Dell Inspiron 530 Desktop Computer (Intel® Celeron 450, 320GB HDD, 2GB RAM)

Manufacturer: Dell, Inc. Part number: DDCWDA1_4

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$329.00 at 1 online store

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Average user rating: 2.0 stars out of 6 reviews

More product information:: Editors' take; User reviews; Specifications; Product series; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: Dell's first desktops to carry the Inspiron name look good, inside and out. With a huge range of available components and two equally attractive cases, mainstream consumers ought to be able to find a config that meets their budget, tastes, and computing needs.

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	Rate this store See store profile	In stock	Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price	$329.00 Shop now as of 10/15/2008

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CNET editors' take

Dell Inspiron 530 Desktop Computer (Intel® Celeron 450, 320GB HDD, 2GB RAM)

price range: $329.00

Reviewed by: Matthew Elliott
Reviewed on: 06/26/2007
Updated on:10/10/2007
Released on: 06/26/2007

The bottom line: Dell's first desktops to carry the Inspiron name look good, inside and out. With a huge range of available components and two equally attractive cases, mainstream consumers ought to be able to find a config that meets their budget, tastes, and computing needs.

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Dell has dropped its venerable Dimension desktop brand. Now, both its mainstream consumer desktops and laptops will carry the Inspiron name. Along with the name change, Dell's new Inspiron 530 and 530s PCs usher in Intel's latest G33 chipset (aka Bearlake), which features a speedy 1,333MHz frontside bus. The other two models in the lineup, the Inspiron 531 and 531s, feature AMD processors on Nvidia's MCP 61 chipset. The 530s and 531s units feature a slim chassis akin to the Dimension C521's. Each of the four models boasts a wide array of configuration options; prices start at a rock-bottom $349 and can quickly top $1,500 when you start adding upgrades. For complete details, read our full review of the Dell Inspiron 531, which won an Editors' Choice.

The big range in price is due in large part to the wide array of CPU options. The Intel-based models offer both low-end Celeron and dual-core Core 2 Duo processors, while the AMD-based models offer both low-end Sempron and dual-core Athlon 64 X2 processors. Memory ranges from 512MB to 4GB. All four major flavors of Vista are offered as well, and though you have to hunt around on Dell's site to find it, the Inspiron 530 is available with either Windows XP Home or Pro.

Both the midtower and the slim chassis offer two hard drive bays (which you can populate with two 500GB drives for a 1TB of storage) and the option for a PCI Express graphics card (the half-height variety for the 530s and 531s units). Also available in all models but particularly useful in the slim models, which are likely candidates to be shoehorned into home theater racks, is an optional 802.11b/g (but sadly, not 802.11n) Wi-Fi card, which will save you from having to run an Ethernet cable through your living room. Another living-room friendly technology, Bluetooth, is an option, and a Blu-ray drive is offered on a higher-end model. One note about the optical drive: the Intel G33 motherboard features only serial ATA connections, meaning you're out of luck if you want to add in an old parallel ATA optical drive you may have lying around.

Aesthetically, the new Inspiron line extends the silver-and-white color scheme that you can find on late-model Dimensions. The last generation of Dimensions were sleek-looking, but the area around the optical drives was black, which was in stark contrast to the rest of the case. Now, the Inspiron cases feature drive-bay covers, lending a more unified design to the PCs.

The Inspiron line carries Dell's standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty, but the company's DataSafe backup has moved online. Dell offers you 3GB of online storage and won't charge you for the first year.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 2.0 stars out of 6 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 6 out of 6

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8 stars

Always stick with Dell

by chugawoo on October 2, 2007

Pros: Super fast, quiet, sleek design, exandable

Cons: Vista, Wireless connections. Dell support 24/7

Summary: I just picked this up to replace my 7 yr old Dimension desktop. I was so resistent because I loved my dimenision, and had so much invested in it. Well, ...

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Summary: I just picked this up to replace my 7 yr old Dimension desktop. I was so resistent because I loved my dimenision, and had so much invested in it. Well, an online special last week made my decision. I got a Pentium 2.33ghz, with 1333fsb. dual drives, a 128mb nvidia card, 8 USB 2.0, 13 in 1 media reader and 2 gb ram for about $700 total.Can't beat that. It is very quiet however, it does make a loud noise at startup for about 2 sec. Dell says its normal. Everything works super fast, I mean like lightning. Then again, I was working on a 7 yr old comp forever. I burned a DVD with the dual drives yesterday in about 4 min. WOW!! . Be advised I did not buy a monitor or printer beacuse mine are fairly new. So your config $$ will be higher if added. Vista is very nice to look at and it has a lot of tweaks that will eat up hours of fun. Nevertheless, you will find it a bit frustrrating at times while transitioning from XP. Dell's so called customer support is HORRIFIC. They waste the first 10-15 min with nonsense questions. They are very nice, but also very annoying. Moreover, they are not specialists, sorry Dell. My internal wireless card kept losing its connection while the other computers in my home worked just fine. It kept saying "identifiying public networK", and then only allowed for local connection after several min. It took 3 hrs with Dell on the phone and after giving them all my personal info except my first born, they said the wireless card drivers needed an update or something. So basically, you crappy overseas support team and bad drivers kick my rating from a 10 to 8. I still Love Dell computers, but I somehow feel that this one one last another 7yrs. And if I have to talk to their support team again, I might vomit.

