Dell XPS 420 Review
If you want to own the latest and greatest desktop PC, you now have more options than ever before. In the face of so many new choices, it's hardly surprising that more and more people are turning to the tried-and-trusted Dell desktop machines, particularly the XPS models which have their own specially trained Dell XPS technical support service.
So is the XPS 420 the right way to go if you want that extra performance edge?
The basic XPS 420 configuration has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 128MB video card, but for only a few pounds more you can step up to the quad core models which start with a 512MB video card. As such, it doesn't really make much sense to go for the basic configuration - in fact, it's probably only featured on Dell's website to make the other versions look that much better. But what else should you expect from the XPS 420?
Apart from the basic config, all other XPS 420 models have the same 2.4 GHz Quad-Core processor, so that's one less thing to worry about. On the performance front, you can go for a RAID Stripe 0 hard drive setup which will significantly boost the speed of data transfer to and from your disks. This is of particular benefit if you're running a media production rig using a lot of audio or video streaming.
Here are some key points to consider when configuring your XPS 420:
- Processor:
As mentioned above, the Dell XPS 420 can be configured with an Intel dual core 2 GHz processor, but the best value option here is certainly the 2.4 GHz Intel Quad-core processor with 8MB cache. FSB speed is important too, as this affects how quickly data can pass from memory to the processor (the XPS 420 Quad-core comes with a fairly ripping 1066 MHz FSB speed).
- Memory:
The best value configuration on the Dell site is 2GB, and this is the default for new XPS 420 systems. You can always add more memory later on if you need it. Going from 2GB to 4GB can cost up to £120 extra if you have Dell install it for you in your build, but you can get 4GB of XPS memory elsewhere for around £80. If this is the case, then even if you hire someone to install it for you, it may still be cheaper to upgrade your memory afterwards (this doesn't affect your Dell warranty). However, Dell often run special offers where you get extra memory upgrades for free (or at a reduced price), so it's worthwhile keeping an eye out for these.
Note: The XPS 420 has now been upgraded to XPS 430! Check it out by following the link below...