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Dell XPS 420

Dell XPS 420
Full Set Optical Drive Tower and Screen

REVIEW

The XPS 420 ($2,098 direct, $2,378 with 20-inch widescreen LCD monitor) is the latest in Dell's line of upscale PCs. It replaces the XPS 410 as Dell's high-end multimedia desktop. This is the one you look at if you want power but feel that the XPS 720 with dual graphics cards is too much PC for your needs. The XPS 420 gives you a whole bunch of multimedia power in a decently priced package, with forward-looking technology, including a Blu-ray drive and the XPS miniView, which uses Microsoft's SideShow technology.

red arrow Read the Dell XPS 420 full review

Company

Dell, Inc.

http://www.dell.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $2,129.00 - $2,409.00
  • Type: General Purpose, Media
  • Processor Family: Intel Core 2 Quad
  • RAM: 2 GB
  • Storage Capacity: 320 GB
  • RAID: Yes
  • Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 8600 GT
  • Primary Optical Drive: Blu-Ray Disc
  • Monitor Type: LCD Widescreen
  • Screen Size: 20 inches
  • Notes: $2,129 direct, $2,409 with 20-inch widescreen LCD monitor

Bottom Line

The XPS 420 has a few outstanding features that could put it on the short list if you're in the market for a technology-forward multimedia PC.

Pros

Quick quad-core performance. Blu-ray drive. SideShow display. DataSafe (local and online components). Xcelerator transcoding accelerator. 15-month antivirus subscription. MCE Gyration remote option. 802.11n wireless networking.

Cons

Competition has HD DVD and Blu-ray for the same price. It's way big. SideShow apps are still limited. No multimedia hard drive bay.

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