and btx?

    Upgrading the Power Supply on this computer is not a problem. But if you want to run nVidia GeForce 8800 or better, then it becomes a problem due to the Power Supply requirements for this video card.

    Micro-ATX/BTX should fit this computer.

57. The Video card i ordered was a:
    EVGA 256-P2-N768-A1 GeForce 8600GTS SSC 256MB

    So im just wondering if the MSI PS will be able to power this unit?

    ty in advance,

    You should be able to get a minimum of 400Watt Power Supply for the computer to work with this Graphic cards.

58. thx so far for the answers, now..
    i just pretty much need to kno since the power supply
    i ordered only outputs about 18 amps on 12 volts
    and the requirement on the card says about 26 amps on
    the 12 volt rail, how will this affect my video card since it only requires 400watts while im running at 460?

    In that case it is important to have the Power Supply to meet the Graphic Card requirements. This is where you might have trouble finding the Power Supply. But this is not impossible to do.

59. Do you know if its necesary if its required to disable the onboard graphics manually or does this computer override it once you put the video card in automatically?

    If you install the PCI-Express Graphic Card it will automatically become the default. You can double-check that in the BIOS.

60. yes what the biggest proscesser that I can go with?

    check it here: GT5404

61. Im guessing that this powersupply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817812005
    would be compatible with BTX standards for this computer to work on it
    because it states on the specifications that its compatible?

62. Oh, and one more quick thing, this basically would also be
    compatible am i right?
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817121003

    Thank You so much in advance

    From Gateway Support Page, GT5404 is using 300 Watt Power Supply uATX/BTX Non-PFC. Note that it says uATX (micro-ATX). Unfortunately I no longer have immediate access to this computer. Check if the physical dimension of the Power Supply is also the same/similar. I’d think that the motherboard is compatible with most BTX power supply.

63. I’m having a heap load of trouble with my new video card, is it an absolute requirement to have the video card directly connected to the monitor? or can u just leave it there and have it connected to the vga port on the comp?

    Can you be more specific? What is the problem with the video card? Are you referring to the DVI and VGA port on the video card?

64. alright heres the deal, of course i connected the card right into the computer and plugged in the 6-pin. then i put the case back and started the computer, but i wasnt sure if it was needed to have the monitor directly connected to the video card meaning yea the DVI port,

    You can use the VGA instead of the DVI.

65. Will a EVGA GeForce 8800 GT fit in the GT5404?

66. EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS

    You’d have trouble finding Power Supply that will work with this computer. If you want to have GeForce 8800 GTS, you need a better motherboard and Power Suply.

67. Will this psu work with GT5404. Corsair 550W Vx Series ATX PS/2 Power Supply

    That’s an ATX Power Supply, not mini-ATX. I am not sure if it can fit in GT5404 chassis. Check the physical dimensions.

68. Hello there! My friend is currently asking for me to find him some upgrades for his gateway computer, which brought me here! Hes looking to upgrade only his video card and ram. Ive seen that power might be an issue with the upgrades so here is what I have selected for him so far.

    Video Card – http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16814127295

    Ram – http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16820134384

    Im guessing those two will work but I would like to run it by you first. Also since there seems to be no graphic card currently installed in this computer will there be the PCI express power cord on the power supply so it will all be a simple plug and play? Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Oh and emailing me would be the best way to contact me.

    I believe that they’d work on the gT5404.

69. go into the bios and change the drive type to ide, it is set at default to raid, and will not be recognised by xp at acpi either, but the ide setting with sata works great, can get the drivers from intel.

70. I have a GT5408 from gateway. It has 3GB ram. running VISTA with SP1. When ever I plug a PCIe video card in my sound goes away. the HD Sigmatel shows up in the device manager, but when I go to sound in the control panel says sound device not installed.
    I have tried a GE Force 7300 and just bought a GE Force 8500GT.
    The 8500GT states it will run on a 300 watt PS.
    I have a 5200 plugged into the PCI slot and everything works fine.
    I have already tried audio drivers and even went back to the old drivers.

    That seems to be a PCI-Express related problem. There’s a recent BIOS update (2008.01.08), Get it here

    .

71. I installed ddr2 pc2 5300 on my gt5404 and it freezes my computer until i change back to the original memory. what gives?

    What brand of DDR2 PC5300 did you get. Sometimes certain brands are not compatible.

72. hello again’

    I would like to know how to over clock the pross. through bois .and if it can be done on vista because everyone like a fast pc.

    thankyou jamie

73. I had no need to upgrade my PS. I am running 2xKingston PC2-5300 1 gb sticks and Geforce 8600 GT OC on my GT5404 and I have not needed to upgrade. Did it 1 year ago and everything is working fine.

