Dell XPS 420

The cramped interior hinders expansion possibilities elsewhere. Two extra DIMM slots can be used to boost the slightly disappointing 2GB of DDR2 667MHz RAM, but there are no free 3.5in bays for additional hard disks - it's just as well there's plenty here already.

You can add a Blu-ray drive if you need to, however, via a single 5.25in expansion bay lurking beneath the XPS 420's bog-standard DVD writer.

The 420's selection of extras is disappointing. You have to pay extra if you want a monitor or speakers, and the mouse and keyboard set supplied is unremarkable, too. The PC that we recommend in our A List - the PC Specialist Apollo Q6600GT - comes with a 22in TFT and 5.1 speaker set, but isn't much more expensive at £1,000.

It's this paucity of extras that puts paid to the Dell's prospects. The XPS boasts a strong line-up of components, including a decent graphics card and a strong processor that can be overclocked if the mood takes you and performance is strong.

The chassis has some notable features, including that SideShow screen, but there's just not enough value elsewhere: for this sort of money we'd expect a monitor at the very least, and a touch more expansion potential, too.

Author: Mike Jennings