CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 08/14/2003
- Released on: 07/08/2003
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 No vacancy: our test system's drives bays were all occupied. |
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Standard legacy ports adorn the system's rear panel, along with four USB 2.0 ports. A 10/100 Ethernet port is integrated onto the motherboard, as are the audio ports. A modem PCI card provides RJ-11 in and out connections for dial-up Internet surfers. On the front panel, there are two more USB 2.0 ports and a headphone jack.
 The motherboard offers three PCI slots but no AGP slot for advanced graphics. |
 The front panel provides two USB 2.0 ports and a headphone jack. |
Even if its color schemes and industrial design are arguably a bit heavy and uninspired, Dell does a great job of making sure that all of a PC's components work well together aesthetically. Our test system's keyboard, mouse, monitor, and speakers were all decorated using the same color palette. We've previously lavished praise on Dell's multimedia keyboard, and we'll do it again, thanks to its large volume wheel that integrates perfectly with the bundled speaker system; gives you the most efficient, intuitive control over your PC's audio; and takes up no additional desk space. You won't find Intel's new 865 (a.k.a. Springdale) chipset in Dell's budget Dimension line, but the Dimension 2400's performance still improves over that of the Dimension 2350. (For a speedy 800MHz frontside bus and support for dual-channel 400MHz memory, you'll have to shop for a system from Dell's Dimension 4600 line.) The Dimension 2400 uses the Intel 845GV chipset, which offers speedier subsystems than the Dimension 2350's 845GL chipset does: the frontside bus increases from 400MHz to 533MHz and supports faster 333MHz DDR memory, up from 266MHz. The motherboard supports up to 1GB of memory and both Celeron and Pentium 4 processors. Our test system had a 2.4GHz Pentium 4 processor, 256MB of memory, and a 7,200rpm 30GB hard drive, which Dell has since replaced with a 40GB model for the same price.
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 Covering the basics: DVD-ROM and CD-RW drives. |
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Dell offers a handful of dedicated and combo optical drive options, ranging from standard CD-ROM players to full DVD/CD burners. Our system came with what is probably the ideal combination for anyone who doesn't require DVD-recording capability: a 16X DVD drive and an NEC 48X/24X/48X CD-RW drive.
Our tested configuration's peripherals included a three-piece Harman Kardon speaker set, which delivered crisp stereo audio, perfect for listening to a CD while you work. Gamers and multimedia hounds won't really look at this system, so a 4.1 or better surround-sound speaker system isn't a realistic upgrade, although Dell does offer several from which to choose. If you upgrade your speaker package, you'll also need to opt for the SoundBlaster Live sound card. A two-button optical wheel mouse and the aforementioned Internet/multimedia keyboard round out the accessories.
For this price, Dell preloads only Corel WordPerfect as your productivity suite; Microsoft Office SBE is a $150 upgrade. Dell also includes Dell PictureStudio software (of which higher-end versions are also available) and the Dell Solution Center, a compendium of support links and utilities. Application performance
Our Dell Dimension 2400 test system turned in disappointing application performance results. Its SysMark2002 score of 209 was only 1 percent faster than what we saw from the Dimension 2350 last fall--well within the error margin of the test, which means that performance is essentially unchanged. And you can see what a bump in performance you receive by going from Dell's budget line, the 2400, to the midrange Dimension 4600C. The Dimension 4600C configuration we tested has higher specs across the board (most notably, the Intel 865 chipset), costs about twice as much as our Dimension 2400 test system, and nets you a nearly 30 percent advantage in application performance. Busy, multitasking offices might want to pay up for the greater power of the Dimension 4600C or a similar system. For completing basic home-office tasks and Web surfing, the Dimension 2400 will suffice, but we still expected to see better performance from Dell's latest revision of its budget Dimension line.
Application performance (Longer bars indicate better performance)
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To measure application performance, CNET Labs uses BAPCo's SysMark2002, an industry-standard benchmark. Using off-the-shelf applications, SysMark measures a desktop's performance using office-productivity applications (such as Microsoft Office and McAfee VirusScan) and Internet-content-creation applications (such as Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Dreamweaver).
3D graphics and gaming performance
Integrated graphics solutions don't usually provide the level of 3D graphics performance needed for applications with demanding 3D graphics requirements. The Dimension 2400 is no exception. With its integrated Intel 845GV graphics solution, the 2400 will not be able to run most high-end game available today.
3D graphics performance (Longer bars indicate better performance)
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To measure 3D graphics performance, CNET Labs uses Futuremark's 3DMark2001 Pro Second Edition, Build 330. We use 3DMark to measure a desktop's performance with the DirectX 8 (DX8) interface at both 16- and 32-bit color settings at a resolution of 1,024x768. A system that does not have DX8 hardware support will typically generate a lower score than one that has DX8 hardware support.
3D gaming performance in fps (Longer bars indicate better performance)
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To measure 3D gaming performance, CNET Labs uses Quake III Arena. Although Quake III is an older game, it is still widely used as an industry-standard tool. Quake III does not require DX8 hardware support--as 3DMark2001 does--and is therefore an excellent means of comparing the performance of low- to high-end graphics subsystems. Quake III performance is reported in frames per second (fps).
Find out more about how we test desktop systems.
System configurations:
Dell Dimension 2350
Windows XP Home; 2GHz Intel P4; 256MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; integrated Intel 845G/GL 64MB (shared memory); Maxtor 6Y060l0 60GB 7,200rpm
Dell Dimension 2400
Windows XP Home, 2.4GHz Intel P4; Intel 845GV chipset; 256MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; integrated Intel 845GV 64MB (shared memory); WDC WD300BB-75DEA0 30GB 7,200rpm
Dell Dimension 4600C
Windows XP Home; 2.8GHz Intel P4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; Intel 865G 64MB; Seagate ST3120023A 120GB 7,200rpm
Systemax Venture LP U26R
Windows XP Professional; Intel 845G/GL chipset; 2.66GHz Intel P4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 MX 440 64MB; Samsung SP8004H 80GB 7,200rpm
ZT Group Home Office Desktop A5003
Windows XP Professional; Nvidia Nforce-2 chipset; 1.83GHz AMD Athlon XP 2500+; 512MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; Nvidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra 128MB; Seagate ST3120023A 120GB 7,200rpm Dell offers some of the best support resources in the PC business. The company has an industrial-strength Web site complete with user forums, an extensive knowledge base and FAQ list, and even live chat with a customer-care representative. Your Dell warranty includes a lifetime of 24-hour toll-free phone support and 30 days of software support. As with all of its systems, Dell includes a clearly written, printed user guide that's specific to the Dimension 2400.
Our Dimension 2400 evaluation system is priced with the basic one-year warranty, which includes one year of onsite service. Dell also offers a number of warranty upgrades, including its CompleteCare Accidental Damage Service, which protects you against electrical surges, spills, drops, and so on; home installation of your new system; and even an online training package.
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