Digital Home Thoughts: Dell's XPS Studio XPS 7100: Big Bang for the Buck

Above is my review video of the Dell Studio XPS 7100, a desktop PC from Dell - be sure to check out the unboxing and first impressions video if you haven't already watched it. This particular model I ordered runs Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, and is powered by an AMD Phenom II X6 1055T. This is AMD's six-core CPU, running at 2.8 Ghz with a turbo boost up to 3.3 Ghz. This particular configuration of the XPS 7100 also includes an ATI Radeon HD 5450 with 1 GB of RAM. It has a 750 GB 7200 RPM hard drive, a Blu-ray reader/CD/DVD burner, 6 GB of DDR3 RAM, memory card slots, and gigabit Ethernet.

My overall conclusion? The Dell Studio XPS 7100 is a very capable machine - and, impressively for a Studio XPS, surprisingly quiet. The case won't win any design awards, but it's functional and the tray on the top with the two USB ports is a handy addition. I'd have liked to have seen two more USB ports on the back though - four isn't much for rear-mounted, always connected peripherals. While the AMD CPU can't match the sheer computational power of the Intel Core i7 CPU, having six cores at this price point is hard to beat. As configured with the ATI 5450, this isn't much of a gaming computer, but the faster 5770 GPU can be added in to get better gaming performance.

So did I keep the XPS 7100? No, I did not - I returned it to Dell for a refund. Although it was a great deal, due to an unforeseen financial surprise - the bad kind - I had to re-evaluate which of my recent purchases (new Xbox 360, Mac Mini, XPS 7100) were "must keep" purchases. I also remain extremely impressed with how quiet my Lian Lee case + hard drive suspension system is, so when the time comes, I'll upgrade my workstation with that - and I may just go with an AMD six-core CPU because I was so impressed with it in this review.

The Dell XPS Studio 7100 is a solid machine with great value for the dollar - in fact, when my mother in law said she was shopping for a new computer, this exact configuration is what I suggested she purchase and she's been quite happy with it since.

Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys photography, mobile devices, blogging, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, his wonderful son Logan, and his sometimes obedient dog. He's surprised how much he likes the Dell Studio XPS 7100.

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