Although the Gateway E-Series desktop computers first came on the scene around 2003, they are still widely used in offices around the country. As with any older PC, the quickest and easiest way to get a huge performance increase is to upgrade the amount of system memory available.

Save yourself the time required to learn a new operating system, or the money it costs to buy a completely new system. Extend the life of your older office PCs by purchasing these supplies for Gateway E-Series desktop computers:

1. Upgrade the memory and replace worn out parts in your Gateway E-2000 series desktop.
2. Buy RAM and replacement parts for your Gateway E-4000 series desktop.
3. Purchase a memory upgrade or parts for your Gateway E-6000 series desktop.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find a place to pick up memory and parts specifically for your Gateway E 2000 corporate desktop

The Gateway E 2000 series computers are low-end corporate desktops. Due to a slim profile, these computers were a great choice if office space was at a premium. If you still have an E-2000 desktop in your office, you can increase its performance easily with a memory upgrade. It only came pre-installed with 128MB of memory, but you can upgrade to 2GB total.

I recommend: Purchase a memory upgrade for your E-2000 desktop at MemoryStock or Crucial.com. You can pick up numerous replacement parts for your Gateway E-2000 computer at Cygnus Supply.

Order a memory upgrade or replacement part for your Gateway E 4000 series desktop

The Gateway E-4000 series corporate desktop came preinstalled with 256MB memory -- twice that of the E-2000 desktops. It came straight from the factory with a 2.4GHz Pentium 4 processor and a 60GB hard drive. At the time of its release, this was competitive with any corporate PC on the market. To bring this desktop up to speed for today's requirements, you should bring the memory up to at least 1GB (for Windows XP).

I recommend: PC Memory Store or 4AllMemory.com have PC2100 E-4000 memory upgrades in 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB sticks. Replacement parts can be found at Skyline Engineering, including motherboards, CPUs and power supplies.

Upgrade memory or replace parts to get maximum value out of your E 6000 corporate desktop

The Gateway E 6000 series PC came with a 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 and 256MB of 800-MHz RDRAM in a full-sized tower. It was well-respected as one of the fastest corporate PCs of its time. If you are still using this PC in your office, you can get the most out of it simply by replacing any worn out parts and increasing the memory to at least 1GB.

I recommend: Purchase a RAM upgrade for any E-6000 series desktop model at MemoryTen or Arch Memory. Pick up any replacement parts you need at 9 to 5 Computer.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Beware of allowing the warranty to expire on your Gateway E-Series desktop computers. When you call the Gateway tech support line, you will be prompted to enter the serial number of your computer. If your warranty isn't active, it is nearly impossible to get a hold of a live person on the phone. You can talk to a Gateway technician using their live online chat option, but this only works if your computer is actually up and running. Their service for computers that are under warranty, however, is excellent.

Gateway, Inc. began in a small town in Iowa and grew into one of the largest computer companies in the nation. The company came out with its E-series, the Gateway E-2000 series, Gateway E-4000 series and Gateway E-6000 series, in the 1990s and by the time Acer acquired the company in 2007, new additions to the line had replaced the E series models.

The E-series computers—great for businesses—were affordable and powerful, offering large hard drives for the time and high-speed Pentium 4 processors. You can still find Gateway E-Series desktop computers for sale in electronics retail stores and online, though Gateway no longer manufactures new systems in the factory.

When considering the Gateway series E, you have three basic options:

1. Keep the Gateway E-series model you have, using new parts and accessories to update it.

2. Buy used or refurbished Gateway E-series computer systems for your home or business office.

3. Choose another Gateway model besides the E-series desktop.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy Gateway E-series desktop computers new or used from online and in-store retailers

Look for a Gateway E-series for sale at your local computer store or online, both new and used. This model series comes with a standard or upgrade option of DVD or CD-RW drives, up to 6 USB ports and lots of room for upgrade.

I recommend: Purchase the E6300 at Best Buy while stock lasts. Search eBay for new and used Gateway desktop deals. According to CNET, the E-series models are average in performance and lack the software package and high-end monitor of other computer models. If you aren't sure if you want to buy one, rent an E-series to try it in your office.

Upgrade your current E-series Gateway model to keep it modern

If you're happy with your current E-series model, there is no need to buy anything new. Just upgrade your systems with internal hard drives, memory, video and sound cards, as well as external speakers, display monitors, keyboards and mice. Update Gateway E-series driver and software information and the rest of the physical parts to keep your computer looking and performing at its best.

I recommend: Upgrade your RAM using the specifications listed in the manual for a Gateway E-series desktop. Purchase a new wireless keyboard and mouse as well as a new projector and widescreen LCD monitor for each system to give your staff a way to make better and more efficient presentations to clients and colleagues.

Purchase another Gateway model similar to the Gateway series E

Although Gateway discontinued the E-series, they offer many new high-performance PCs for your office. Consider choosing a new model that will give you all the great performance of the E-series with updated technology and a modern look.

I recommend: Search the Gateway website to compare and purchase similar models. Shop computer and electronics retailers to compare models and features side-by-side. Speak with a knowledgeable staff member about which will fill best your needs.

Update Gateway E-series drivers and keep your computer running smoothly

Use a virus scan to protect your Gateway computer from harmful viruses and worms, and run a program periodically to update any Gateway E-series drivers, or other drivers related to your model or peripheral type. Wipe dust off your computer, so it doesn't build up and organize your files to keep your system running efficiently.

