Dell Dimension 3000 Desktop (2.4 GHz Celeron, 512MB, 40GB, CD-ROM, FreeDOS)

Like all Dell systems, the Dimension 3000 comes with user-friendly features such as well-labeled and color-coded rear ports, a detailed setup poster, and an extensive user manual. Although Dell wasn't the top-ranking PC maker in our recent Reliability and Service survey, most of the company's reliability scores were above average. Its service scores for phone support, though, were below average.

The biggest disappointment was the system's embarrassingly slow performance. With a WorldBench 5 score of just 62, it landed about 30 points below the average for value systems on our Top 15 Desktop PCs chart. To be fair, this PC is far cheaper than those on the chart. Though poky by today's standards, it's good enough for running office applications, browsing the Web, ripping CDs, and playing DVD movies.

The integrated Intel 865G graphics system could play simple games in our tests (we used The Incredibles: When Danger Calls), but because it relies on main system memory for graphics, it was not powerful enough for more intensive titles such as Unreal Tournament 2003. In our tests playing UT, the system mustered a tepid 19 frames per second running at 32-bit color depth and 1024 by 768 resolution. Worse, the machine lacks an AGP slot for adding a graphics card that would have boosted the PC's gaming performance.

Upshot: Its low price and nice LCD make the Dimension 3000 a good choice for users with modest computing needs.

Seán Captain