HP Pavilion HPE Phoenix H9 Series PC

Powerful processor options

How to choose the processor that's right for you

HP desktop PCs offer a variety of processor options, each designed to enhance performance. Processors are distinguished by the number of cores, clock speed, front side bus and cache.

Number of cores

The number of cores in a processor determines how quickly your PC handled tasks. Multi-core processors contain two or more processors in the same circuit, which gives them the ability to work independently or together for larger tasks.

• Single core—For everyday tasks like watching movies, listening to music, word processing and web browsing.
• Dual core—For exceptional multitasking.
• Quad core—For graphics-intensive gaming and media.
• Six or more cores—For intensely demanding apps, gaming and high-def content streaming.

Clock speed

Clock speed, measured in gigahertz (GHz), which is a billion cycles per second, indicates how fast a processor performs an activity. When selecting a processor for your PC, it’s important to consider the activities you'll be performing and the clock speed they require.

• Mid-range speeds up to 3.2 GHz—If you mainly listen to music, organize photos and do word processing, e-mail and web browsing, processor speeds aren't as crucial. If you work with large digital media files, intensive spreadsheets and presentation software, look for processors on the higher end of mid-range speeds.
• The fastest available speeds—If you'll be editing HD movies, love to play games or are involved in multimedia production, look for the fastest available options.
• Turbo technology—If you run a lot of demanding applications, choose a processor with turbo technology to get an automatic burst of speed when your PC needs extra performance.

Front side bus

Your computer's front side bus (FSB) is like the main transit system in a large city. It connects your computer's memory (RAM) to the processor, and quickly transfers data to meet the demands of any given task.

Like the processor, FSB speed is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz). The faster the FSB speed, the faster data moves to the processor and the faster the processor can perform.

Most computers' processors run faster than their FSBs, so the FSB speed is typically a ratio of processor speed. The smaller the ratio, the more efficiently the processor runs. So if you're looking for a fast, responsive desktop PC, be sure to choose a front side bus speed that's compatible with the PC's processor speed.

Cache

Cache is a set of memory circuits measured in megabytes (MB) designed to enhance your processor's responsiveness by keeping common tasks handy. The more level 2 (L2) or level 3 (L3) cache a processor has, the faster it can perform those common tasks.

Graphics cards

Bring content to life with rich graphics

Whether you'll be creating presentations, watching videos or playing games on your new desktop PC, your content will look its best with a powerful graphics card.

Graphics cards (also known as video cards) work with a PC's graphics processing unit (GPU) to display video images. HP PCs give you the option to choose graphics cards from industry leaders so you get the performance you want.

Integrated graphics

Integrated graphics solutions use a portion of a PC's random access memory (RAM) and are integrated into the motherboard.

• + Cost less than discrete graphics
• + Can handle Adobe® Flash and 2D graphics
• - Struggle with 3D graphics and high-end video games

Discrete or dedicated graphics

Discrete or dedicated graphics solutions have RAM that's independent of the computer's RAM used only for graphics processing.

• + Much faster than integrated graphics
• + Can handle 3D graphics and high-end video games
• - Generate a lot of heat and can drain battery power quickly
• - Cost more than integrated graphics

Switchable graphics (dynamic and fixed modes)

A desktop PC with switchable graphics has two graphics chipsets: a low-power integrated card for less-demanding applications and a high-performance discrete card for graphics-intense applications like games. There are two styles of switchable graphics cards, dynamic and fixed.

• Dynamic mode—Enables the use of both the integrated and discrete graphics processors without restarting or resetting the display. This feature helps preserve battery life and is configurable based on your preferences.
• Fixed mode—Typically found in older PCs, it requires you to manually switch back and forth from higher to lower power processors, depending on application needs.

Memory

The amount of memory available for a graphics card determines how quickly the card processes images.

• Up to 256MB—For watching movies and viewing photos
• Up to 512MB—For graphic design and video editing
• 1GB to 3GB—For immersive 3D gaming

Memory options

How to choose RAM for your needs

Random access memory (RAM), or system memory, greatly affects PC performance. The more RAM you have, the better your PC can handle multitasking and demanding applications like 3D gaming and video editing.

