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Entered CNET Catalog: 11/11/2005
SKU: DE310HIP
Manufacturer: Dell, Inc.
Manufacturer description
The Dimension E310 is an entry-level multimedia PC that balances price and performance, delivering the power you need to help stay productive and stay connected, without a heavy impact on your wallet. With the Intel Pentium 4 processor you can quickly access word processing, spreadsheets, multimedia and other applications. Use the Dimension E310 to manage your household budget, or for the kids homework. With its standard 256MB of Shared memory, the Dimension E310 offers the power and speed you need for everyday computer tasks. The Dimension E310 comes standard with Genuine Windows XP Media Center 2005, making it easy for you to access your files and applications, connect to the Web and handle your day-to-day computer tasks and take total control of all your photos and music. The Dimension E310 can help you get more out of music, DVDs, video and other multimedia. With the easy-to-use Dell Jukebox software, you can listen to CDs and MP3s from your desktop. Upgrade to a CD Burner, and you can buy and download new music online and create your own CDs, or add a DVD drive so you can watch movies. And, you can enhance your multimedia experience further with the Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy Stereo. The Dimension E310 comes ready for high-speed Internet access. Connect it to an existing account, or start a new one and discover the advantages of high-speed Internet. Surf, shop and play games online. Download music and streaming video right to your PC. Stay connected and keep in-touch with friends and family around the world - send e-mail, photos and more. Expand you Media Center PC by adding an optional TV Tuner with remote control and watch live TV on your PC. Great for kids rooms, dorm rooms, offices that double as a spare bedroom and even living rooms.Product summary
The good: DataSafe hard drive array provides data security; BTX case runs quiet and cool.
The bad: FireWire ports aren't standard; system lacks graphics-card expansion slot.
The bottom line: The budget Dell Dimension E310 is strong on data security but surprisingly weak on graphics and upgradability. For a true multimedia PC, be prepared to spend a little more.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 02/14/2006
Entry-level PCs usually scrape the bottom of the barrel in terms of components and performance; they're good for Web surfing, e-mailing, and word processing--and not much else. With the Dimension E310, Dell is raising the bar (and the price). Dell calls the E310 ($957 with monitor and speakers) an entry-level multimedia computer, largely because it uses the Media Center version of Windows XP. For serious multimedia work and frequent multitasking, we suggest a dual-core system such as Dell's own HP Media Center m7260n Photosmart PC. Choose the Dimension E510 for basic tasks and more occasional use. In the E310's favor are its attractive price (the baseline model costs $499), its 64-bit-capable processor, and Dell's DataSafe hard drive backup solution. We just wish it used a more recent chipset and offered a graphics upgrade path.
From the outside, the silver-and-black Dimension E310 looks about as middle-of-the-road as you can get--understated and unadorned. A cutout directly behind the front panel provides a centrally located fan exhaust--a staple of its BTX design. A media-card reader, a double-layer DVD burner, and a single USB 2.0 port are all you find up front. A FireWire port is available as a $30 option (although it should come standard).
When you pull the case-release lever and remove the side panel, you'll find that the case interior is well laid out, offering easy access to all components and slots. The drives are easily removed, and the cables are well managed. But you may be a bit dismayed with the internal expansion option. While the E310 has two PCI slots and a single PCI Express x1 slot, it lacks a dedicated x16 PCI Express slot for graphics cards. The integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics of the 915G chipset are your only option. By contrast, the $599 eMachines T6420 (the price works out to be approximately the same as the E310's when you add a monitor) features an x16 PCI Express slot, which lets you upgrade the graphics down the road. Even the budget AMD Sempron-based HP Compaq Presario SR1620NX supplies an x16 PCI Express slot.
The Dimension E310 comes standard with 512MB of DDR2 RAM, which is barely enough for most users. Fortunately, upgrading is fairly painless--only $30 for an upgrade to 1GB. Upgrading to the system's 2GB maximum capacity will set you back $180.
CPU choices are slightly more limited. Our review unit came with a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 521 processor. It's not anywhere near the top of the line, but it helped the E310 run 12 percent faster than the Pentium 4 519-based Gateway DX200X on CNET Labs' SysMark 2004 application benchmarks. If you want even more speed, the 3GHz P4 630 makes a worthy $40 upgrade. Your only other CPU option is the 3.2GHz P4 640 (a $90 upgrade). Besides running faster, the 600-series CPUs offer a 2MB L2 cache rather than the 1MB cache on the 521 series. Intel's 915 chipset is fine, especially for a budget system, but it's not the company's most recent.
