Dell Inspiron 530s Desktop Computer (Intel Pentium Dual Core E2200, 320GB HDD, 3GB RAM)

Manufacturer: Dell, Inc. Part number: DDCWFA2_6

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$599.00 at 1 online store

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Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 3 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	$599.00 Shop now as of 10/10/2008

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CNET editors' take

Dell Inspiron 530s Desktop Computer (Intel Pentium Dual Core E2200, 320GB HDD, 3GB RAM)

price range: $599.00

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: 2.5 stars out of 3 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

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1 stars

Why won't you power on?

by saltjohnswharf on August 25, 2008

Pros: It was cheap

Cons: I got what I paid for

Summary: Bought this small form factor PC because I could use it as a desktop rather than a tower. I have very limited desk and office space and do not want ...

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Summary: Bought this small form factor PC because I could use it as a desktop rather than a tower. I have very limited desk and office space and do not want the computer on the floor or on a shelf where it is not easy to get to. However, when placed on its side it will not power on. After removing the computer from the office I plugged it into an outlet in my dining room to see if the power supply cable was disconnected. Everything looked fine. I stood the computer up as a tower, said a curse word, pushed the button and on it went. Cool. So I laid it back down in a desktop config and it promptly powered down. OK that sucks. I called Dell to tell them. India puts me on hold then tell me that since the computer works fine in the intended tower config that there is no reason for a warranty repair. I'm pissed. They will not fix unless it fails as a tower. Needless to say I have yet to boot the computer and it sits in its box until I can fnd someone who wants to buy it. I just recieved parts from newegg.com and I am building a desktop to suit my needs. No more crap from Dell! I have had enough! If you experience this same problem RETURN the PC ASAP as Dell will not fix it. A return within 30 days gets you a refund. I got lazy and now am biting the bullet. I regret buying this computer.

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8 stars

sandinnalee

by sandinnalee on May 30, 2008

Pros: Value for the Price

Cons: Screen Resolution was hard to set up

Summary: We use this computer for business and it is a very good value for the price. It does everything we need and has good processing power. We previously had a ...

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Summary: We use this computer for business and it is a very good value for the price. It does everything we need and has good processing power. We previously had a Dimension.

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8 stars

great computer price too

by mhalo23 on April 8, 2008

Pros: it is affordable

Cons: none that i know

Summary: i would recommend this computer to anyone.

Summary: i would recommend this computer to anyone.

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Dell, Inc.
Part number: DDCWFA2_6
Description: PRODUCT FEATURES: Powered by Intel Pentium Dual Core processor Easy expandability Amplify your visuals Widescreen viewing Complete line of accessories Digital memories Audio dynamite

General
Type Personal computer
Product Form Factor Tower
Width 3.9 in
Depth 17.1 in
Height 14.3 in
Weight 22 lbs
Desktop type Budget desktop system, Monitor included
Processor
Type Intel Pentium Dual Core E2200 / 2.2 GHz
Multi-Core processor technology Dual-Core
64-bit processor Yes
Installed Qty 1
Max processors supported 1
Upgradability Upgradable
Cache Memory
Type L2 cache
Installed Size 1 MB
Cache Per Processor 1 MB
Mainboard
Chipset type Intel G33 Express
Data bus speed 800 MHz
RAM
Installed Size 2 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 1 GB
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 - DataBurst Cache
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 DELL SE198WFP - Flat panel display - TFT active matrix
Display (projector) diagonal size 17
Max Resolution 1440 x 900
Dot pitch 0.285 mm
Response time 5 ms
Image brightness 300 cd/m2
Display (projector) image contrast ratio 1000:1
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 Keyboard, Mouse
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, 1 ( 1 ) x Front accessible - 3.5" x 1/3H, 1 ( 0 ) x Front accessible - 5.25" x 1/2H
Expansion Slots Total (Free) 1 ( 1 ) x PCI Express x16, 1 ( 1 ) x PCI Express x1, 4 ( 2 ) x Memory - DIMM 240-pin, 1 ( 0 ) x Processor - LGA775 Socket, 2 ( 2 ) x PCI
Interfaces 1 x Audio - Line-out - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Audio - Line-out/headphones - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ( 1 in front ), 1 x Audio - Line-in - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Audio - Line-out (center/subwoofer) - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Audio - Line-out (rear) - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Audio - Line-out (side surround) - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45, 6 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A ( 2 in front ), 2 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm ( 1 in front )
Power
Power device type Power supply
Voltage Required AC 120/230 V
Power provided 250 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 Technical support - Phone consulting - 1 year, Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year - On-site
Greenpeace 'Guide to Greener Electronics'
Greenpeace 'Guide to Greener Electronics' manufacturer rating (June 2008) 4.5
Greenpeace 'Guide to Greener Electronics' manufacturer rating (Mar 2008) 7.3