Dell's new Dimension 5100C series of home desktop systems aims for sleek style. A svelte 71 percent smaller than their Dimension 5100 series, these systems still have as much power as--and in some areas more than--their larger siblings.

The CPU at the center of the 5100C is a 3GHz Pentium 4 with Hyper-Threading technology, a fast processor well suited for gaming or running high-end applications. A $30 upgrade takes you to the 3.0GHz.

These systems support Intel's new Pentium D Dual Core processors with twin chips on a single CPU. The 2.8GHz Dual Core is $150 over baseline while the 3.0GHz Pentium D will set you back an extra $230.

Memory starts at 512MB of high-speed 533MHz DDR2 memory, a sufficient amount of starting RAM. If you're considering any video editing or advanced multitasking, you might want to upgrade to 1GB for $60. The systems will support up to 4GB of RAM, but it costs $500.

The unique silver chassis is quite handsome and fits easily in the corner or underneath of your desktop. It runs quietly and is well designed, although the compact nature of the chassis has a few detriments.

The default hard drive is a 80GB 7200rpm drive, normal for a current home desktop. Depending on your storage needs, Dell offers a good selection of upgrades. You can double it up to a 160GB drive for only $60, or max it out at the monster 250GB drive for $100.

The 5100C's starting optical drive is a combo 24X CD-RW / DVD-ROM drive that will burn audio and data CDs and play DVD movies. An 8X DVD+/-RW drive priced at $40 over baseline. It will burn to Dual Layer media, meaning you can store up to 8.5GB on a single disk, but that's a large price to pay for a drive with these capabilities.

The 5100C ships with integrated Intel graphics. While it's the latest Media Accelerator 950 chip, it still shares video memory with the main system RAM, so it won't offer the best in gaming performance (though it's fine enough for Web browsing or using standard office applications). Gamers can upgrade to the ATI Radeon X600SE with 128MB of dedicated video memory for $80 extra.

Audio is also integrated, but it supports 7.1 channels of sound. There are no speakers included with the system, so that's an additional cost to consider.

Dell gives you a 15-inch flat panel at the starting price, a great addition for such a nicely priced system. Skip the monitor and knock $112 off the overall price tag, if you already have a display to pair with your 5100C. If you'd like a larger flat panel to spend your days staring at, you can upgrade to the20-inch UltraSharp 2005FPW widescreen for an extra $350.

You can change the operating system from Windows XP Home to the Media Center edition for $39. Add on a remote control for only $19, and you can control audio and video playback from the couch in your den instead of the keyboard.

You can upgrade the basic input devices to a wireless mouse and keyboard combo for $50. This lets you move your input devices away from your desktop and control your PC at a distance.

The only office software included is Corel's WordPerfect, so if you're planning on bringing work home to your Dimension, you may want to add on an office suite. Microsoft Works Suite 2005, which includes Word 2002, is only $49 while the Basic version of Microsoft Office with Word, Excel, and Outlook is $149.

There's no floppy drive on the 5100C, so if you need one it'll run you an extra $40. Another option is to add a 9-in-1 media card reader for $20, simplifying the transfer of files and photos from your PDA or digital camera.

Dell offers only a 90-day limited warranty and 90 days of tech support on the line. A one-year extension is only $29, while two years is $109 and three is $189, so increasing it isn't too costly, but we expect more from a company known for its great tech support.

Dell includes both modem and network interface on the 5100C line, so connecting to a broadband or dial-up ISP or even to a home network is easy.

With a flat panel display included at an excellent price, Dell's Dimension 5100C systems are incredible bargains for the discerning home user. As long as you don't mind paying for an extended warranty if you need it, you'll definitely be pleased with this Dell.

Pro: Great price, LCD included
Con: Short warranty

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Dell Computer Corporation
One Dell Way
Round Rock, Texas 78682
800-915-3355
http://www.dell.com

Warranty
90-day limited