First-Look: Dell XPS 600

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2005/09/14/dell_xps_600/1.html

Certainly looks like an interesting system - we're looking forward to getting it full working and seeing how it actually performs and evaluating the bundle!

 

Could they have made it any more messy in the inside of that case. Why not use rounded cables or sata hard discs??

I see they've got a long way to go to reach the levels of voodoo, alienware etc when it comes to finishing touches.

 

ooo... I like how the door and drive bay are intergated . What make of ram is the XPS (hoping its not crappy unbranded stuff... but it wouldnt serprize me)

-Frank

 

Dell needs to hire a wire wrangler or something, that is one of the messiest cases I have ever seen!

 

Agreed that for the money, the finishing touches should be a bit nicer. Dell has always lacked those little 'extras', though, sad as that may be.

But a note...those clamshell cases? They used to use them on their earlier P4 and most of their Xeon server lines. Let me tell you, those things ROCK. I want to mod my current system into one (i have an old one kicking around), but the one I have is one PCI slot shy of ATX form factor. When you put rounded IDE or SATA in them, they become some of the nicest, easiest systems to work with. Everything's tool-less, everything's accessible, and for once...NOTHING is in the way of each other, even when everything is connected. I wish other companies sold them, or dell sold them as standard ATX cases separate from their machines. I'd buy one in a heartbeat, though I don't like the new door in front.

The rest of the system, on the other hand, I can't say as I would touch for the life of me. Dell is renowned for putting BIOS locks on their boards that prevent OCing, and they may pre-OC the graphics cards, but that's just so you can't do it later. They warranty everything too much to risk letting the general public have control over the system, and though I can't blame them, I won't be running out and buying one, either.

I hope, for all our sakes, that this nod to dell as a serious article is more of a "If you want to recommend your buddy a good gaming rig with a name he can trust..." Cost and components or no, Dell would be pushing the envelope to be considered seriously as an enthusiast system outside of laptops and servers (which you can't or won't do much to anyways).

 

I reckon that without much airflow in that case there will be an error message saying "A thermal event error has occured", within about 6 months. Much like the GX series seems to be suffering a lot of.

 

Interesting, i wonder if they've got a sorted Nvidia Nf4 SLI chipset, the current one is extremely bug ridden and unstable.

 

Well the CPU is cooled by Dual 120mms and the graphics is cooled by the 120mm intake and dual slot cooling solutions compared to the standard single slot, so I'm pretty sure it's sufficient....

 

On the contrary, thats pretty bog standard for a Dell of any variety inside, minus the two graphics cards. Id take a picture, but theres no camera for me to use at school.

 

we have one of those £99 dell servers they were selling a while back
it has the nicest sata cables i've ever come across, on par with the ones that came with my DFI NF4 board
the DFI ones are excellent cos they lock in so damn tight, no way they're going to fall off
the dell ones had nice 90 degree plugs on one end and locked in pretty tight too

 

Right, it's using SATA hard drives, it's just that they're hidden behind a green plastic cup type of thing for some reason. The floppy drive isn't fitted, but the cable is there, so it's just hanging around loose inside the case, hence some extra mess. And no, it doesn't really work that well.... Still waiting for that call from Dell tech support... in Texas!

 

Well my hatred of dell aside, it's pretty standard. You have to keep in mind that 99% of their buyers won't see that huge mess inside, and have a "as long as it works" mantra. Their $300 machine really can't be touched for price when you consider it includes a monitor, but anything much above that is a ripoff.

I bet you could overclock the thing with clockgen though, if you can find a compatible version. The most you'll be able to do in the BIOS is change the date, but that's standard dell if anything is (aside from making the PSU and case utterly proprietary).

 

I am currently running a dell dimension 8400 - 3.2ghz p4, 1gb ram, 6800gt gfx....my brother reconditions dell desktops and lappys and he gave this to me for nowt! I typically do not like dell pc's but I could not say no to this....previous spec was xp1800 with 512mb, fx4200....
Yeah, its a nice computer...plays hl2 very well....but the noise!!!!
I hate to think what kind of racket the xps makes......

(because of the 6800gt card in the pc, bios keeps telling me to get another fancard...anyone know how to get rid of this annoying message @ post?)

 

It still just seems like a typical OEM to me, make the stuff you can write down as a feature first class, make everything as cheap as possible.

Case in point is the IDE cables, no enthusiast wants flats. The rest of the case looks messy too. OEM's like dell just won't put any love into a system, which is exactly what the thing needs before it can truly be classed as an enthusiast hardcore gamers machine.

 

For a Dell: its pretty damn good. For a dell. I mean: A DELL!!

Anyway: here's a review of the Dell 600 too that I thought peeps may be interested in : ExtremeTech
The cooler on the 7800GTX/GT's is far superior to the stock HSF setup on the GTX. Love the fact that (like the NV5) it pushed the air outta the case

Pic of what I mean:

 

DtD = Death to Dell.

 

Yeah, I understand all that stompy, but, considering that the psu is sitting underneath the drives and with the door shut, there is a lot of heat on one side of the case, without sufficient cold air passing through the system stuff is going to get toasty in there... completely different machine granted, but out of 190 GX270's purchased less than six months ago in my place of work with a near as dammit door construction and minimum airflow setup 17 machines have developed a problem within the last three weeks, of which Dell have admitted a manufacturing problem with a capacitor on machines developed between Mar 04 and Apr 05.... and as an ex dell TSR I can say that for Dell to admit to a "Known Issue" is a big deal... This case although a tower with a few more fans does seem to be very similar to the layout of a GX270 .

Now couple that with two graphics cards which run well with decent cooling in a well ventilated case and I am sure, nay... adamant that this little B~stard of a powerhouse will cause no end of problems for anyone daring to run at full pelt for sustained periods of time.


my very large 2p's

 

wow, what a pikey install.
surely now, even dell would have people who actually knew how to keep it tidy. afterall its not a low end spec machine

 

Dell. Change 1 letter and what does it spell?!?

 

Gell? Deal? Fell? Dele? Dela? Dill? Pell? Rell? Zell? Xell? Nell? Bell?

That must be it! Bell! Similar to Packard Bell, the worst computer company in history! That MUST be the reference you were making