Filed under: Desktops
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Access, Advanced Smart Cache, Advanced Digital Media Boost, and 64 bit processing (from the Core 2 Extremes and Duo desktop chips), as well as Core 2 Duo mobile processors' new Dynamic Power Coordination, Dynamic Bus Parking, and Enhanced Intel Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing, all intended to drop processor juice usage even further. Should we expect to see some announcements of machines based on these long awaited processors? Well, check back in a couple hours, why don't you? In the mean time, Intel assures us that boxes with Core 2 Extreme chips are already ready to rumble, but unfortunately you'll have to wait for the Core 2 Duo desktops and mobiles until early and late August, respectively.Brand-name shoppers will find that the upper-midrange Dell XPS 410 is an easy, if expensive, way to get into the next generation of CPUs without jumping all the way up to Dell’s XPS 700 gaming monster.
Dell’s XPS 700 high-end desktop lives up to our expectations and delivers a polished, powerful, cutting-edge gaming PC. We still have a few issues, but nothing deal-killing and nothing that overwhelms our positive opinion. Dell can now hold its head high in the high-end gaming space, and this is a PC you should consider.
Beneath the admittedly unattractive case, the Cyberpower Back to School Super Value desktop is a winner among its budget brethren for its dual-core processor and upgradability.
The bare-bones Shuttle SN25P PC provides a strong foundation for building a midrange, small-form-factor PC, but the overly complicated CPU fan and heat-sink design might annoy you at certain points during installation.
HP’s Pavilion Media Center TV m7400 series comprises two similar systems but does give you the choice between Intel and AMD processors. Both fixed-configuration PC are capable Media Centers with dual-core processors, ample memory
If you can live with knowing that a handful of PCs out there are still faster than yours, we recommend Dell’s versatile XPS 600 for the extensive features and the good value it provides.
If you can live with knowing that a handful of PCs out there are still faster than yours, we recommend Dell’s versatile XPS 600 for the extensive features and the good value it provides.
If you can live with knowing that a handful of PCs out there are still faster than yours, we recommend Dell’s versatile XPS 600 for the extensive features and the good value it provides.
If you can live with knowing that a handful of PCs out there are still faster than yours, we recommend Dell’s versatile XPS 600 for the extensive features and the good value it provides.
When reviewing a computer from Alienware (or any other “boutique” electronics manufacturer, for that matter) it’s difficult to compare to other systems on the market, mainly because these machines will offer a lot more power than your typical white box PC but also cost a good deal more than a similarly-equipped rig that you’ve built yourself. Therefore, setups like the ~$3,000 Aurora 7500 tower will never lead the pack in value, but XYZ Computing gives this particular model a thumbs up when it comes to performance, build quality, and upgradability — and those benefits don’t come cheap. As you’d expect, the 7500′s dual-core AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ processor and dual nVidia GeForce 7900GT cards in SLI configuration make short work of even the toughest benchmarks, delivering more-than-acceptable framerates for high-end games even at a resolution of 1,600 x 1,200. Besides the steep price (though again, if you want this kind of power on the cheap, you’re gonna have to spend hours building your own box), there’s not much to criticize about this model, although XYZ laments the lack of dedicated fans for the dual hard drives and the fact that the toasty GPUs don’t receive the same kind of liquid-cooling love as the CPU. Still, if you’ve got some extra dough laying around, but not a lot of extra time, it sounds like you can rest assured that the Aurora 7500 will deliver the top-notch fragging capabilities you desire.
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Dell’s new XPS 700 shows that it’s finally starting to take high-end gaming seriously. We recommend you wait for Intel’s next-gen chips before making a purchase, but with a brand-spanking-new case and some other surprises, the XPS 700 brings some long-missing innovation to Dell’s high-end desktop line.
Alienware’s Quad SLI PC features four distinct 3D graphics processors, placing it among the most advanced consumer PCs around. But we’re not convinced that this expensive Nvidia technology delivers enough 3D muscle for the money. Furthermore, we’d caution anyone about buying an ultra-high-end desktop now, with Windows
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Laptops
. The bad news? Dell's Flash-heavy teaser site for the boxes provides little in the way of real specs (unless you consider a statement that the desktop will include "some of the latest processors, graphics capabilities and performance hard drives" enough info). The site does, however, show off some of the desktop's external features, including an aluminum case, a choice of LEDs in 7 different colors, and -- woo hoo -- a stabilizing fin. No specs on the laptop either, natch, but we already have the goods on that one. We're not sure if Dell plans to bring either of these to market, or if they're just eye candy designed to attract gamers to existing products, like the M1710 notebook. However, we expect the desktop to show up in some form, if only so that Dell can try to say that the company's home-grown, Intel-based gear is as good as the AMD stuff they picked up from Alienware -- which, at this point, may be the whole point of keeping the XPS line alive in the first place.Dell’s entry-level Dimension B110 series features aging technology and a dated design, but its members will suffice as second PCs for basic tasks.
Dell’s entry-level Dimension B110 series features aging technology and a dated design, but its members will suffice as second PCs for basic tasks.