Dan Littman

Dell Dimension 4550

Its $1229 price tag makes the Dell Dimension 4550 super-affordable. It turned in a PC WorldBench 4 score of 110, very similar to the score earned by the only other PC like it that we've tested--another Dimension 4550--and right in the middle of the range we saw from mainstream productivity PCs in our December roundup. This system can grow with your family. To accommodate new components, it offers three empty PCI slots and two empty drive bays (one 3.5-inch and one 5.25-inch). As on many other Dimension models, extra plastic clips can hold new drives in the tool-free bays; the clips are snapped to the inside of the case, a boon for do-it-yourselfs.
The Dimension 4550's take-home price is right, but you'll probably want to buy a second optical drive ($20 more for a DVD player, or $229 more for a DVD writer) to take advantage of DVD technology.Despite having a 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 processor and an NVidia GeForce4 MX 420 graphics controller with 64MB of memory, the Dimension 4550's game performance lagged--the graphics processor was so slow that we could see images being drawn on the screen, pixel by pixel.In tests for image quality, Dell's 17-inch M782 CRT showed muted colors and a grayish background that we found generally unpleasant to look at. Its focus was acceptable, however, and text looked sharp.The 4550 case splits open in the back, pivoting out 90 degrees, with drive bays on one half of the system and the motherboard on the other half; as a result, getting at components is very easy. Nevertheless, we had trouble coaxing the latches to release and then to snap into place again when we closed the case, a problem we've experienced with other Dell cases in the past. One minor gripe: A flip-up door covers the two USB 2.0 ports and the headphone jack on the front of the case. Presumably you'll want to see those ports when you open the door, but you can't because the door blocks your view--unless you've got the machine placed so that the ports are at eye level.
Dell includes Microsoft Works Suite 2002, and a generic but thorough manual covers everyday tasks such as adding memory, copying CDs, and hooking up a printer. A reasonable one-year warranty includes a year of support and on-site service with a year of 24/7 toll-free tech support.
The Dimension 4550 should satisfy bargain hunters, but it would be a better-rounded machine if it had a DVD-ROM drive.

Buying Information

Dell Dimension 4550 PC WorldBench 4 score of 110, 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 processor, Windows XP Home, 256MB of DDR333 SDRAM, 40GB hard drive, 40X/10X/40X CD-RW drive, Dell NVidia GeForceMX420-T graphics board with 64MB of SDRAM, 17-inch Dell M782 monitor, integrated sound, Harman/Kardon HK206 speakers, network adapter, V.92 modem, midsize tower case; Microsoft works Suite 2002. Three-year warranty on parts and labor, 24-hour daily toll-free tech support. $ 1229 PC WorldBench 4 score of 110, 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 processor, Windows XP Home, 256MB of DDR333 SDRAM, 40GB hard drive, 40X/10X/40X CD-RW drive, Dell NVidia GeForceMX420-T graphics board with 64MB of SDRAM, 17-inch Dell M782 monitor, integrated sound, Harman/Kardon HK206 speakers, network adapter, V.92 modem, midsize tower case; Microsoft works Suite 2002. Three-year warranty on parts and labor, 24-hour daily toll-free tech support. http://www.dell.com 800/999-3355