- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 8 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
3.5 stars
"A good Vista setup for home use"
Pros: Overall very stable and responsive, hefty amount of RAM and disk space, has an actual video card; handles my video editing in Adobe Premiere Elements without a hitch; handles Vista's graphics very smoothly.
Cons: While it's generally quieter than my last Dell desktop, the fan is FREQUENTLY changing speeds, so you end up noticing the noise more often. I dislike the feel of the default keyboard and will likely replace it soon.
Summary: I agree with CNET's assessment that this is a good midrange VIsta system for home use. Overall, It's quick and responsive. I like that it has a video card instead of integrated graphics. It handles VIsta's graphics very nicely, and it even handles my video editing in Adobe Premiere Elements pretty well. At some point I may upgrade this card if we get more into gaming, but I also realize that this might require an upgrade to the existing 350-watt power supply. The default keyboard has a cheap, laptop-like feel to it -- you get very little tactile feedback when typing. I expect I'll replace it soon. And while the system is definitely quieter than the circa-2005 Dell Dimension desktop that it replaced, I can hear the fan speeding up and slowing down very frequently while in use, and all that "whirring" gets a bit annoying.