Types of RAM

RAM is your computer's main memory. There are many types of memory, but the most commonly used today are:

• Synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM)—Synchronized with the computer's system bus, it allows for higher data transfer speeds than non-synchronized DRAM.
• Double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM)—Offering faster data rate transfers and reduced power consumption than SDRAM, there are different degrees of DDR SDRAM, such as type 3, often abbreviated as DDR3.

Memory modules

Memory modules refer to the type of board and connector used in the computer.

• Single in-line memory modules (SIMM)—A form of memory with a 32-bit data path. Since many processors use 64-bit processing, SIMMs have to be installed in matched pairs to complete the data transfer. DIMMs were introduced to eliminate this practice.
• Dual in-line memory module (DIMM)—A form of memory with a 64-bit data path, DIMMs have become the standard memory module as 64-bit processing has grown in popularity for high-performance computing.

Amount of RAM

Choose the amount of RAM you’ll need based on the activities you plan to do.

• Up to 3GB RAM—For watching movies, listening to music, organizing photos and performing activities like word processing, e-mail or web browsing.
• 4GB to 8GB RAM—For multitasking and memory-intensive activities, such as 64-bit applications and games and photo editing.
• 9GB to 24GB—For computer-intensive video editing, graphic design and engineering software, 3D games and multitasking.

Storage options

Get the storage you need for all your data

Your desktop PC's internal hard drive stores all your data—from programs and drivers to digital photos and music. If you're not sure what rotational speed and SATA have to do with your files, you're not alone. Learn what the most common storage terms mean so you can choose the option that's best for you.

Storage capacity

The more gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB) on your hard drive, the more applications and files you can store. When you select hard drive size, consider the amount of data you have now and what you will be adding in the future. It's a good idea to buy the largest hard drive you can afford.

• 320GB⁶—If you carry select photos, videos and applications with you but plan to keep most of your content on your home PC or server.
• 500GB-750GB⁶—If you have a growing music, photo and video library, and plan to install games, productivity-related programs or design software.
• 1TB-3TB (1,000GB-3,000GB)⁶—If you routinely record your favorite programs—especially in ultra-sharp Full HD format—and want to create a digital archive of your personal videos.

How much can I store?

NOTE: The number of photos, videos, songs and other files shown here are for illustrative purposes only. Your results will vary based on file size and format settings.

Revolution speed

The faster the disks spin, the faster your computer’s data is read and written. Higher revolutions per minute (RPM) translate to higher overall system performance.

Drive style

There are two drive styles available for data storage. Each has its pros and cons.

• Hard disk drive (HDD)—An electromechanical device that contains spinning disks and moveable read/write heads.
  + Available in ever-increasing storage capacities
  + Less expensive than solid state drives
  - Moving disks can be noisy when in use
  
  
• Solid-state drive (SSD)—Flash-based memory stores data so there are no moving parts.
  + Less susceptible to damage from physical shock than HDD
  + Silent operation
  + Uses less power than HDD
  - Typically supports a limited number of writes over life of the device
  - More expensive per GB than HDD

Connection options

• Fast: Parallel ATA (PATA)—PATA was the standard connector for hard drives for many years, but with the faster SATA, it’s becoming obsolete.
• Faster: Serial ATA (SATA)—SATA technology provides faster data transfer and consumes less power than PATA.

Storage schemes

• Standard storage—One internal drive stores all data.
• RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)—The same data is stored in different places on multiple hard disks to provide increased levels of performance and reliability.

⁶Actual formatted capacity is less. A portion of the hard drive is reserved for system recovery software: for notebooks, up to 40GB (Windows® 7); for desktops, up to 26GB (Windows® 7). For hard drives, 1GB = 1 billion bytes.
² Figures represent the average number of photos taken with a 6-megapixel camera in a high-resolution JPEG mode with an average file size of 3.5MB per photo. The actual number of photos will vary by camera model and compression setting.
³The DV format, regardless of its mode (miniDV, DVCAM, DVC-Pro) has a data rate of approximately 25mb/s (mega-bits per second) In storage terms, this translates to approximately 3.5MB/s (megabytes per second) or 13GB/hr.
⁴Music capacity is based on a 4-minute song. MP3 capacity is based on 128 kbps bit rate and 11:1 audio compression rate. Uncompressed CD quality is based on 1:1 audio compression ratio.