▶▶▶ Compaq Presario CQ62-220US Laptop PC

Compaq Presario CQ62-220US Laptop PC Review

I got this laptop at another retailer on sale for 0 and I'm pretty happy with it. It is certainly a good deal at 0, above that I'm not too sure. The size and weight are great as far as I'm concerned. Not so large and heavy that you feel like you're carrying a desktop around, but large enough to get some real work done. Although the hard drive could stand to be a tad faster, most other laptops at this price come with around 250 GB, so the extra space is appreciated. The processor is really pretty fast. I think this is the first laptop I have ever played with that doesn't seem to struggle with more than a few web pages open at a time. I can run media player, office, firefox, and few other things without so much as a hiccup. The sound is pretty decent. It has Altec Lansing speakers, and the sound card has some neat features like virtual surround sound. I don't know how well those work, but they are cool to play with. Video is really good on this thing. I have a TV tuner usb dongle that has been a struggle for every other computer, but this one runs and records 1080p video no problem. The LCD screen required some adjustment for me. The colors and brightness are little off, but I did meddle with the drivers a lot so that might have something to do with it. Gaming is a mixed bag. I suppose its decent for a 0 laptop, and I suppose you really shouldn't be gaming on a laptop anyway, but I can't help it. It runs some older games really well (especially counter-strike source), but it struggles a lot with newer games. I have been able to get mass effect 2 to be barely playable, though I often find myself wishing that I had an extra 3-5 fps. I don't have a desktop, so any PC gaming is done on this thing for me.

Cons:
-If I had it to do over again, I might have opted for a slightly more expensive laptop with a slightly better, discrete video card. I feel a bit duped in that regard. I should have done more research, but AMD gives the impression that the HD 4250 is a discrete video card. It isn't. It is SLIGHTLY above average INTEGRATED VIDEO. In fact, AMD's graphics processor naming conventions are completely nonsensical now. 4250 may be considerably slower than a 4200 or much faster than a 69000 or whatever. The names and numbers no longer have anything to do with anything. It is good at processing video (DVDs, AVI, MPEG, TV TUNER), but not so great at 3D graphics.
-The touchpad is a little bit of a pain. It is kind of cool looking, but as it blends in with the case it is easy to drift off of it and this gets irritating. The buttons are way too tough. I find myself awkwardly using two hands, one for the touch pad and one for the buttons.
-The shortcut buttons on left side of the keyboard are pretty pointless, and I find myself constantly hitting them on accident when I am trying to hit tab or shift which are always, and have always been on the left edge of the keyboard.
-It is a Compaq/HP. Neither of these are my favorite companies. HP has had a history of making shoddy laptops and issuing half-hearted recalls after the warranty is over. I've never been terribly impressed with their driver support either. Toshiba probably makes the best laptops, but you do pay a premium for the brand name. Unfortunately, Toshiba's current generation of similarly priced laptops are very unimpressive. I was torn between this computer and slightly cheaper Toshiba, but this one was slightly better in every way except for the manufacturer.

Overall I would say I'm pretty satisfied with this computer. It is a good deal for the price, especially if you don't plan to do much gaming on it, and you don't mind taking a little bit of a gamble on Compaq.

Compaq Presario CQ62-220US Laptop PC Feature

AMD Athlon II Dual-Core Processor for Notebook PCs P320 (2.1GHz, 1MB L2 Cache); 3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 DIMM) - Max supported = 8GB; 320GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA); Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
15.6 inch diagonal HP BrightView HD LED Display (1366 x 768); ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 Graphics with up to 1405MB total graphics memory; LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support; Dolby Advanced Audio with Altec Lansing speakers
Textured HP Imprint finish in matte black; Integrated microphone
Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector); Wireless LAN 802.11b/g/n WLAN
3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0; 1 VGA (15-pin); 1 RJ -45 (LAN); 1 Headphone-out; 1 Microphone-in

Compaq Presario CQ62-220US Laptop PC Overview

Multitask more efficiently with the power of a dual-core processor and 3GB of memory. The affordable Compaq Presario CQ62-220US Notebook PC is function-forward with style made simple. Convenient one-touch keys give you fast access to email, the Web and other common applications. This Compaq laptop also looks great with the fingerprint-resistant, textured HP Imprint finish in matte black. Watch videos and view photos easily on the 15.6-inch diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED display, plus save power with this ENERGY STAR® qualified product. Enjoy everyday computing for a great value. The Compaq Presario CQ62-220US Notebook PC helps you do it all. Burn custom labels onto CDs and DVDs using LightScribe Technology. Connect this notebook PC to a digital camera, MP3 player and other digital devices using the USB ports. Browse the Web from any room and on the go using built-in Wi-Fi, plus manage and share your photos using HP Photo Creations software. You can also store thousands of photos and songs directly on the hard drive of this Compaq laptop.

Compaq Presario CQ62-220US Laptop PC Specifications

IDEAL FOR

Everyday value. Count on simple productivity and enjoy entertainment in high-definition with the mid-size Compaq Presario CQ62-220US Notebook PC. Edit photos and videos easily, plus use one-touch keys for fast access to your email, the Web and other common applications. This laptop PC also looks great with a fingerprint-resistant finish.

SPECIFICATIONS