The combination of midrange CPUs with a lack of video-card options means the Dimension E310 won't do much for you as a gaming system. Frame rates were too low to run Half-Life 2, although older games, such as Unreal Tournament 2004, should run at lower resolutions.
Dell ships the Dimension E310 with the Windows Media Center Edition operating system, giving users an easy way to manage photos, music, and videos. If you want a physical restore CD for the operating system, you'll need to spend an extra $10--a wise investment, even if you shouldn't really have to pay extra for it. Both the Media Center remote and a TV tuner card are optional. The remote alone costs $29, or you can get the remote and a basic single-tuner, standard-def ATI Theater 550-based TV tuner for $100. Plenty of other options are available off the shelf if you decide to add TV tuner functionality later on.
The included monitor is an analog-only Dell E176FP 17-inch LCD, although you can bundle a variety of 19- and 20-inch LCDs starting at an additional $150. The integrated Audigy Sound Blaster audio is fine for all but the most discerning audiophiles, and the included Dell A525 30-watt 2.1 speakers offer surprisingly good sound for a system with such a small subwoofer. The bundled software package, which Dell calls its Starter Entertainment Pack, includes the Musicmatch audio player and Corel Photo Album 6 Starter Edition.
Despite the lack of standard FireWire ports, internal expansion slots, or Media Center hardware, one thing the Dell Dimension E310 does provide is advanced data security, namely Dell's DataSafe hardware-and-software-based data-protection solution. In a nutshell, DataSafe is a dual-drive RAID 1 array with a software component that automates backups. Our review unit came with dual 80GB hard drives, but only one of them was available to us for storage. The other remained invisible, taking regular snapshots of the visible drive. Should the system ever suffer a major hardware malfunction or fall prey to a malicious spyware agent, a few mouse clicks would send the backup software (in this case, Norton Ghost) into action, restoring the main drive with a snapshot taken before the trauma occurred. You can also opt for a DataSafe arrangement that uses two 160GB drives.
The Dimension E310 comes standard with a one-year warranty, which includes at-home service and 24/7 phone (not toll-free) and online support, including chat. Dell provides useful printed documentation and an incredibly thorough Web-based support center. Adding a second year costs $80, while the premium hand-holding service Dell On Call, which can help with anything from hardware problems to spyware, costs $49 for 30 days.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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BAPCo's SysMark 2004 rating | |
SysMark 2004 Internet-content-creation rating |
Find out more about how we test desktop systems.
System configurations:
Dell Dimension E310
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 2.8GHz Intel Pentium 4 521; Intel 915G chipset; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 400MHz; integrated Intel 915G graphics chip using 128MB shared memory; two WDC WD1600JS-75MHB0 160GB Serial ATA 7,200rpm; integrated Intel 82801FR Serial ATA RAID Controller (RAID 0)
Dell Dimension E510
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 3GHz Intel Pentium 4 531; Intel 945G chipset; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 400MHz; 128MB ATI Radeon X300 SE (PCIe); Maxtor 6L160M0 160GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA
eMachines T6420
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005; 2.2GHz AMD Athlon 64 3400+; Nvidia C51G chipset; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; integrated Nvidia GeForce 6100 graphics chip using 256MB shared memory; Seagate ST3200826A 200GB 7,200rpm IDE
Gateway DX200X
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 3.06GHz Pentium 4 519; Intel 915G chipset; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; integrated Intel 915G graphics chip using 128MB shared memory; Seagate ST3160023AS 160GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA
HP Compaq Presario SR1620NX
Windows XP Home SP2; 2GHz AMD Sempron 3400+; ATI Radeon RS480 chipset; 512MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; integrated ATI Radeon Xpress 200 graphics chip using 256MB shared memory; Seagate ST3160021A 160GB 7,200rpm EIDE
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 User Rating: 
10/10
A fast reliable machine
Pros: I have had this for two years, and it has never failed me. It goes like the wind and has plenty of unused disk space. I use it for business at my home. I particularly like the two cd drives that both write and two USP ports right in the front.
Cons: I cannot think of anything wrong with it. I love it.
User Rating: 10/10
needed an upgrade, now works GREAT!!!