P.S. I welocome any feedback on my wireless issues, as I am stilling having intermittent trouble with the wireless card connection.

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4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 stars

Two systems failed in less than a month. Never again.

by F4F16DRVR on January 4, 2008

Pros: None noted since the motherboards failed on both systems

Cons: Motherboards don't seem to be reliable.

Summary: The Inspiron 530 with the Intell E2140 chip failed twice in less than a month. The customer service is also questionable. I spent more than 2 hours on the phone ...

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Summary: The Inspiron 530 with the Intell E2140 chip failed twice in less than a month. The customer service is also questionable. I spent more than 2 hours on the phone talking to the Dell Technicians who were convinced the initial problem was the key board even though the key board worked fine with another computer. After the calling back and reporting that the new keyboard they sent me didn't work with the first computer, they decided I could get a new system or a refurbished motherboard. Why would anyone opt for a refurbished product after paying for a new one less than days prior? Although I was required to pay for an in-home service technician, I had to replace the hard drive when I swapped the first computer out. Not hard to do and took less than 5 minutes, but it's the principle. Like the first system, the 2nd worked for about 2 days. When I called to report the failure, I was disconnected twice. At the end of 38 minutes of pure frustration, they agreed to give me a refund, only the purchase price won't be credited to my credit card until 30 after they receive the defective system. They also asked if I wanted to purchase another Dell...just doing their job, I guess. If you buy a Dell, don't throw away the packing materials. I chose to rate this product "abysmal" since it never worked and adversely affected my productivity.

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2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Get Over Yourself

by kucloth on August 18, 2008

Pros: Powerful, Tons of Options

Cons: Honestly Don't Know

Summary: This machine is amazing. I bought one for my parents and one for my girlfriend. There are a ton of upgradeable options during purchase, and if you are unsatisfied with ...

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Summary: This machine is amazing. I bought one for my parents and one for my girlfriend. There are a ton of upgradeable options during purchase, and if you are unsatisfied with performance, it is your own fault. If you are going to be running high end programs and the hog known as Vista--Get more RAM! Today's programs are not shy about using whatever resources are available. Also, be smart about your internet traffic. If you're doing stupid things, you are going to get infected.

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6 stars

Value for money

by ldetex on August 11, 2008

Pros: Costs less than a build

Cons: Another new case color

Summary: A Dell flier listed this unit with a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Quad CPU, 3 gig of DDR2 memory, a 500 gig HDD, DVD writer, mouse and K/B ...

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Summary: A Dell flier listed this unit with a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Quad CPU, 3 gig of DDR2 memory, a 500 gig HDD, DVD writer, mouse and K/B for $499 with free shipping. This price is at least $100 less than you can build one if you use an OEM copy of Vista. The case and drive covers are a bit cheap, but it will hold two hard drives vertically and has a video card slot, two PCI slots and 4 memory slots. You could install and third hard drive, with a size converter, in a CD bay. The power supply is a bit small and has only 4 sata power connectors; but after a startup whoosh the system is very quiet and there is a 6 pin video card connector. Good news for Vista phobes, the driver disk supplied supports XP (if that is your operating system of choice) and has all the XP drivers installed. Providing everything holds up, and this is true of any vendor in these chinese component days, it should work fine.

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1 stars

Avoid this product

by hampcb on April 21, 2008

Pros: Can't think of any

Cons: My system arrived defective & Dell couldn't fix

Summary: Dell Problem Inspiron D530 4/1/08

The system arrived defective. Right away I had a problem with the screen going blank and the system rebooting by itself. When the

...

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Summary: Dell Problem Inspiron D530 4/1/08

The system arrived defective. Right away I had a problem with the screen going blank and the system rebooting by itself. When the screen would go blank I had to reboot the system by holding down the power button, I couldn't see any of the controls to exit normally. When the system rebooted randomly by itself sometimes programs would return in "safe" mode.
I spent time with Dell and tried to load the latest BIOS and video drivers but the problem came up again and again.
I called again and this time the Dell agent took control of my computer and tried to fix the problem, but the problems were not fixed but are now worse. From time to time now the system goes unresponsive, open a program and you just get an "hourglass" that will never go away, or other programs that are open when you try to go back to them you get an "hourglass" indefinitely, the programs are locked. The only remedy is to reboot, losing data.
I have spent many hours trying get this system to work and cannot afford to let this situation continue , Dell does not seem to be able to fix this system given the opportunity, I feel I have a ?lemon? system. I cannot continue with this defective system indefinitely, it is affecting my business and ability to make a living.

