Key Specs
Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 (2.66GHz)
2GB RAM
500GB hard drive
Double-layer DVD±RW
nVidia GeForce 8800 GT
Windows Vista Home Premium
Review
It was just a matter of time before Dell jumped on the trend toward mainstream gaming machines—and its first effort is a winner. The XPS 630 is the best example we've yet seen of an everyday, affordable desktop that also excels with gaming, making you feel like you're getting more than your money's worth.
At $1,269, the XPS 630 costs a little more than two other mainstream machines we've looked at lately—Gateway's FX7020 and the Cyberpower Gamer Ultra CF 3870—but it noticeably outpaced both in terms of performance.
Powering the XPS 630 are a 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 processor, 2GB of RAM, and the nVidia GeForce 8800 GT graphics card—the secret weapon of most mainstream gaming machines. And, in a big step forward for Dell, all of those components are plugged into an ATX motherboard. With this system, Dell has finally abandoned its proprietary designs, allowing for easier internal access and greater expandability post-purchase. Rounding out the offerings, you get a 500GB hard drive, double-layer 16x DVD±RW optical drive, 19-in-1 media-card reader, and Vista Home Premium as the OS.
The XPS 630 couldn't trounce the Gateway and Cyberpower in all our productivity tests (though the Dell was respectable across the board). But it delivered some impressive scores in our gaming benchmarks, starting with a more-than-solid 10,487 in Futuremark's 3DMark06 at 1,280x1,024 resolution, and handsome ratings of 8,883 at 1,600x1,200 and 6,338 at 2,560x1,600. The Gateway just eked ahead of the Dell on the last one, but the Dell regained its ground with a startling 137.7 frames per second (fps) in Company of Heroes at 1,280x1,024, a still-mighty 99.2fps at 1,600x1,200, and a more average 46.4fps at 2,560x1,200.
The wide leads vanished in the demanding DirectX 9 (DX9) title Supreme Commander, in which the XPS 630 consistently fell just behind both the Gateway and the Cyberpower systems. In our DX10 Company of Heroes and World in Conflict trials, the Dell still led the way but by considerably smaller margins. The XPS 630 was dead last, however, in all our DX10 tests with the highest resolutions, showing unplayable results of 8.3fps in Company of Heroes (2,560x1,600), 1fps in World in Conflict (2,560x1,600), and 8.9fps in Call of Juarez (1,920x1,200).
(This serves as an important reminder: these systems aren't intended for all-out performance freaks; they're just supposed to bring the thrill and fun of 3D gaming to the masses who can't shell out thousands of dollars to play the latest title at full-detail levels.)
Gaming aside, the XPS 630 offers some other worthy features. Its toolless, trapezoidal chassis is unusually sexy for this price. (Ours was black, but red is also available for yet another dash of flair.) The XPS 630 is also highly customizable, from security software (a 15-month McAfee subscription is an option) to upgradability. If you've got a bit more room on your credit card, you can add another 8800 GT in a Scalable Link Interface (SLI) configuration (you can also outfit your system with ATI graphics cards in CrossFire mode, if you want), an Intel Core 2 Extreme processor, more hard-drive space, a Blu-ray high-definition optical drive, and so on. The XPS 630 is not factory-overclocked, but Dell says its warranty covers overclocking for customers who choose to do so.
From what we've seen, the additions are not strictly necessary. As it stands, the XPS 630 is a well-tooled system that will bring you lots of enjoyment without breaking the bank.