Pros: I upgraded the RAM to 2Ghz and works just great, Im using a 32" HDTV connected to the built-in video and the image is awesome, I use a lot of web desing aplications and i can have all of them open at the same time with no problems at all.
Cons: had to spent extra on wireless mouse and keyboard and a good pair of speakers
in summary, Strong design, really easy access to sockets and interal wiring, a huge CPU fan tha goes to a frontal braeathing hole allows a good ventilation.
i got it about 2 years ago and i will keep it at least another 2.
User Rating: 
1/10
Worst Computer Ever built
Pros: There is absolutely nothing good about this computer.
Cons: It's a piece of ****. Won't update anything, have to get a whole new motherboard to upgrade your video card, freezes all the time. I am on another computer right now because I got so angry I threw my computer out of the window, and hit it with a bat.
User Rating: 
4/10
not bad good for checking e-mails but not much more
Pros: processor is not bad, space for a second SATA hard drive
Cons: underpowered there is only a 230 watt psu, the graphics card is extremely bad, difficult to upgrade and no pci express 16 slot for new graphics card
specs- 2.8 ghz processor, 2 gigs of ram, 160 gig hard drive and 80 gig, 400 watt psu, 2 gigs of ram, 512 graphics card
User Rating: 
9/10
really good pc
Pros: its really fast i got the 1 gig and 160 gig hard drive kicks hp butt
Cons: costomer service
User Rating: 
8/10
good entry level pc
Pros: 6 usb ports, fast cpu, good upgrade options
Cons: no firewire,pci-e 1x
User Rating: 9/10
Very good system for the price.
Pros: Like the HD space, the media aspects of the system.
Cons: The lack of being able to use a really high power video card....
User Rating: 9/10
Excellent for basic media
Pros: Fast for basic media
Cons: Needs to be cleaned at least once a month
User Rating: 9/10
I Love It !
Pros: card reader available, lot of memory, large HD
Cons: not many...possibly more memory and bigger HD
User Rating: 
7/10
No Complaints
Pros: Good speed, Nice look
Cons: None (For My Use)
User Rating: 9/10
It a very good computer
Pros: This is a vary good computer it quit and fast it is nicely designed
Cons: When I first bought this computer I had to put more memory on it because of all i had like games, documents printers,ect but after I put more memory on it it works perfect
User Rating: 9/10
This is a Very nice PC
Pros: Fast, Quiet, 2 Disk Bays, 13 in 1 media Reader
Cons: Suckish standard Graphics chip not card.
User Rating: 10/10
This is the best computer I have owned
Pros: very quiet, fast and nice cool look
Cons: No upgradable room in the case...
User Rating: 7/10
Very good system
Pros: fast, 17" Flat Panel, and good RAM
Cons: As with all name brand computers: Trial Software
User Rating: 
3/10
Too expensive for very little computer.
Pros: It's quiet.
Cons: Loaded with Dell mallware, limited upgradability, expensive.
This computer is also touted as an "entertainment system" ... of course that's Dell speak for "full of useless mallware crap". Dell is certainly the king of that particular niche. In all fairness it comes with maybe ... maybe ... 3 useful programs but nothing anyone reading this couldn't find free and/or better replacements for. If you want to install iTunes and put a music CD in the drive ... you're going to have to put up with MusicMatch Jukebox blowing up in your face at the same time. I hope you like X'ing out windows for 5 minutes strait. They really really REALLY want you to sign up for AOL too. The processor is supposed to be a decently fast one, but with all the garbage running in the background it's slow as molasses. You'll get used to waiting 3 beats between clicking on an icon and anything happening ... like opening up an explorer window and actually being able to see the contents inside.
The thing to do with this PC, if you should happen to find one on eBay cheap (or in the trash in a few months) would be to erase the hard drive and reinstall Windows from the get go ... however if you're at that level of computer literacy you're smart enough to find something better and cheaper than this boat anchor.
User Rating: 9/10
USE IT FOR WHAT IT IS
Pros: Excellent Training Tool
Cons: mediocre processor options
You can't upgrade this system. I don't think that DELL intended it to be so. It's definitely "as is".
HOWEVER..............
This is an excellent system. Use a system like this for a while and begin to focus on what you want to do with that E510 or XPS that you are going to buy. It obvious that this is a media PC learning tool.
A lot of people dive into heavy options when they really shouldn't. Sometimes, starting at the top causes uneccesary confusion.
Get a gig or better and be sure to obtain the operating system disc.........