I recommend: Load the latest business software onto your computers to keep them up to date with the rest of the business world. Upgrade to Microsoft Windows Vista Business edition and Office Small Business edition. With new upgrades, make sure to follow up with Gateway E-series driver information to make sure everything works cohesively together.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Save money by upgrading one computer at a time, doing small upgrades instead of buying all new systems. Whether you keep Gateway E-series desktop computers or purchase new models, make sure you stick to your business's budget and get only what you need.

Many offices are still using Gateway E-Series desktop computers. This isn't surprising, considering that the E-Series computers were geared towards corporate use, and were competitive with anything on the market at the time that they were released.

Whether you're a network administrator just taking over a new office or a small business owner trying to get extra mileage out of your existing E-Series Gateway, the following resources will help you keep those older machines in tip-top shape:

1. Find the documentation for your legacy E-Series desktop.
2. Follow tutorials on how to perform upgrades, troubleshooting and repairs on your Gateway Series E desktop.
3. Make sure you have the most recent drivers installed on your Gateway desktop.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find the right manual for a Gateway E-Series desktop in your office

Sometimes it can be difficult finding product information and user manuals for legacy desktops that are still in use in your office. But you can view or download the manuals you need for your E-Series Gateway from a number of different sites.

I recommend: All product information, downloads, and support options for legacy professional Gateway products can now be found on MPC Computers. MPC recently acquired Gateway professional units, and are handling all service and support for these products. Another great resource for user guides and owner manuals is OwnerIQ.

Use a step-by-step tutorial to fix various problems on your Gateway E-Series desktop computers

If you don't have an in-house IT department, it can be expensive to hire someone to fix your Gateway E-Series computer for you. There are certain troubleshooting steps and simple repairs that are easily done yourself, as long as you have detailed instructions on how to proceed.

I recommend: Gateway has an impressive array of tutorials posted on its website for troubleshooting and beginner or novice repairs. Computer Troubleshooting has a lot of great tips and tutorials that aren't specifically geared towards Gateway PCs, but are still immensely informative and useful for E-Series users. The guides on this site are great because they're geared towards the non-geek, meaning that anyone can easily understand and implement them.

Keep your E-Series desktop running smoothly with the most current driver releases

It's usually a good idea to have the most up to date drivers for all of the hardware in your machine. Driver updates are released to address issues that have cropped up in the functioning of the devices in your desktop. Even though the E-Series desktops are years old, it's still worth your while to make sure you have the latest Gateway E-Series drivers installed.

I recommend: Find the right Gateway E-Series driver on the Gateway site. Simply enter the serial number of your desktop, and you will be provided with a list of all of the most current drivers for your machine. If looking the drivers up manually isn't your thing, you can go to PCDriverDownloads.com. Their driver detector will scan your PC and help you automatically update your drivers to the most current versions.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Never underestimate the importance of some kind of regular preventative maintenance on an older machine like an E-Series desktop. You'd be amazed how much you can extend the life of an older desktop by adding another 512MB to 1GB of memory, and regularly running the Windows Disk Cleanup and Defragmentation utilities. Running a free registry cleaner like CCleaner or ToniArts EasyCleaner is a good idea also.

Gateway E-series desktop computers are used in many offices. Although they are no longer in production, used and refurbished Gateway E-series computers are still available for purchase. When shopping for a Gateway E-series computer you may not be familiar with some of the terms used when describing these computers. To understand what features you need to be aware of when purchasing a Gateway E-series computer, review these key terms.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Advanced halt state

Advanced halt state is a function in Gateway E-Series, as well as other computers, that allows the CPU, or processor, to slow down. This saves energy and extends the life of the computer.

I recommend: The EggHead Cafe has information about the advanced halt state function.

Dual core processor

A processor, or CPU, is the part of the computer that executes computer programs. A dual-core processor has two processors in one, allowing the computer to work faster.

I recommend: Wise Geek provides more information about dual-core processors. Tech-FAQ also has detailed information about dual- and other multi-core processors.

Enhanced Intel speedstep technology

Enhanced Intel speedstep technology, or EIST, lets users adjust power consumption and computer performance while the computer is in use. This is common with most Intel Pentium processors.

I recommend: Learn more details from Webopedia about enhanced Intel speedstep technology. Find more information and ask questions at Intel.

Wake-On-LAN technology

Wake-On-LAN technology gives the ability to wake up a computer out of sleep mode from a remote location. This allows IT professionals to wake up a computer for maintenance without actually visiting the site.

I recommend: Tech Target has information about Wake-On-LAN technology and how it works. Visit RTSecurity for details about Wake-On-LAN technology. Read even more at Active Xperts Software.

NIC, or network interface controller

The network interface controller, or network interface card, on a computer gives the computer the ability to communicate over a network. This allows you to shares files with other computers in the network with ease.

I recommend: IWeb Tool has more information about network interface controllers.

Accelerated graphics port, or AGP

An accelerated graphics port is a graphics port similar to a PCI but designed to support a higher level of graphics, such as 3-D graphics.

I recommend: Sysopt has detailed information about AGPs. Understand AGPs better with help from PC Tech Guide.