This system is one of the most well-rounded and pleasurable-to-use PCs of the bunch, thanks to quality peripherals and handy features, like front-mounted USB and headphone ports. Its components are reasonably speedy but not quite cutting edge. The 2.0GHz Pentium 4 CPU and GeForce3 Ti200 are both well over six months old, but should stand up for a fair while at least.

Theres a host of little things that add to the value of the 4500: its whisper quiet when turned on, plus it has four LED diagnostic lights on the back of the PC to help you identify problems. The case is also lockable with either a padlock or specialized PC lock, though youll have to provide your own.

The Dimension 4500 has a couple of conspicuous flaws that tarnish an otherwise respectable system. Its nifty to have a DVD-ROM, but the lack of a CD-RW is disappointing and inconvenient in this day and age. Its also a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to connectivity. It has an internal 56K modem, but lacks a network card, so its harder to integrate into an office or home network straight out of the box.

Dells Dimension line of PCs feature a clever flip-open case pushing two buttons on the case (one on top and one underneath) allows you to split it open like a clamshell. All the internal components are then easily accessible and removable thanks to a completely toolless housing system.

The 4500s soundcard is a bit of a mixed bag: its a SoundBlaster Live! Value, which offers good audio quality (and is superior to anything else in this months Labs), but unfortunately it lacks true 5.1 surround capabilities.

The Dimension is also a solid performer, with the third highest SYSmark2002 score, at 188, and a respectable 3DMark2001 score of 6,558. Its GeForce3 Ti200 cant really compete with the newer GeForce4 Ti4200s, but it still offers a good balance between performance and features.
Save for a couple of minor faults Dells Dimension 4500 is a first-rate and well-presented system.