Gateway on Tuesday claimed to be the first PC maker to release a quad-core desktop at retail through its FX8020 desktop. Though ignoring the earlier availability of the Mac Pro in its boasting, Gateway's new performance PC takes the same chassis as the online-only FX530 but chooses less extreme components. A 2.4GHz Core 2 Quad and 2GB of RAM make the system especially friendly to gamers; the 512MB Radeon X1950 used for video is pre-equipped with a CrossFire cable to let gamers put in a second X1950 card for faster 3D rather than replace the first card altogether.

The standard FX8020, which should be available today at larger shops such as Best Buy and J&R, ships for $2,100 with 500GB of storage. Some stores will also carry systems with a full 1TB of storage but hasn't received a price. Stores will also have Gateway's 120GB, USB-based Portable Media drive for external backups at a separate cost of $150.