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The Dell XPS 8300 is a great looking computer, built inside a diminutive, yet stylish chassis not available anywhere else. The two tone cream and black finish is appealing and connectivity is well catered for, with ports available on the top, front and back of the case.
In regards to performance, the system didn't fail to deliver, handling the latest Direct X 11 engines with ease, thanks to the inclusion of the powerful Nvidia GTX 560 ti graphics card. When this is combined with the Core i5 2500 processor we found it could handle anything we threw at it, including 3D rendering and 1080p encoding duties. The RAID 0 hard drive configuration helps to improve overall system responsiveness and is a worthwhile option to utilise.
Internally, the system is well put together, although the routing is not the best we have seen and actually quite messy. We would assume that when Dell put a machine such as this into mass production that they are aiming purely for build speed. Negatively, we were also disappointed to see that they were using ram modules without heatspreaders. I would class this as unforgivable in 2011, as the costs for this upgraded memory would be negligible.
The XPS 8300 has many uses, it is powerful enough to handle gaming duties on a 24 inch monitor or 1080P television set. It is quiet enough to double up as a media center in a living room or bedroom. It is also small enough to fit into a variety of environments, while maintaining a sleek and attractive appearance.
We do have some concerns with the Dell upgrade tool however, as we mentioned earlier in the review, the cost of the GTX560 ti upgrade for instance is £370 extra. This seems a little over the odds to us and it would be much cheaper to buy a GTX560 ti and upgrade the machine yourself. Obviously this somewhat defeats the purpose of buying a prebuilt machine.
The configuration we received for review costs £1,329 according to the pricing on their site as of today. It is a solid machine and it will suit a wide audience, but it can't earn a MUST HAVE award at this price as there are many alternatives available in the UK, some of which would cost less. That said, we really did like the custom chassis and selection of components, it is a very capable all round performance system.
Pros:
- The case design is very appealing.
- quiet.
- runs cool.
- Raid 0 configuration performs well.
- great CPU and GPU performance.
Cons:
- rather expensive when compared to other machines with similar specifications.
- some of the ‘upgrade' pricing seems high.
- no heatspreaders on memory.
- internal cable routing could be neater.
Kitguru says: A well built machine with balanced specifications.
It looks great, but the upgrades ruin the price. at £500-700 its a good deal, but I would have to get a GFX for it myself and fit it. their tool is ludicrous.
It is a common problem with many companies including Apple. They release a standard build which offers good value, then by the time you add all the cool bits, the price is over the odds.
I do like this computer too, but for £1,300 there are better systems available, and most of them include a monitor too !
I bought one of these last week for my parents. I didnt include the RAID 0 or the graphics card and the price was good. They love it, and its ideal for their living room. It is very small.
When I saw £429 I thought, wow thats good., then saw the spec and the final price and almost fainted.
If they included a 24 inch screen it would still seem very expensive, without a monitor its ridiculous.
it is a nice system and the review shows the good parts, but I could build it better and for £500 less. It only has a one year warranty as standard too, which is pretty stingy.
Im not against Dell, but people who know a lot more about computers dont like their pricing system, its almost as bad as Apples
over £1300 without a screen and and SSD. WTF.
6 out of 10 for this. I dont care if its quiet or small. Its way overpriced. The scoring on Kitguru is generally too high. I dont mind the system, but it cant get 8 out of 10 at over £1,300! I could get a high spec gaming laptop for this price!
I really like seeing these reviews because I am sure others, like me can’t build a PC. part of the price is for support too. Its important for people like me to know they will be looked after.
I have bought Dell systems for 10 years and I have never had a problem. I would buy these also if I had the budget right now.
Its a hell of a nice looking PC, especially for Dell. However, and its a big however. what is up with the price?
Why do you have a drop-down box to change pages on a review? This is extremely irritating and it doesn’t seem to be designed to force users to see more ads. So…why?
Also why use unspecific language such as “several” when you can be exact? We are looking at a picture that obviously shows TWO USB ports on the front of the case, and you write “…panel which holds hides several USB ports.” Again, why?
Other than that, thanks for including the extra information, especially the exact specs of the power supply.