Dell's Inspiron 531 series are complete desktop computers for a sub-$500 price. And Dell actually includes some excellent components for this equally excellent price tag.

For starters, these desktop computers are powered by AMD's Athlon 64 X2 3800+ dual-core processors. These 64-bit CPUs feature twin processing cores on a single chip, so they're capable of excellent multitasking. Dell pairs this processor with a gigabyte of speedy 667MHz DDR2 memory, a decent amount to start with. You can double the RAM to 2GB for $100, but there are two open DIMMs so you can always add more memory later.

This core power is ready to handle Windows Vista, although Dell only includes the Basic edition of Microsoft's new operating system. You can upgrade to the Home Premium edition for $30, giving you all the multimedia tools of Windows XP Media Center Edition and more.

As we mentioned above, these are complete systems, so they ship with a display. And not just a plain CRT monitor, but a 17-inch flat panel display that complements the silver desktop tower nicely. If you'd like more LCD real estate, you can upgrade to a 19-inch widescreen flat panel for only $20--it's one of the better upgrade bargains you'll find on a desktop computer.

Hard drive storage is respectable, thanks to a 160GB 7,200rpm drive that gives you an adequate amount of space for application installations and storing media files. Dell offers a good range of storage upgrades, including their RAID-based DataSafe that mirrors your data on a second hard drive for the ultimate in data security.

The default optical drive on these desktop computers is a little lacking. It's a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive that can burn CDs and let you watch DVDs, but it doesn't have any DVD writing capabilities. You can upgrade to a DVD writer for $30 if you need to be able to burn your own DVDs on your 531.

Graphics are integrated on these desktop computers, although it's NVIDIA's GeForce 6150LE graphics. They still share video memory with the main system RAM, but you'll get better gaming performance with them over traditional integrated graphics. For users planning on more than light gaming with their 531 desktop computer, stepping up to the GeForce 8300GS with 128MB of dedicated video memory is a reasonable option at $50. Or hard-core gamers may want to consider the GeForce 8600GT with 256MB of video memory, although it will add nearly a third of the price to the system at $150.

These desktop computers can also serve as a personal video recorder (PVR), albeit after another upgrade. For $100, you can add a TV tuner card complete with remote control that lets you watch and record your favorite TV shows on your 531. But if you do opt for this, you'll want to consider beefing up the hard drive as well, considering how quickly storage space gets eaten up with recorded video.

There's neither a floppy drive nor a media card reader included with these desktop computers by default. You have the option to add either, but it's probably a better option to choose the 13-in-1 media card reader. It's less expensive ($20 compared to $30 for a floppy), and you'll be able to transfer files and photos between computers, digital cameras, and PDAs easily.

The Dell keyboard and optical mouse included with these desktop computers are serviceable but rather bland. There are a lot of upgrade options available here as well, with one of the better deals being a cordless combo of input devices from Logitech for under $50.

The software bundle is rather sparse, with Microsoft Works 8 offering basic word processing and spreadsheet applications. If you're more used to the full-featured Office suite, you can upgrade to the Home and Student 2007 version of Microsoft Office for around $150. Or, if you just need Microsoft Word, the Works Suite 2006 upgrade comes with the older version of Word 2002 at a lower price.

Dell offers one year of warranty coverage on these desktop computers which includes in-home service if necessary and 24/7 telephone tech support. They also throw in a year of online storage where you can backup 3GB of your files in a secure location.

If you&'re looking for a second home PC or a complete system to send off to college with the graduating senior, Dell's Inspiron 531 has everything you need for under $500, earning it our Budget Buy rating.


Pro: Nice priced, good core power, monitor included
Con: Integrated graphics

Warranty
1 year, limited