The Dell Dimension 2350 Series is their Low Budget Computers!
Written: May 01 '03 (Updated Jul 14 '03)
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Pros: Low price and included DDR memory!
Cons: Built cheap with not much upgrade available!
The Bottom Line: You Get What You Pay For!
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| surferdude7's Full Review: Dell Dimension 2350 (D235RL) PC Desktop |
The Dell Dimension 2350 Series is for the person wanting a Dell on a budget price.
Base Model
The base mode starts at $499 and includes an Intel Celeron 2.0 GHz processor, 128MB of shared DDR memory, a 48x CD-Rom, a 30GB hard drive, a Integrated Intel Extreme 3D graphics card and Harman Kardon HK-206 Stereo Speakers with Integrated AC97 Audio. Also included are 6 USB 2.0 ports (2 in the front and 4 in the back), one serial port, one parallel port and an Integrated 10/100 Ethernet.
Upgrades
The upgrades can run you over the $1000 mark, depending on your add-ons and the type of monitor you choose.
The Processor can be upgraded to a 2.2GHz Celeron, a 2.2GHz Pentium 4 and a 2.4GHz Pentium 4.
The memory is DDR SDRAM 266MHz that is shared with the integrated video card. There is 128MB onboard and it can be upgraded to 1GB.
You can add a CDR/CDRW drive, a DVD-ROM drive, a CDR/CDRW with DVD-ROM combination and a DVD recorder.
You can update the two button scroll mouse to a Logitech Optical USB Mouse and the Dell Quiet Key Keyboard to the
Dell Enhanced Performance keyboard.
There are a few upgrades for the speakers, the Harman Kardon HK-395 Speakers with a Subwoofer, the Monsoon Planar Media 7 Speakers with a Subwoofer and the Altec Lansing ADA-745 Speakers with a Subwoofer.
A 56K modem is optional and there are two types to choose from, PCI DataFax Modem and Telephony Modem.
The hard drive can be upgraded up to a 120GB drive.
It comes with Window XP home edition and can be upgraded to the professional edition.
Several monitor upgrades available.
Cons
The main con I see is the integrated video which is fine for the low budget but they should offer at least a good PCI video card upgrade.
They should include a 56K modem as part of the system and not an option.
Not much room for expansion!
Pros
Low price!
Using DDR memory instead of the slower, older SDRAM memory.
Overall
The case is attractive, a black-and-gray tower that measures 14.5 inches high x 7.25 inches wide x 16.75 inches deep. In the rear everything is color coded for you to easily plug the right stuff in the right place, like the keyboard and mouse.
Getting inside of the case is easy with turn of one thumbscrew and then sliding the side panel open. There is no room to add several drives to the system, only two free PCI slots and one free slot for the memory.
I got to try this basic system with no add-ons, it came with a 17 inch color monitor. For the person on a budget that can not afford more that the $499 price then this is not a bad deal considering the included monitor. Also if you are going to surf the internet and use it with a word processor mainly then this is also not a bad buy for you. If you want it for games and something that uses a lot of graphics then I recommend you stay away from this series.
As far as everyday use it preformed fairly well, like writing this review on it. The color is pretty good and the speed is fair. When playing simple games it does a good job but the games that use a lot of graphics slows it down and the color and graphics quality lack a lot. For music it does a fair job through the integrated sound and the stereo speakers, MP3 files and regular CDs sounded well.
Adding to this system can bring up the price fast, I personally would rather buy another Dell model (like the Dell Dimension 8250 Series) that has some of the extras needed on the 2350 series. For the money I think the emachines T2080 is a much better buy.
Bottom Line is: You Get What You Pay For! I can not recommend this one because it is built too cheap and it has not much of a future for upgrades. I recommend a better built Dell!
Want a second Epinion on the Dell Dimension 2350 Series. Please check out my friend meleahk for an upgraded version of the series plus her review of the service she got from ordering online at Dell4me.com.
Need a Good Digital Camera? Then check out my review of the Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom Digital Camera.
Here are some of my Computer reviews!
Dell SmartStep 200 Series Notebook Computers
HP Omnibook XE3 PIII Notebook Computers
HP Pavilion N3410 Notebook Computer
The Sony VAIO R505DL Super Slim Pro Notebook
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 499
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Celeron
Processor speed: over 1000
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: CD-ROM
Hard Drive (GB): 21-30
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surferdude7
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Location: Elizabethtown, Ky.
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