Dell Inspiron 518
Dell's Inspiron 518 is the latest in a long line of utilitarian, midrange Windows PCs. We wish Dell offered a bit more flexibility with its configuration, as well as a 64-bit Windows option, but for a straightforward PC, this is one of the more powerful systems for the dollar.
Specs: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4 GHz), 2 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, Vista Home Premium, 667 MHz, Core 2 Quad, 256 MB
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Dell Studio Hybrid
If you're considering all of the computers in the $700 to $1,000 price range, the Dell Studio Hybrid is not very compelling. However, if you limit yourself to the very specific niche of small PCs, you'll appreciate this system's clever design and its relatively powerful hardware.
Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 (2.1 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB Standard, Vista Home Premium, 667 MHz, Core 2 Duo
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Dell XPS 730 H2C
Dell's updated flagship gaming desktop incorporates the latest hardware from Intel, Nvidia, and AMD into a system that delivers some very impressive gaming scores. We'd give it a higher recommendation if it wasn't so expensive compared with systems from the competition.
Specs: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 (3.8 GHz), 2 GB, 160 GB Standard, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Core 2 Extreme, 1024 MB
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Dell Inspiron 530
PC vendors have very few tricks remaining to differentiate their systems from the competition, which makes the built-in Bluetooth in the Dell Inspiron 530 unique. There's little else that makes this system stand out, but if you need Bluetooth in your budget desktop, we can recommend no other.
Specs: Intel Core Duo E2160 (1.8 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, Vista Home Premium, Tower, 667 MHz, Core Duo, 1 year warranty, Personal computer, 256 MB
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Dell XPS 630
With its second full-fledged gaming PC, Dell shows that it understands the mainstream gaming desktop as well as the high-end. The Dell XPS 630 delivers everything a gamer would want in a sub-$2,000 PC, from its components, to its case, to its powerful software. We've seen no better system in this newly competitive category.
Specs: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.6 GHz), 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 500 GB Standard, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 1, Desktop, 800 MHz, Core 2 Quad, 1 year warranty, Personal computer, 512 MB
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