CNET editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
OK
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 07/29/2009
- Released on: 06/28/2009
Editors' note: This review is part of our 2009 Retail Laptop and Desktop Back-to-School roundup, covering specific fixed configurations of popular systems that can be found in retail stores.
The Dell Inspiron 545 straddles the line between budget and midrange PC because of its $720 price and a few above-baseline features. The problem is that we can find several desktops both more and less expensive that make this Dell look overpriced. We don't want to pile on, but this system is the third Dell back-to-school retail desktop that has failed to impress us. We've certainly liked Dell's retail offerings in the past, so we know it's at least capable of competing on the shelf. Whether it's the sour economy, a misreading of its competition, or a combination of factors coming through in these PCs we're not sure, but we're surprised to find that we can't recommend any of Dell's sub-$1,000 retail desktops for the back-to-school season.
On the outside, the Inspiron 545 has no obvious issues. Its glossy black plastic front has the same unobtrusive appeal as other recent midtower desktops. You get no top side accessories like a CD tray or a rubberized surface for placing handheld devices, but we can always take or leave those features. A media card reader is hidden behind a front panel door, making the face of the system completely innocuous.
| Dell Inspiron 545 | Asus Essentio CM5570-AP006 | |
| Price | $720 | $630 |
| CPU | 2.3GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 | 2.3GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 |
| Memory | 8GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM | 6GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM |
| Graphics | 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3450 | 512MB Nvidia GeForce G100 |
| Hard drives | 1TB 7,200rpm | 750GB 7,200rpm |
| Networking | Gigabit Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet; 802.11b/g/n wireless |
| Optical drive | dual-layer DVD burner | dual-layer DVD burner |
| Operating system | Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) | Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) |
As we mentioned, the Inspiron 545 has a value problem. We could pick one of several PCs to compare directly with this Dell. The Asus Essentio CM5570-AP006 makes a good fit because the Dell's only major advantage is its service and its 1TB hard drive, which gives it a 250GB storage edge. The Asus has wireless networking, though, and while not a crucial feature in a midtower, it can still be useful for those who want to minimize cable clutter. The Dell has more RAM than the Asus, but as you'll see on our benchmarks, the extra memory doesn't do much to set the Inspiron 545 apart on performance.
Before we delve into performance, a few other PCs bear mentioning next to this Dell as well. If we look even further into the selection of retail budget desktops, the Gateway SX2800-01 fares very well next to the Inspiron 545. That $510 Gateway outperforms the Dell on every benchmark, and while it lacks a discrete graphics card and has only a 640GB hard drive, there's very little this Dell can do that the Gateway system can't. Similarly, if you spend just $30 more, the Asus Essentio CG5270-BP003 will come through with consistently better application performance and a 3D card that, unlike the Radeon HD 3450 in the Dell, offers noticeably better graphics performance, turning in 67 frames per second on our lower resolution Unreal Tournament 3 test, where the Dell managed just 15fps.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
 |
Rendering multi-CPU | |
Rendering single CPU |
On most of our application tests, the Dell isn't wildly out of whack for its configuration, and stays in the same relative ballpark as the Asus CM5570 and the Gateway that share the same Core 2 Quad Q8200 CPU. But even if we don't count our iTunes test, which confounds the Dell for some reason, we'd still like to see the Dell outperform its less expensive competition. The Dell's extra RAM and its video card will likely provide a better experience editing video than on the Gateway, but we don't imagine most of the likely buyers of these PCs have video editing in mind. And for the tasks they probably will perform, such as consumer-level photo editing, media file conversions, Web browsing, and light duty multitasking, the Dell doesn't provide a significant advantage for its higher price.
We do give Dell credit for selecting a card with multiple video outputs, including HDMI out. That will let you connect this system to a television, or, more likely, a modern LCD that comes HDMI-equipped. We wish Dell had had such foresight with the rest of this PC's outputs. The back panel gives you analog audio output, four USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet jack, and a modem. eSATA, digital audio, and even FireWire are completely absent. Even a year ago we might not have expected those features in a desktop in this price range, but Gateway and other vendors have offered them in systems from $500 on up for the last nine months. The HDMI output on the video card was a smart choice, but the rest of the platform badly needs updating to stay competitive.
Continue reading
