Dell Dimension 4300

There is, however, a well-rounded software bundle comprising Windows 2000 Professional and Microsoft Works Suite 2001 with the full version of Word, and the Dimension 4300 also features the Dell Solution Center support application. This software is initiated via an icon on the Desktop and links to online tips on Dell's Web site, as well as electronic documentation stored on the hard disk.

The Dimension 4300 offers a reasonable amount of power for £1,149, with an additional £49 for delivery, although some users may be a little wary of the limiting one-year, collect-and-return warranty. The system could also be tricky to upgrade with no spare DIMM sockets and only two free PCI slots, in spite of Dell's focus on making the case accessible. However, the inclusion of a GeForce3 graphics card notwithstanding, the 2D performance is still under par compared to significantly cheaper Athlon systems. Also, while offering good value for a Pentium 4 CPU and the features on offer, the Dimension 4300 ends up being only slightly above average overall.

Author: Paul Trotter