I have ordered one of these. Once it is operational, I will update all of you.
Don't tear Integrated Graphics to shreds until you understand how it all works.
Spend the extra money at get-go: Install the top-end processor and 2 Gigs.
If you are unhappy with the results, the IG can be disabled, and you can go to plan B. Don't try this at home! Make d--n sure that your computer guy knows the EXACT procedures.
Keep in mind that there is no perfect system set up.
In some cases, the Intel 900 series IG is running with or beating some of the available cards. You would be surprised at some.
9 times out of 10, it's the inial setup that creates disappointment.
I got mine today. My heart rate is still up.
I put it together, fired it up - quiet and quick. The display was a lot more than I expected. A whole lot more ....... I called my neighbor over to test it out. She has an E 510.
She wishes that she had saved a few hundred now.
I went with the E 310 because of all of the graphics card problems with the E 510. See my review in the E 510 section for more. Don't knock IG if you don't know how it works.
Of course, this isn't the standard configuration.........
My system has the high-end P4 and 2 Gigs. If you are going to get one of these, spend the extra bucks.
I have used her E 510, more than once and this new E 310 is running circles around it.
My display looks better too.
Of course, I'm writing this review on my old 2000 L600r, that I still use all of the time.
The funny thing about it is: I started looking at the E 310s because I didn't like the E 510 white case. Go figure.........
More coming soon.
After a month.............
The system itself performs as good as any.
Truthfully, the BTX case sucks. I do like the color though. I have installed an additional case fan and installed a better CPU fan.
I have installed a 256MB Graphix Card. I have installed a 350 watt power supply.
So much for warranty.......... but I do love it.
A stock model is still a great PC and worth the price. You will have to add an extra fan - no two ways about it.
User Rating: 8/10
Great machine for the money
Pros: Value, Media Center, easy to add hardware, 17 inch flat panel monitor
Cons: No dual monitor support (not a big deal)
User Rating: 
6/10
It Broke. Cust Service IS responsive. But it Broke.
Pros: Fast internet, very good pricing and Great Coupons
Cons: quirky behavior at times; plus it broke: well the cd/dvd burner broke, anyway
From the beginning the CDRW/DVDRW was quirky or didn't work at all, plus it froze the 'puter necessitating using the on/off switch to turn off,then try it all again.
Customer Services was polite, the things they had me do worked (for a little while) and included opening it up to plug/unplug the hardware; uninstalling the driver and rebooting. But upon the 3rd call in 4 days, I insisted on a new cdrw/dvdrw and a person to install it. They did that and it was quick. Within 48 hours i had a call from a tech and scheduled a weekend service at no extra charge.
The Techie replaced the hardware and it worked a bit, but i asked the techie to stay while we tried everything but dvd burn (no blank available) -- we played a music CD, installed a CD software program, and copied a CD. BUT it wouldn't read the cd it copied from or the one it made, and it no longer was able to do anything but freeze the computer. The techie called Dell's Techie line and they talked for awhile and ran the machine in "safe" mode.. the hardware would do some stuff, but not all stuff. They kept talking. We rebooted for the second time, and suddenly everything was working right, and tried twice. And so far, it is reading and installing software and reading DVDs. But I have little faith as the process of "repair" was quite mysterious.
Tech Support Dell stated that should the problem re-cur, they will refund or replace.
So that is good. If i use the borrowed USB external CD burner, i could ignore all the problems, but really.. there shouldn't be these problems !!!
This E310 is a transitional computer, as next year i had planned to buy a powerbook (now Power Mac). Given all this, i intend to definetly go with my plan to go apple next year.
User Rating: 8/10
Overall including Dell service a solid 8
Pros: Mature looking, flat panel and economical
Cons: No hardpaper manual and typical trial software
User Rating: 1/10
THE WORST SHOPPING EXPERIENCE EVER !!!!!! STEER CLEAR !!!!!
Pros: mouse was ok
Cons: slow--loud-fuzzy--archaic
To be totally fair, I did get to talk to one English speaking gal, only to find out they had once again transfered me to the wrong department. I can not even begin to count how many times that happened.
STEER CLEAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!
User Rating: 1/10
HORRIBLE CUST SVC, TWO CONSECUTIVE NEW COMPUTERS WERE BROKEN!
