Dell XPS 420 review

Dell may have a reputation for low-priced office computers, but the XPS 420 shows it can make powerful gaming PCs, too.

Like the other dektop PCs reviewed this month, the XPS has a quad-core Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor. Our benchmarks proved no match for its power, especially our video-encoding test, so it won't keep you waiting around.

The XPS should have no trouble playing demanding games thanks to the GeForce 8800GTX graphics card, which excelled in our 3D tests. Despite its superb performance, however, the XPS is one of the quietest gaming PCs we've heard.

You can watch and record either analogue or Freeview TV broadcasts using the PCI TV tuner, but oddly there's no remote control. There's little space for upgrades, so if you want a second tuner, you'll have to add a USB or PCI Express x1 model or free up a PCI slot by removing the modem.

The two 500GB hard disks are configured as a RAID 0 array by default, although it can be reset as a RAID 1 array, too. There aren't any empty 3in drive bays for adding more hard disks, though.

The XPS doesn't come with a monitor, but some interesting extra features are included. You can easily import video from sources such as a VCR using the S-video and composite video inputs. A Windows Sideshow display shows information such as unread emails or upcoming appointments which could be useful when playing games, but its fixed position above the DVD writer makes it difficult to see. The X-Fi sound card is a more useful extra - its EAX processing can produce more realistic audio in games that support it.

The quiet and well-specified XPS 420 is fast in games and Windows applications, but it's expensive.

Author: Alan Lu