74. I got a GT5408 and my parents left it o overnight. Now it won’t turn on at all. I’ve unplugged it and re-plugged with another power cord and outlet. What gives?

    It is possible that the power supply went bad. You also should check the connector inside the computer.

75. how do you overclock the processer ??????

    It is easier to upgrade the Processor.

76. I went into the bios press f2 at start up, Can’t figure it out please help.

    thankyou…………….jamie

77. I went into the bios press f2 at start up, Can’t figure it out please help.

    thankyou…………….jamie

78. I went into the bios press f2 at start up, Can’t figure it out please help.

    thankyou…………….jamie

    What are you trying to do?

79. to overclock it because 2.8 won’t play some game like beolwolf,devil may cry 4 they need min 3.0 is their a overclocking tool or what please help…………………..jamie………..thankyou…………….

80. a bigger processer but it only 2.66 1066fb too low.

    please help…………………….jamie

81. Im Think Im retarded hahaI have the gt5404 and want to upgrade Vid card which means ps upgrade also…My question is does it have to be btx or micro atx? And Is the difference between those and ATX just the size?

82. The Gateway GT5404 Desktop Computer can be upgraded to 4 GB of RAM. You will need to put a 2 GB RAM stick in each memory slot to give you 4 GB of RAM. I have this same computer and I have 4 GB of RAM in it and running Windows 7 flawlessly. For some reason, if you have a PCI express video card (Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS) and a external sound card (Sound Blaster X-Fi Extreme Music) installed you will only get 3.25 GB of RAM that is usable. It will still show 4 GB of RAM in the bios, but the windows system will only see 3.25 GB even if you are running a 32 or 64 bit version oif windows.

83. If anyone is still following this thread: First, thank you for your patience and willingness to share your knowledge base.

    I gave an co-worker a GT5404 when we put Dell workstations in our office. It ran terribly slowly and they were not careful in their browsing, so I just formatted the drive and did a clean XP Professional install. FYI, the XP disc is from a PC I built years ago but have since trashed, so I really am OK on the license!

    I have it at XP Pro, SP3 and further updates and have three continuing problems:

    On boot, I get a message for “unsupported hardware.” When in the BIOS to change to SATA, I no longer get that message but it doesn’t see the drive. I have tried updating the driver with the one recommended from this site but it has not corrected. So I get the “unsupported hardware” message and it rurns.

    Using the Intel BIOS updater I get a message that the BIOS will not support this hardware and it terminates. This was from the link on this site. Any thoughts?

    In the Device Manager I still show an unknown device, some other PCI device. I may uninstall it and let XP find it, but I’m not sure what it could be.

    Any thoughts on these?

    Thank you in advance,
    Art

84. i have unpluged the power swich cable on the mother board in order to take off the top panel, can someone direct me to its proper placement

85. Will a E6700 3.2GHz LGA775 CPU work with this computer

86. To Art: In the bios set the sata controller to ide and windows xp setup will detect the hard drive and install windows with no problems. The bios CANNOT be updated by a native intel bios update. It can be updated through Gateway ONLY. As for the PCI device I am guessing it is the system management bus drivers.

87. I’m looking to update this computer for light gaming (mainly for Oblivion Elder Scrolls or Fallout New Vegas). Since some of the products have changed over time, I was wondering if there were any current, cost efficient, compatible video cards on the market right now.

    Also I think I may have found some RAM to go along with it, I think this may work for what I need: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/Category/guidedSearch.asp?CatId=10&sel=Detail;30_169_47876_47876

    Any thoughts or feedback would be nice. Eventually I’ll invest in a newer PC.

88. Uh, I forgot to mention that my model is the sister model, the GT5408. Using this site might help you get a better idea on what to suggest: http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/

    Type in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

89. Someone Help I hate the onboard graphics on this GT5404 I bought a XFX Radeon HD4550 GC and I have done everything I possibly can think of and it wont work but it should as it meets the requirements. Its 1gb GDDR2 MEMORY 2.0 PCI/E

90. I know this is an old post, but with a few key upgrades this can be “a mean machine”. In
    the case of my GT 5404, I replaced the PSU with a Corsair CX 430, replaced the Pentium D
    with a Core 2 Duo E6700 (uses 30% less power), replaced the 1GB PC4200 with 4GB (2x2gb) PC6400 and added a Galaxy Tech Nvidia GTS 250 1GB GDDR3 Video Card. While the limitations of the Motherboard bottleneck the ram speed at 667mhz, it is a GREAT improvement. Games like GTA IV, Skyrim, Test Drive Unlimited 2, Cyrsis 2, just to name a few, run PERFECT! In all, these upgrades, through Ebay, cost well under $200.
    Check it out man!

91. Oh sorry, its C.Dubb, not C.Dudd

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