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More…The Dell Inspiron 530 was powerful enough to earn superior scores (for a value PC) in both its productivity and graphics performance tests, yet it's quite inexpensive at $689 (as of 2/7/08).
Dell Inspiron 530
- Spec Navigator
- Processor
- Memory
- Storage
- Multimedia
- Software
- Optical Drives
- Expansion Slots
- Display
- Modem / Networking
- Case
- Other Features
- Interface Connection
Multimedia
| Audio Adapter Model | Integrated Realtek AC'97 Audio |
| Audio Channels | 7.1 surround |
| Graphics Board RAM Type | DDR2 |
| Video chipset | Nvidia GeForce 8300GS |
| Installed video memory | 128 MB |
| Video bus | PCI Express |
Software
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (32 bit) |
| Included Software |
|
Expansion Slots
| Open PCI Express X16 Slots | 0 |
| Number of PCI slots | 2 |
| Open PCI Express X1 Slots | 1 |
| PCI Express Slots | 2 |
| Slots | 2 |
- Lab Tested
- How We Test Desktops »
Pros
Strong performance in all benchmarks
Discrete graphics card
Cons
FireWire ports not standard
Requires tools for upgrades
Bottom Line
Impressive application and graphics performance aided by dedicated graphics make this the best value in our test group.
Dell Inspiron 530 Value Desktop PC
Inspiron 530 Review, by Richard Jantz February 27, 2008
Our test system was based on a 1.8-GHz Intel Pentium dual-core E2160 processor and had two sticks of 1GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM, for a total of 2GB of memory. It came with a 19-inch Dell SE198WFP wide-screen LCD (1440 by 900 native resolution), as well. Most value systems use integrated graphics that rely on main system memory, but the 530's graphics duties are handled by a 128MB nVidia GeForce 8300GS graphics card. The 250GB Western Digital Caviar hard drive provides an average amount of storage space for PCs in this price range, and our test unit had a DVD/CD combo writer, too.
As for performance, the 530 earned a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 73--commendable in the value desktop category, and slightly better than the 71 earned by the Compaq Presario SR5350F, which uses the same Intel Pentium dual-core E2160 CPU. The Inspiron 530 provided the best performance in the 3DS Max DirectX component of the WorldBench suite of all the value systems recently tested. Not surprisingly, therefore, it also earned the top scores among value systems for its graphics performance, making it the best choice for playing simple games. Because its graphics card has only a modest 128MB of memory, however, it still isn't powerful enough for intensive gaming titles, such as Doom 3 and Far Cry. In our Doom 3 tests, the system earned only a subpar score of 20 frames per second running at 1024 by 768 resolution with antialising turned on.
The 530's attractive, glossy white-and-silver midtower case is well ventilated, and its sliding front panel covers an external bay module containing a media card reader and connectivity ports. Inside the 530's case, you'll find that good old-fashioned screws secure the components, so you'll need a screwdriver when installing expansion cards and optical drives. Like most other value systems, the 530 uses a smaller motherboard that supports fewer expansion options than larger (and pricier) boards. Available expansion options include one 5.25-inch external and one 3.5-inch internal drive bay, two PCI and one PCIe x1 card slots (the PCIe x16 slot is filled by the discrete graphics card), and two (out of four) DIMM memory sockets. The 530 lacks FireWire ports, but they can be added as an extra-cost ($30) option.
The Dell monitor delivered sharp text and fine color quality in both still and moving images. The USB-based optical mouse and enhanced keyboard that Dell bundles with this system are comparatively better (in performance and features) than the standard-issue input devices that come with most value systems. Among the keyboard's extras are several quick-launch keys, a retro-style volume knob, and two upstream USB ports. The 530's online-only documentation is exemplary, with thorough, well-written instructions that are (thankfully) specific to the actual model, unlike the more generic documentation that some vendors often include.
If you want a value desktop with an excellent price-to-performance ratio and some room to grow, Dell's Inspiron 530 is arguably the best deal among the budget PCs we've tested recently.
--Richard Jantz
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PCWorld Lab Results
- Rating Breakdown
-
95
-
81
-
79
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar Desktops
95
69
68
50
Performance
| Adobe Photoshop CS2 | 563 |
| Autodesk 3ds max 8.0 SP-3 DirectX | 448 |
| Autodesk 3ds max 8.0 SP-3 Rendering | 904 |
| Firefox 2 | 393 |
| Microsoft Office 2003 with SP-1 | 422 |
| Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9.0 | 304 |
| Nero 7 Ultra Edition | 777 |
| Overall Graphics Score | Superior |
| Roxio VideoWave Movie Creator 1.5 | 263 |
| Winzip Computing WinZip 10.0 | 302 |
| WorldBench 6 Score | 73 |
| WorldBench 6 Word Score | Superior |
WorldBench 6 Tests
| Multitasking | 495 |
User Reviews
Average User Reviews for Dell Inspiron 530
1 Review Add your own »
- Latest User Reviews 1 review
-
Reviewed by: Yerington
Duration of ownership: 5 Months
Strengths: Slick look; easy set up; accessable ports. The initial price of under $500 was an attractive feature. It appeared to be a good deal of hardware for the money.
Weaknesses: Very poor computing performance. It crashes repeatedly. Vista is partly to blame, yet registry shows that on many occassions Vista was not responsible for the crash. The computer does not need to be engaged in any operations for it to crash; often it simply crashes while it is idle.
Overall: The product's only redeeming quality is its slick appearance, ease of handling and installation. Unfortunately, it comes preloaded with so many unnecessary third party packages that makes it very awkward to operate. The overall operation became so cumbersome and slow that I spent days trying to identify these and disable or uninstall them, and that, with the help of a friend. Dell customer support was not helpful at all. I first contacted the support line when the computer was barely 2 months old. They constantly tried to pin the blame on Windows Vista. After failing to find a credible problem with Vista, the technician walked me through the factory default resetting process without telling me what he was aiming for. Once the process started, I realized what was happening, but it was too late. The factory default "took care" of the problem for a while, but the technician never isolated the problem. And now, 5 months after the purchase, my much touted Dell Inspiron 530 crashes literally every 3 minutes for no apparent reason! I am about to contact the support line once again, but frankly, I don't hope for much relief. In summary, I feel I burned my money on a nearly useless dinosaur. I wish I could have my money back.
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