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Editors' note: This review is part of our 2009 Retail Laptop and Desktop Holiday Roundup, which covers specific fixed configurations of popular systems found in retail stores.
We've already reviewed a direct-order version of Dell's Studio XPS 8000, but we thought it would be worthwhile to also have a look at the fixed-configuration version available at retail locations. We came away impressed by the price-performance value of the $1,119 Studio XPS 8000-2361JBK, although we must say we like the online version's black-on-white exterior better than the all-black affair offered in stores. Cosmetic issues aside, we feel comfortable recommending this Dell as a day-to-day desktop for general productivity and mainstream PC gaming.
The retro-futuristic aesthetic of Dell's newer desktops has placed its PCs second only to Apple in terms of visual appeal. The rounded shapes of Dell's various cases have contributed, but the color variety that successfully mixed white, black, and, in some cases, red, has probably done more to separate Dell from the current glut of all-black Windows PCs. That's why we're a bit disappointed to find the retail version of the Studio XPS 8000 regress to all-black conformity. We get that the prickly demands of in-store retail allow for fewer risks, and the color scheme is not generally a primary consideration in how we judge a desktop. Still, reverting to monochromatic black in the retail version of the Studio XPS 8000 is a letdown.
| Dell Studio XPS 8000-2361-JBK | Asus Essentio CG5290-BP007 | |
| Price | $1,119 | $1,199 |
| CPU | 2.8GHz Intel Core i7 860 | 2.67GHz Intel Core i7 920 |
| Motherboard chipset | Intel P55 Express | Intel X58 |
| Memory | 8GB 1,066MHz DDR3 SDRAM | 9GB 1,066MHz DDR3 SDRAM |
| Graphics | 1,024MB Nvidia GeForce GTS 240 | 896MB Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 (216 core) |
| Hard drives | 1TB, 7,200rpm | 1TB 7,200 rpm |
| Optical drive | dual-layer DVD burner | dual-layer DVD burner |
| Networking | Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n wireless | Gigibit Ethernet |
| Operating system | Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) | Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) |
Fortunately, there's more to this Dell than just looks. The combination of Intel's new Core i7 860 CPU and plenty of RAM makes this PC a versatile performer, and competitive among other desktops in its price range. The Asus system above represented the higher end of the retail spectrum for the back-to-school season, and aside from the Dell's wireless card and the Asus' higher-end graphics card, the two are roughly the same as far as features. Dell wins on price, though, and also on performance, as you'll see below. We should also add that if you were to configure this same Studio XPS 8000 on Dell's Web site, you'd pay $1,308 as of this writing.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
 |
Rendering Multiple CPUs | |
Rendering Single CPU |
Outpacing or tying the more expensive Asus on every benchmark is an impressive enough feat for the Dell, but we're also surprised to see it run on par with a $1,350 overclocked midrange gaming box from Velocity Micro on our iTunes test. Short of professional-level processor-intensive tasks, we expect this Dell will have few performance issues in your day-to-day computing.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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1,920 x 1,200 (4x aa) | |
1,280 x 1,024 (4x aa) |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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1,920x1,200 (DirectX 10, 4x aa, very high) | |
1,440 x 900 (DirectX 10, 4x aa, very high) |
Using this Dell for gaming is a slightly different story. It should be fine for most mainstream PC titles, at least those that are currently available. And as long as you stay realistic about the image quality and resolution, you can probably eke out an acceptable experience from more challenging games. Still, given that this system and its better-than-basic GeForce 240 GTS graphics card clearly have some gaming ambitions, we might have suggested that Dell trade the wireless networking card for an even better 3D card. This is a midtower after all, so you're likely to put it on a desk and leave it there, which makes stringing an Ethernet cable to it a reasonable option.
