Dell Dimension 4400

The Dimension 4400 we tested was a well-equipped value machine. We appreciated the top-end 24X/10X/40X CD-RW drive and the wireless Logitech keyboard and mouse that permit computing from the comfort of a sofa (as long as the sofa's in the same room as the PC). The sturdy keyboard has 12 hot-keys for Internet and multimedia shortcuts. Dell's black-and-gray midsize tower gets a lot of things right on the design front. A flip-up cover on the front panel hides two supplementary USB ports and a headphone port. You can work on the system without using tools; the hinged tower case opens wide, affording easy access to a neatly organized interior. Green tabs mark the release levers on all the tool-less access components, including a PCI slot cover that pops off and sound-dampening rails that hold the drives. The drive cables have color-coded flags to distinguish IDE channel 1 and channel 2.
The unconventional case (which is also used by PCs in Dell's 8200 line) doesn't make clear that you must lay the system on its side and press two buttons to open it. In fact, all indications are that you should open it from a standing position, but Dell does not recommend that. Because the case opens so wide, the long interior cables sometimes get caught on components or pinched between the system sides when you close it. In our graphics test, the 17-inch Dell M782 monitor produced the washed-out colors of a photograph left out in the sun. The monitor managed average-quality results in our other tests. Text was readable, though individual characters seemed a bit fuzzy. Colors appeared slightly oversaturated, and details were lost during our DVD movie screening. Both Unreal Tournament and Quake III looked gray and murky, making game play unappealing.
All systems in the Dimension 4400 line pair Pentium 4 processors with DDR memory. In this case, a 1.7-GHz P4 and 256MB of DDR SDRAM yielded a score of 97 on PC WorldBench 4--just two points below the average for similarly configured Windows XP Home systems. Audio quality from the three-speaker Harman/Kardon HK-395 set was adequate, but not exceptional. We heard strong bass on some CD tracks, but the satellites generated weak and not very clear audio.
The Dimension 4400 is a well-constructed system with adequate performance and a moderate price. But the quality of its sound system and--especially--its monitor are disappointing.

Buying Information

Dell Dimension 4400
PC WorldBench 4 score of 97, 1.7-GHz Pentium 4 CPU, 256MB of DDR-266 SDRAM, Windows XP Home, 40GB hard drive, 16X DVD-ROM drive, 24X/10X/40X CD-RW drive, GeForce3 Ti 200-based graphics card with 64MB of DDR SDRAM, 17-inch Dell M782 monitor, Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live 1024V Digital sound card, Harman/Kardon HK-395 speakers, network adapter, V.90 modem, midsize tower case; Microsoft Works Suite 2002. One-year parts and labor warranty; free, unlimited, 24-hour daily toll-free tech support.
$ 1488
PC WorldBench 4 score of 97, 1.7-GHz Pentium 4 CPU, 256MB of DDR-266 SDRAM, Windows XP Home, 40GB hard drive, 16X DVD-ROM drive, 24X/10X/40X CD-RW drive, GeForce3 Ti 200-based graphics card with 64MB of DDR SDRAM, 17-inch Dell M782 monitor, Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live 1024V Digital sound card, Harman/Kardon HK-395 speakers, network adapter, V.90 modem, midsize tower case; Microsoft Works Suite 2002. One-year parts and labor warranty; free, unlimited, 24-hour daily toll-free tech support.

http://www.dell.com
800/388-8542