System configuration:
The Dell XPS 8300 comes with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, 3.4GHz Intel Core i7 2600, 8GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 1GB AMD Radeon HD 5870 and 1.5TB 7,200rpm Seagate hard drive.
Cost:
$1,615
Dell’s XPS 8300 brings to the market Intel’s latest second-generation Core i7 desktop CPUs. While this does not mean you will have the best-of-breed results, Dell has put forward a balanced and affordable package around the new chip. It is a system to be recommended to dedicated gamers or for every day performance.
For the media playing mainstream gamers, the XPS 8300 would be a good choice.
Purchase:
To buy this particular system, you have to go to Dell’s website and check out the XPS 8300 product page. There is some doubt regarding the price stability offered on Dell’s web page and it makes the entire process a bit too cryptic.
Performance:
In comparison with the Velocity Micro system, Dell clearly has the superior Blu-ray burning ability, hard disk space and system memory. The Radeon HD 5870 loses by a slight lead against Velocity’s GeForce GTX Ti card. The Core i7’s Hyper-Threading technology also provides greater advantages. The end point is that the Velocity Micro (and others) holds more potential for gamers than the XPS 8300.
Testing:
: Testing the Dell with 4GB and 8GB RAM highlighted the impact that memory holds on Photoshop CS5 performance. Additionally, when compared with Velocity Micro, Dell’s i7 didn’t stand a chance against the competitions quad-core 4.0 GHz Core i5 chip. The 8GB Dell was able to perform better than the overclocked Velocity system – this highlights the importance of extra RAM.
Over all, Dell’s performance was as expected in terms of clock speed, memory and processing chip. But it is clear that the Velocity Micro system will give a better gaming experience. Another down side is that the XPS 8300 does not allow the addition of a second graphics card.
Ports:
Dell offers better external connectivity with many options available to connect external data and media devices. You have 2 USB 3.0 ports, eSATA port, HDMI, DVI and MiniDisplayPort video outputs as well as 7.1 analog audio out ports and a separate optical S/PDIF digital audio jack.
Power Consumption:
The Dell system consumes a lot of energy, punching in a little under $45 a year (@$0.1135/kWh). It is interesting to note that the Gateway FX6850-51u which has the lowest power consumption cost is very similar to the Dell system. The only major difference is the graphics card (Dell using the AMD Radeon HD 5870 card). Yet this one difference causes the Dell to use more than twice the power Gateway uses. But Dell still meets the Energy Star efficiency requirements.
Support Services:
The Dell customer support competes with ease against its competitors. With round the clock phone support, 1 year parts and labor warranty, different online support resources and diagnostic tools available, the company offers a good line of support services.
Bottom line:
The XPS8300 was made bearing in mind a system that can be a jack-of-all-trades but for an affordable price. For people who want a better performing system, they should shop around some more.
