Dell Dimension 8200 2.4GHZ

WHAT'S HOT: Our test system arrived with Dell's new high-end 17-inch 1702FP LCD monitor. The display delivered crisp, easily legible text and sharp icons in our test document, and produced natural-looking flesh tones and rich colors in our test photo. The screen's image remained bright even when it was viewed from sharp angles. If you want to save money, however, substituting Dell's 19-inch M991 CRT monitor will chop $550 off the price.

The stylish gray-and-black clamshell case, with two front-mounted USB 1.1 ports and a front headphone jack, is easy to use. Opening the case--which requires only pressing a button on its top and one on its bottom--spreads the components out and places everything within easy reach. Popping up a green tab removes a cover that secures the PCI slot (our test Dimension 8200 had only one open slot, but the system came well stocked). After inserting green rails (which are supposed to reduce noise from vibration) into the bays, drives slide in easily.

WHAT'S NOT: At $2947, this system is rather expensive.

WHAT ELSE: With a 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 processor and 512MB of 800-MHz RDRAM, the Dimension 8200 we tested earned a score of 120 on our PC WorldBench 4 tests--slightly above the average for similarly configured systems.

This 8200 could be used as a digital video editing system: It has two FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports for connecting digital camcorders, a massive 120GB hard drive (which can hold several hours of digital video), and a Philips DVD+RW drive for burning movies to disc. The software bundle includes MGI's VideoWave video editing application, as well as Microsoft's Office XP Small Business Edition.

The matching black Dell keyboard permits smooth and accurate typing, and it has eight shortcut keys for Internet access plus two USB 1.1 pass-through ports.

In addition to a helpful setup poster, the documentation includes Dell's comprehensive Solutions Guide--specific to the 8200 line--which is packed with myriad illustrations and detailed chapters on troubleshooting and upgrading the system.

UPSHOT: With plentiful disc space, two FireWire ports, a good LCD screen, and a DVD+RW drive, the Dimension 8200 is ideal for video editing.

SUMMARY

Dell Dimension 8200 PC WorldBench 4 score of 120, 2.4-GHz Pentium 4 CPU, 512MB of PC800 RDRAM, Windows XP Professional, 120GB hard drive, DVD+RW drive, 24X-48X CD-ROM drive, GeForce 4 Ti 4200 graphics card with 64MB of DDR SDRAM, 17-inch Dell 1702FP LCD monitor, Sound Blaster Live sound card, Harman/Kardon HK395 speakers, network adapter, midsize tower case, Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition, MGI VideoWave 5. One-year parts and labor warranty; free, unlimited 24-hour daily tech support. $2947 800/388-8542 www.dell.com