Dell Dimension™ 3000 (D30RS) PC Desktop

Pros: Overall Performance, price
Cons: Integrated Video, expandability

If you haven’t ordered a computer from Dell before, there are a few things you should probably know. Dell allows users to custom configure their own computer. However, Dell is constantly changing the pricing of their systems and their upgrades. ...

Pros: Flawless Performance--so far--and free flat screen
Cons: Word would've been the more logical WP.

Reviewing a PC (or any electronic gadget, for that matter) in it's early months is like taking a new Yugo for a test drive. You can never be sure that as soon as you purchase it and try to install the next version of Macomicomedia's Spam Smasher, that ...

Pros: Fast System, Good Features, Solid Price, Good Support
Cons: Bad Order Support from Dell Consumer

Introduction This system is less than 2 weeks old. We received it for a onsite client update and I've configured and rolled it out completely in just a few days. I retired my 2200 to the floor once this P4 3.0 GHz Pentium was here. Something ...

Pros: Cheap!!! Very reliable and inexpensive.
Cons: Hard to expand

I purchased this computer for a really good deal over Christmas, and have been loving it ever since. I paid a total of $550 (before tax, after mail in rebate). If I didn't choose to upgrade my monitor to a 17" LCD, it would have been cheaper. ...

Pros: Very easy to set up, purchase, use.
Cons: tower a little large, but that's ok.

After looking at hundreds of different computers at stores and being harrassed by sales people trying to up their commision by trying to sell me something I did not need or want, I decided to purchase my computer online. Something I never thought I would ...

Pros: Stable, no-hassle, good warranty service
Cons: Cheapo, cornercutting, no documentation before you buy

I got this system from my employer, so I did not have a choice. If I was choosing myself, I would have built my own. On the good side, the system is stable and works. Warranty coverage is good. I had to replace the monitor (dead pixels on LCD). Dell paid ...

Pros: Can't think of any pros
Cons: Poor customer service, order was wrong, Poor Customer service

Worst buying experience in my life. Ordered the 3000 using the 1 800 number and ad from the Sunday Paper's Parade Magazine. Order taker's English was terrible. I asked 3 times to repeat what I had ordered and to ensure that the free upgrade to the ...

Pros: Very cost-effective PC, pre-configured for most common needs.
Cons: Noisy fan and cooling system (see above for fix)

We bought the Dell Dimension 3000 for my wife since her P2-266 had seen its day. Setup was easy, no major hiccups. The only thing that really bugged me (but not my wife) was the cooling system noise. I found if I tipped the PC off vertical even a little the noise would abate. Finally, after putting up with it for a week I took it apart and noted that the fan cowling isn't securely mounted to anything, just sort of snapped into place creating an obvious source for mechanical noise. I'm not proud of the fix, but by rolling up a paper towel and placing it just inside the case's mounting ledge and the fan cowling I was able to reduce the noise to a nearly insignificant level.

I can't upload a picture of the solution here but you can visit my web site, davelevasseur.com you can take a look for yourself. This site doesn't allow direct hyperlinks (understandable policy) so you'll have to copy the above info into your browser yourself. I hope Dell can provide a fix for this in future production.

Pros: Due to Dell's size and sales structure, they're able to be the absolute cheapest.
Cons: Machine ships without the expandability advertised.

It turns out that Dell sells computers with features (e.g., support for a second internal hard drive) without the bracket for the hard drive shipping in the machine. Would it kill Dell to put the five to ten cent part in every machine? No, besides passing on the cost to the consumer, a whopping ten cents, Dell would be shipping machines that actually support the features listed on the website, in the product manual and pre-sales support.

Dell apparently sells their high end, $1000+ machines without additional hard drive brackets. I'd be really ticked if I got a $1,000+ machine that then had to go and spend another $9.95 + tax + shipping ($10 or $16 depending on speed) to put another hard drive into. Best part is it took Dell longer to ship my extra bracket than it did the entire machine.

Additional cons:
-No AGP slot
-No bracket for second hard drive.
-Low output power supply (250 Watts is weak, especially for a case that can "support" two optical drive, two hard drive a floppy drive and three PCI slots)
-Noisy case fan.