Dell Dimension 8400 is the best deal in high-end desktop computers.
Written: Jan 31 '05 (Updated Feb 01 '05)
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Pros: Very fast, reliable, good customer support, reasonable selection of components.
Cons: Nothing significant found so far.
The Bottom Line: Highly recommended for its speed, build quality, and customer support. For its price, you will not find a better desktop, PC or Mac.
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| jvandegr's Full Review: Dell Dimension 8400 (D84RM) PC Desktop |
Introduction
I'm reviewing my Dell Dimension 8400, which is my third personal computer from Dell. I sold my first Dimension to a friend for half its purchase price when it was three years old. That was four years ago and it's still running. I just sold my last Dimension, which is four years old, to another friend and it's still running strong. All of the Dimension and Inspirion desktops that I've used at work have also been very solid. So, perhaps needless to say, Dell was an obvious choice for my next computer. I did my homework first however, re-evaluating Dell's offerings in comparison to other manufacturers. Compaq, HP, and Gateway have never impressed me because I've watched too many of them self-destruct. Alienware makes some well-spec'd machines that really scream, but they have serious reliability and customer support problems. Sony makes a decent PC, but for the same price I can get a Dell with better specs and reliability ratings. ABS was really the only the serious contender, along with the Mac G5. For a very comparable computer, ABS's price was several hundred dollars more. I couldn't convince myself that I was getting hundreds of dollars of more computer, so only the Mac G5 remained. Of course there are software issues with switching platforms, but I was willing to put those aside and just go for it anyway. I checked the benchmarks and couldn't see for certain that the G5 outperforms the 8400, except in a few tests. That and over $300 more in price left only the Dimension 8400. So here's how it's going so far:
Features
Of course, features vary depending on what you order. Dell offers a reasonable selection of components to choose from, but I still wish they had a few more options, especially in the video card department. Here's what I ordered:
- Pentium 4 Processor with HT Technology at 3.40GHz with 800 FSB (I ordered 3.2 and they gave me a 3.4 at no additional cost - nice).
- 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz (2x512M)
- 128MB PCI Express x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) ATI Radeon X300 SE video card
- 80GB Serial ATA Hard Drive 7200RPM (by Maxtor)
- Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability (by NEC)
- Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit ADVANCED HD Audio Card
- Windows XP Home Edition (with Service Pack 2 factory-installed)
Here's what I didn't order, which is partially why it runs so clean (keep it simple!):
- a floppy drive
- a second optical drive
- a huge hard drive to fill up with a bunch of junk programs that eventually end up crashing the drive, or at least making it very slow
- AOL
- McAfee Virus Scan (it sucks system resources just like some viruses)
I also did not order a keyboard, mouse, speakers, or monitor, because I'm using what I've ordered with my previous Dell Dimension. This includes a Microsoft Natural Pro keyboard, Logitech MX310 optical mouse, Harmon Kardon 395 speakers with subwoofer, and Dell P992 Trinitron monitor. All of these components have worked flawlessly with the new Dimension 8400.
My Modifications
To keep things really running smoothly, I've made the following modifications and I recommend these to anyone. I've uninstalled several Microsoft programs including Word, Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, and Windows Media Player. In their place I have Corel Word Perfect 12 (factory-installed on this Dimension 8400), Mozilla Firefox (blows away Internet Explorer), Mozilla Thunderbird (much better than Outlook Express), and QuickTime Player 6.5. This frees up some hard drive space, makes for a smoother running system, and increases flexibility. I've also made some basic "tweeks" to Windows XP, such as removing some appearance options, but these are very basic and a quick google search can show anyone how to do them. Finally, I've also removed a few Dell-installed programs that I knew I wouldn't use (MusicMatch Jukebox, etc.) to free up some hard drive space. Otherwise, this machine remains "stock."
Performance
The speed and reliability of the Dimension 8400 have been admirable. I've had the typical Windows XP glitches, but this is certainly no fault of Dell's. No hardware problems, no problems with the factory-installed software. Besides the standard peripherals (keyboard, mouse,etc.), I have a film scanner, a flatbed scanner, one printer, a DSL modem, and a memory card reader attached to this Dimension (as I did on my previous Dell) and everything has worked perfectly from the start with no installation problems and no conflicts. With six rear USB 2.0 ports and two front USB 2.0 ports that come standard on the Dimension 8400, I've sold my USB hub and I still have ports left over. A single gigabit ethernet port is also standard on this computer, which makes for extremely fast connectivity in a networked environment, or with a DSL modem. I've had zero problems with my ethernet connection to my DSL modem.
The ATI X300 SE video card is a lower-end video card that is suitable for nearly all uses, with the exception of gaming. If you do a lot of gaming, you will quickly notice this card's limitations. However, for most purposes it performs very well. I do extensive imaging and graphics work on a Trinitron CRT monitor on this computer and I've never run into any significant problems. If you plan to do some gaming and you're at all serious about it, consider upgrading to the X600 or X800. Or, consider a faster card from another manufacturer - I wish Dell had more offerings here.
Like the video card, the Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit sound card is essentially bottom-of-the-line. I've never had a problem with any Creative Labs audio card, and this one is no exception. Although Creative Labs higher-end cards can produce noticeably better sound quality with the right speakers and a CD-quality audio source, this Sound Blaster Live! does a great job with even my most dynamic MP3s. For watching the occasional DVD movie and listening to music while I work, this audio card performs well, even to my discriminating ear. Yes, for a hundred dollars more you can get better sound quality and actually notice the difference, but this is not something I need on my computer. If I want audiophile quality sound, I'll burn a CD and take it over to my HK AVR 20 II and PSB Speakers.
The DVD/CD burner has worked perfectly the few times I've used it. The Sonic software is fairly intuitive and does what I ask it to do without any problems. Write times for DVD-Rs is plenty fast at about 16X. The read speed of this drive is very fast (approximately 48X). I've had no difficulty whatsoever in accessing data from CD-Rs burned on a different CD burner with different software. Music playback from CDs and computer-burned MP3s works so well that there's nothing to say about it, other than it's made even more enjoyable with Creative Labs Media Player (factory-installed on this Dimension 8400).
If you need to open the box for any reason, Dell's clam-shell design is mostly a joy to use. Press the buttons at the top and bottom and it folds open vertically - no need to tip it on its side as with older Dimensions. The Dimension 8400 has a larger box than the 4000 series Dimensions, which I feel keeps interior components a bit cooler by allowing for better air-flow (and cooler is always better). It also allows for good expandability, including several drive bays and four memory slots. The box is lockable on the exterior for security.
Packaging and Delivery
As with every Dell order I've placed (four now, including one for a family member) over the past several years, everything has arrive on-time, or earlier than expected. I've never received an incorrect order in any way, nor have I ever received a damaged computer or component. Every time I've placed an order, I've had the luck of getting free shipping, which Dell offers at least a couple times each year. I've never had a better experience with packaging and delivery from any merchant, regardless of product.
Conclusions
For it's price (less than $1000 in December 2004), this machine is simply unbeatable. Very fast, reliable, expandable, and easy to upgrade and maintain. Like any computer, it requires some care (clean out junk programs, defragment the drive from time to time, keep the intakes free of dust and debris) but with just basic care, it should provide years of trouble-free use. Thanks to their quality products, reasonable prices, and good customer support, I remain a Dell user after owning several Dimensions.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 975
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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