For the latest refresh of the high-performance Dimension 8300 line, Dell has turned to one of Intel's latest chipsets, the 875P (also known as Canterwood). The latest Dimension 8300 is housed in the now-familiar (and still not very user-friendly) black-and-grey case, and offers plenty of performance and features.

The proprietary Dell 875P motherboard features a 3.06GHz Pentium 4 with an 800MHz FSB and Hyper-Threading technology, supported by 512MB of PC3200 (DDR400) memory. By using two 256MB memory sticks, the 875PE's dual-channel memory mode is enabled. Because of the case design, the layout of the dual-memory slots is a little unusual - two DIMM slots are in the conventional vertical position, while the other two are banked over almost flat against the motherboard.

Our review model had a couple of extras on top of the base specification, such as the Seagate ST3120023AS 120GB Serial ATA hard drive, with a spin speed of 7,200rpm, and an 8MB cache. An NEC ND-1100A DVD+R/RW drive sits in one of the two 5.25in. drive bays and a 16X Samsung DVD-ROM drive occupies the second.

The graphics performance of the 8300 is impressive, being powered by an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro with 128MB of DDR memory which, together with the Creative Audigy 2 sound card, should impress even the most jaded gamer. Output from the 9800 Pro goes to a Dell 18in. UltraSharp 1800FP TFT monitor. A set of Altec Lansing ADA 995 5.1 speakers plugged into a Creative Audigy 2 sound card completes the multimedia line-up.

Of the four PCI slots, only one is available to use - the one immediately under the AGP slot must remain empty to allow adequate cooling for the graphics card. The sound card and a V.92 modem occupy the other two. This lack of slots isn't really a problem as the ICH5 Southbridge incorporates plenty of on-board features, including Intel's PRO/100 Ethernet and support for eight USB 2.0 ports (six in the rear I/O panel and two in the front fascia).

The Dimension 8300 comes pre-configured with Windows XP Home Edition, although XP Professional is available as an upgrade option for £50 (ex. VAT). Warranty is Dell's three-year, on-site deal with next business day response. It's an attractive package using best-of-breed components.

Contact: Dell (0870) 907 5693 (Evalue code 200-D52REV)
www.dell.co.uk

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