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Editors' note: This review is part of our 2010 retail laptop and desktop back-to-school roundup, covering specific fixed configurations of popular systems found in retail stores.
We like that Dell includes an HDMI port and Wi-Fi on the Inspiron i570-7034PBK, but we can't recommend this $600 PC when a competing system from Hewlett-Packard offers more features and costs $70 less. Not only does the HP Pavilion p6510y have a wallet-friendly $530 price, but it finished several of our benchmark tests faster than the Dell did. If you're hunting for a budget desktop to perform basic tasks, your needs and your wallet are better served by the HP Pavilion p6510y.
Not surprisingly, Dell uses the same generic case across its entire Inspiron line of budget computers. Dell gave the front of the case a glossy black finish and it has a media card reader that supports Compact Flash, SD, MMC, MemoryStick, and xD cards. You also get audio jacks for your headphones and microphone, as well as two additional USB 2.0 ports--in addition to four more on the back--and an empty drive bay just below the DVD burner.
| Dell Inspiron i570-7034PBK | HP Pavilion p6510y | |
| Price | $599 | $530 |
| CPU | 2.8GHz AMD Athlon II X4 630 | 2.8GHz AMD Athlon II X4 630 |
| Memory | 6GB 1333MHZ DDR3 SDRAM | 4GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM |
| Graphics | 256MB (shared) ATI Radeon HD4200 integrated graphics chip | 256MB (shared) ATI RS880 integrated graphics chip |
| Hard drives | 750GB, 7,200rpm | 750GB, 7,200rpm |
| Optical drive | dual-layer DVD burner | dual-layer DVD burner |
| Networking | 10/100/1,000 Ethernet LAN, 802.11 b/g/n wireless | 10/100/1,000 Ethernet LAN, 802.11 b/g/n wireless |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) |
This comparison chart highlights the similarity between the Dell Inspiron and the HP Pavilion p6510y. Both systems have the same 2.8GHz AMD Athlon II quad-core processor, a similar integrated graphics chip, and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi; however, Dell gives you an additional 2GB of memory for $70 more--we did a quick price check, and a single 2GB stick of DDR3 1,333MHz memory only costs $45 on Newegg.com. When you look at the performance charts, you'll see why we're more confident recommending the HP p6510y than the Dell.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Rendering multiple CPUs | |
Rendering single CPU |
Once again, a comparison of Dell and HP's benchmark scores show congruent results with little deviation between the two computers. Both PCs finished the single application and multitasking tests in about the same time, but the p6510y registered a slightly better score in the multicore Cinebench rendering test. That result could be a testing anomaly, or a result of multiple minor hardware variations between individual components. Regardless, from a performance standpoint you won't see faster results by spending the $70 more for the Dell Inspiron i570-7034PBK.
When two computers have such a similar specifications, the final buying decision comes down to the extras you get in the form of external connections and internal upgradability. In addition to the two USB 2.0 ports on the front, the back of the Dell has four more USB ports, a set of 7.1 audio jacks, Ethernet, and a 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi card installed in one of the two 1x PCI Express slots. The system also has an HDMI port if you decide to use it with an HDTV; however, we don't recommend using a midtower PC in the living room as it's an inelegant solution.
