Dell Inspiron 580s

Dell Computers have released a new desktop computer. The Dell Inspiron 580s is a slimline version of the much more powerful XPS versions. Sleek and easier to fit on a desk, this version is a sure fire hit for the office.The Inspiron 580s follows the design of previous Dell SFF (small form factor) PCs, like the Inspiron 537s ($658 – $858 direct, ) I looked at last year. This time around, the desktop’s design has been altered to sport a glossy black faceplate with a hexagonal motif etched under the surface. The system’s two optical drive bays are filled with a DVD burner and a multi-card reader. The front of the system is uncluttered and clean with the power button and a pair of USB ports as the only other adornments on the front of the system. This is also because the optical drive and card reader, which are normally on the front of the chassis, hide behind hinged doors. The doors hide the ugly drive trays while they’re not being used, keeping the system’s sleek design intact. Other I/O ports include four more USB ports in the back, connectors for VGA and HDMI monitors, Ethernet, and audio. All-in-all, it’s a neatly-designed system. Although I would’ve liked to have seen eSATA and at least one FireWire port, their absence isn’t a deal breaker.
The system is free of the bloatware that seems to plague retail systems, such as those from Gateway and HP. No bloatware is one of the benefits of buying a configured-to-order PC direct from a PC maker like Dell. The system comes with a full version of Microsoft Works 9, as opposed to the ad-supported version found on some Gateway systems. The computer initially boots up into a setup wizard, which has prompts to set up recovery and Dell’s DataSafe online backup, as well as links to Dell’s support center and other Windows 7 help. I applaud the fact that Dell provides links to the bloatware I complain about, rather than pre-installing the software. A browser link is easier to ignore and doesn’t affect your system, while pre-installed bloatware programs are at best a nuisance and at worst a tech support nightmare.

Performance
 The Inspiron 580s is a good upgrade for people who are still using a single core (Pentium 4, Pentium M) or a Core 2 Duo system. Multimedia tasks like Adobe Photoshop CS4 (1 minute 35 seconds) and Windows Media Encoder (42 seconds) finish in far less time than it used to take. The Core i3-530 is a dual-core processor with HyperThreading, rather than a true four-core system, but it performs as well as systems with the Core 2 Quad and AMD Athlon II X4 processor like the Gateway SX2802-01 ($499.99 List, ) and HP Pavilion p6347c-b ($800 List, ).

The Inspiron 580s has Intel Integrated GMA graphics (equivalent to GMA X4500HD) embedded in the Core i3 processor, which is more for HD video processing, rather than 3D gaming—the single-digit game scores bear this out. Sure, you can load World in Conflict or Crysis, but it won’t be a pleasant experience. Get something more powerful (like the Gateway FX6831-01 ) if you want to play newer 3D games.

The Dell Inspiron 580s is a good compact system for the home user. The 580s could be your primary system, with enough power for multimedia tasks in Photoshop. Nonetheless, my advice is to go with the Dell Computers Inspiron i570-6939PBK ($599.98 List, ) a slightly better choice, because it has most of the same performance for about $20 less with a much larger hard drive (640GB) and a 20-inch monitor packed in.

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