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1 stars

seriously flawed

by joe_5cent on March 26, 2008

Pros: the case is nice looking

Cons: doesn't work

Summary: I went thru two in one week. Out of the box it was necessary to upload drivers just to see the memory cards. Oh, that was after reseating the cable ...

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Summary: I went thru two in one week. Out of the box it was necessary to upload drivers just to see the memory cards. Oh, that was after reseating the cable to the front plane with the memory cards.

Adding memory crashed the PC with a blue screen. This includes placing the original RAM in the two open slots. The first 530 blue screend and I took it back. I actually took time to figure out the problem with this unit. I probably have wasted 8-12 work hours on this thing loading software and talking to tech support.

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Showing opinion 1 to 6 out of 6

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Dell, Inc.
Part number: DDCWDA1_4
Description: The Dell Inspiron 530 offers custom features with contemporary styling. Create your Inspiron the way you want it - for multimedia, high-end gaming, or your home office. Inspiron 530 makes it easy to stay in touch whether you're connecting to the Internet or wirelessly networking within your home, or using a wireless keyboard and mouse. The Inspiron 530 desktop is designed to let you build the system you want with customized memory, hard drives, graphics, audio and media capabilities. Add an award-winning flat panel monitor for a sleek, modern look and an awesome viewing experience.

General
Type Personal computer
Product Form Factor Tower
Width 6.7 in
Depth 17.1 in
Height 14.3 in
Weight 28 lbs
System type Personal computer
Processor
Type Intel ® Celeron 450 / 2.2 GHz
64-bit processor Yes
Installed Qty 1
Max processors supported 1
Cache Memory
Type L2 cache
Installed Size 512 KB
Cache Per Processor 512 KB
Mainboard
Chipset type Intel G33 Express
Data bus speed 800 MHz
RAM
Installed Size 1 GB / 4 GB (max)
Technology DDR2 SDRAM
Memory speed 667 MHz
Memory specification compliance PC2-5300
RAM form factor DIMM 240-pin
RAM features Two DDR channels
RAM configuration features 2 x 512 MB
Environmental Parameters
Min operating temperature 50 ?F
Max operating temperature 95 ?F
Operating humidity range 20 - 80%
Storage Controller
Type 1 x Serial ATA - Integrated
Controller interface type Serial ATA-300
Storage controller interface channel qty 4
RAID level RAID 1
Storage
Floppy drive type None
Hard Drive 1 x 320 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-300 - 7200
Hard Drive (2nd) None
Optical Storage
Type DVD?RW - Serial ATA
CD / DVD read speed 16X
Optical Storage (2nd)
Type None
Storage Removable
Type None
Monitor
Monitor Type None.
Multimedia Functionality
TV tuner type None
Graphics Controller
Type Integrated
Graphics Processor / Vendor Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 4.0
Max Allocated RAM Size 224 MB

Audio Output
Type Sound card - Integrated
Sound output mode 7.1 channel surround
Audio output compliant standards High Definition Audio
Speaker(s) None
Input Device
Type Mouse, Keyboard
Keyboard
Keyboard interface USB
Mouse
Mouse technology Optical
Mouse interface USB
Audio Input
Type None
Telecom
Modem None
Networking
Networking Network adapter - Integrated
Data Link Protocol Ethernet, Fast Ethernet
Printer
Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
Expansion Bays Total (Free) 2 ( 1 ) x Internal - 3.5" x 1/3H, 2 ( 1 ) x Front accessible - 5.25" x 1/2H, 1 ( 1 ) x Front accessible - 3.5" x 1/3H
Expansion Slots Total (Free) 1 ( 1 ) x PCI Express x1, 4 ( 2 ) x Memory - DIMM 240-pin, 2 ( 2 ) x PCI, 1 ( 1 ) x PCI Express x16, 1 ( 0 ) x Processor - LGA775 Socket
Interfaces 1 x Audio - Line-out - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Audio - Line-in - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Audio - Line-out (side surround) - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 8 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A ( 4 in front ), 1 x Audio - Line-out (rear) - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45, 1 x Audio - Line-out (center/subwoofer) - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Audio - Line-out/headphones - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ( 1 in front ), 2 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm ( 1 in front ), 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)
Power
Power device type Power supply
Voltage Required AC 120/230 V
Power provided 300 Watt
Operating System / Software
OS Provided Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Service Pack 1
Software Microsoft Works 9.0, McAfee SecurityCenter (Trial), Drivers & Utilities
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support 1 year warranty
Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year - On-site, Technical support - Phone consulting - 1 year
Greenpeace 'Guide to Greener Electronics'
Greenpeace 'Guide to Greener Electronics' manufacturer rating (Mar 2008) 7.3