The gorgeous wide-screen display makes us long all the more for HDTV support. Although the Dimension 9100 sports two TV tuners, a truly high-end Media Center (HP's z555 comes to mind) would also include an option like ATI's HDTV Wonder, which enables you to view and record over-the-air HD broadcasts. Even so, we can't complain about the system's otherwise excellent TV and DVR capabilities.
If TV recording and playback isn't a priority, the highly configurable Dell 9100 is also available with Windows XP Home or XP Pro (but not Windows XP Pro x64 yet), and without TV tuner cards. Bundled applications are geared toward come-ons to purchase upgraded versions and include Musicmatch Jukebox Basic, a trial version of QuickBooks, Corel WordPerfect 12.0, and Corel Photo Album Basic.
Our other complaints with the Dimension 9100 are few. Although Dell's 100-watt, 5.1-channel 5650 speaker system (paired with integrated 7.1-channel audio) produces wall-rattling sound, we found the subwoofer a little weak. Also, the wired keyboard and mouse may suit gamers, but they're not ideal for a Media Center PC. If it were up to us, we'd go wireless.
Following a recent trend we are unhappy to see, Dell has trimmed its standard warranty to 90 days of parts-and-labor coverage, which includes onsite service and free 24/7 phone support. We strongly recommend spending the additional $22 for a full year of coverage. Two-, three-, and four-year plans are also available. A quick-start poster is included, but instead of a printed manual, Dell provides an electronic one. Dell's site offers a deep knowledge base and lets you contact tech support via e-mail or live chat.
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BAPCo SysMark 2004 rating | |
SysMark 2004 Internet-content-creation rating | |
SysMark 2004 office-productivity rating |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Doom 3 1,600x1,200 4xAA 8xAF | |
Doom 3 1,024x768, 4xAA 8xAF | |
Half-Life 2 1,600x1,200 4xAA 8xAF | |
Half-Life 2 1,024x768 4xAA 8xAF |
(Lower times are better)
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Sorenson Squeeze 4.0 video encoding test (in seconds) | |
Adobe Photoshop CS test (in seconds) | |
Apple iTunes 4.7.1.30 MP3 encoding test (in seconds) |
Find out more about how we test desktop systems.
System configurations
ABS Ultimate X8
Windows XP Professional SP2; 3.2GHz Intel P4 Extreme Edition 840; Intel Nvidia Nforce4 SLI Intel Edition chipset; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz; 256MB (2) Nvidia GeForce 7800 GTX (PCIe SLI); two WDC WD740GD-00FLA2 74GB SATA 10,000rpm; Hitachi HDS724040KLSA80 400GB SATA 7,200rpm; integrated Nvidia Nforce4 Intel Edition SATA RAID Controller
Apple Power Mac G5 dual 2.7GHz
Macintosh OS 10.4; dual PowerPC G5 2.7GHz; 4,096MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra (AGP); 250GB Maxtor Serial ATA hard drive
Dell Dimension XPS Gen 5
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 3.2GHz Intel P4 Extreme Edition 840; Intel 955X Express chipset; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz; 256MB ATI Radeon X850XT PE (PCIe); two WDC WD2500JD-00GBB0 250GB Seral ATA 7,200rpm; integrated Intel 82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (RAID 0)
Dell Dimension 9100
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 3.2GHz Intel Pentium D 840; Intel 945GP chip set; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800 (PCIe); two WDC WD160JD-75HBB0 160GB Serial ATA 7,200rpm; integrated Intel 82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (RAID 0)
HP Pavilion d4100e
Windows XP Home SP2; 2.4GHz AMD Athlon 64 4000+; ATI Radeon RS480 (ATI Radeon X200 Xpress) chipset; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800 (PCIe); Seagate ST3400832AS 400GB 7,200rpm, Serial ATA
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