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7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Comments from an owner."
Pros: Solid machine; overclockable; dual-core extreme edition.
Cons: Weak powered USB, no SLI ability.
Summary: I recently bought an XPS Gen5 with the extreme-edition dual core, 4GB of 667MHz DDR2 RAM, ATI X850 XT Platinum Edition, and two 10,000 RPM Raptors in a RAID 0. I've overclocked it to 3.4.
First off, I'm not sure why the CNET reviewer states that there isn't a 10,000 RPM drive option. It's always been there and I got 2 of them. I've brought this to CNET's attention a week or so ago, but I don't think they'll modify the original review.
Overall, I'm very happy with the machine. I work at home often and overall stability was more important to me than a pure gaming machine. I use apps that either already are dual-core ready or will be very soon.
It still handles gaming just fine though and can run GTA San Andreas with every option maxed at a 1600x1200 resolution without any hiccups.
All-in-all, the machine runs quiet(except when the Raptors kick-in... 10,000 RPM drives are definately much noisier than 7200) and I've had no performance issues. My only minor critisism about the machine is only partially DELL's fault. The USB ports are under-powered and only a couple (out of 7)have the juice to support a powered, external USB drive. I think this is more of an Intel motherboard issue, but when you drop this kind of coinage on a machine, it's a little lame to have to run out and buy a PCI USB card to ensure a stable USB connection. Keep in mind though, with everything else I've plugged in - battery units, iPod, etc... there hasn't been an issue.
All said, it's been a heavyweight performer so far for me. If you're looking for a gaming-only rig, this might not be the best option, but it definately can handle its business and is a fantastic option for those who seek a top-top end machine that can do it all.