Pros: ONE POSITIVE, OUT OF SEVERAL HOURS OF PAINFUL TECHNICAL AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT I SPOKE WITH ONE PERSON WHO COULD ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND AND SPEAK ENGLISH
Cons: CUSTOMER SERVICE, FACTORY HARDWARE INSTALLATION, SYSTEM SOFTWARE
DO NOT BUY A DELL COMPUTER, YOU WILL BE VERY SORRY WHEN THE TIME COMES THAT YOU HAVE A TECHNICAL SUPPORT ISSUE. IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO BE RESOLVED BECAUSE OF ABYSMAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF THE FOREIGN TECH SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVES.
User Rating: 7/10
They're running a clown circus at Dell
Pros: Fast computer
Cons: Their tech support, customer support and sales sucks
By the way, they no longer send people to your home to install anything for you. So if your mother board fries and you need a new one, you will have to install it. If you need a new DVD drive, you will be installing it. They require you become a technician to own one of their computers.
If you need to install anything, you will be opening up your computer and crawling inside and doing everything yourself.
After I bought my new E310 I discovered that I needed an additional hard drive for a project I decided to do. So I ordered one through Dell. First the salesperson sent me the hard drive with no bracket rail or IDE cable. That means I could not install the hard drive.
So after wasting my time on the phone going in circles I finally discovered that it was the spare parts department that I needed to be talking with. I had to wait a week for them to send me the bracket rail and IDE cable that I needed.
So I opened up my computer AGAIN and called Dell's nightmare tech support department to walk me through installing it properly.
Well guess what, after 30 minutes on the phone we discovered that the salesperson who did not send me a bracket rail or IDE cable with this hard drive also sent me the wrong hard drive for my computer. I needed a SATA hard drive for the E310 but that is not what I received.
So then I had to wait another week for them to send me the correct hard drive.
Then I called their tech department again to walk me through the installation. And what a miserable nightmare that was.
For something that should have been so simple, I remained on the phone with their tech support for three hours. These people seem to waste my time every single time I call them. Every time.
First, without asking me any questions, the tech turkey told me to unplug my C drive. Luckily I questioned the idiot, otherwise he would have created a disaster for me. I told the tech turkey that I was adding an additional hard drive, not replacing my existing one.
To make an infuriating story short, four hours later after my new hard drive was NOT showing up in "My Computer" and after having to go into the system bios three times to find my new hard drive that was NOT accessible to me, the tech turkey tells me that he cannot help me at that point and that I need to call their software support department.
Was there a cost for that I asked, and of course their was. I declined his infuriating offer of time wasting stupidity.
Luckily I had 11 months remaining on my dial-a-tech service, so I called them. Within 10 minutes we discovered how to get my new hard drive to show up in "My Computer."
All it took was to go into the Control Panel and right-click on the unnamed hard drive and to click "initialize."
And for that the tech turkey insisted that I need to be transferred to another department of their circus clown operation to pay another fee.
The infuriating icing on this bad tasting cake is that the arrangement that I made with them for UPS to pick up the hard drive that they sent me initially, that was the wrong hard drive for my computer, has not happened.
And this is after getting a Return Authorization Number from them and calling them twice about getting UPS to pick it up.
Which means that they surely have not credited my credit card for the exchange for the new hard drive that I had to buy from them to replace the wrong hard drive that they sent me initially.
Again they are wasting my time and infuriating me with their clown circus ways.
And this story is so typical of dealing with them, in my experience of many years with their computers.
I hope you have more fun in their clown circus than I have had.
User Rating: 7/10
Good so far
Pros: Good speed and memory, nice case
Cons: Need to be able to put better graphics card in
User Rating: 7/10
So far so good.
Pros: Cheap, fast.
Cons: Integrated video.
So far it has been working nicely, however I do have one complaint.
The vast majority of LDC and DLP Projection TVs have a native resolution of 1280x720 (not 768). The integrated video (Intel) on this PC which is billed as a media center PC does not support that mode. Silly. In fact none of the modes it *does* support are a 16x9 aspect. So if you are using this to drive your 16x9 TV you will suffer some stretching or reduced resolution (which is soo against the point of buying a big expensive TV).
In defense of Dell, I have searched and am having a tough time finding any consumer video cards (or PCs) that do support the 1280x720 or other 16x9 modes. If they do, it's the 16x9 480p mode which is just silly for a modern PC. My old GeForce card used to support this, but new models don't seem to. What gives?
I know this PC is not a superfast machine, but it seems to suffice to drive my media center (with a yet to be identified video card upgrade).
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