Why You Can Trust CNET Dell Dimension 5100C (Pentium 4 2.8GHz review: Dell Dimension 5100C (Pentium 4 2.8GHz
The sleek, space-saving Dell 5100C offers configurations that meet the needs of most mainstream users, but gamers and power users should look elsewhere.
Taking a page from Apple's design book, Dell gave last year's Dimension 4700C compact desktop a complete makeover both inside and out. The new Dimension 5100C, done up in a glossy white-and-silver case, retains its predecessor's small footprint and offers a bevy of mainstream configuration options for consumers and businesses alike. Our $1,458 test system included Intel's dual-core Pentium D 830 processor and Windows Media Center Edition, but no TV tuner card. It's not a configuration we think many would choose, but Dell provides enough options to please mainstream users interested in productivity and multimedia apps.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Weighing just 16.4 pounds and measuring 12.4 inches high, 3.7 inches wide, and 14.4 inches deep, the 5100C is based on a BTX chassis, which provides a more efficient (read: quiet) method of cooling internal parts than traditional ATX-based systems. The result is an attractive desktop that will fit well in almost any home or business environment. Thankfully, Dell has moved away from the hinged clamshell case that required three hands to open and provided limited access to the interior. Instead, the 5100C's right side panel is easily removed with the push of a button. All drives and expansion slots are also tool free, but there's no room for additional optical or storage drives, and the narrow case limits the 16x and 1x PCI Express slots to only half-height expansion cards.
A button on the front of the system activates a gear-driven mechanism, opening a front panel with two USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, audio-in and audio-out jacks, a vertically mounted dual-layer, multiformat DVD burner, and a 9-in-1 media-card reader. The panel, which opens and folds itself over the top of the system, adds to the machine's coolness factor but appears too flimsy to withstand the rigors of everyday use--especially in a busy work environment. Rear ports include five USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire port, Ethernet and modem connectors, and jacks for integrated 7.1 audio.
The Dimension 5100C has a base price of $849 but can be configured with a choice of five Intel processors (single-core Pentium 4 or dual-core Pentium D) and a variety of multimedia and storage options. Our review system included the fastest option: Intel's dual-core Pentium D 830 running at 3.0GHz, along with 512MB of 533MHz DDR2 memory. You can also choose to configure the 500C with 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB of memory.
On CNET Labs' BAPCo SysMark 2004 application tests, the 5100C performed as expected, coming in 17 percent faster than the single-core, midtower Dell Dimension 5100 and exactly matching the performance of the similarly priced HP d4100e, which features an AMD Athlon 64 4000+ CPU. The next step up the Dell ladder, the Dimension 9100, uses a faster Pentium D 840 processor and runs 15 percent faster.
The 5100C's dual-core CPU promises improved performance on multimedia applications; but while the 5100C ran these applications faster than many single-core systems, it fell behind other dual-core systems, which tend to be more expensive, higher-end computers. The 5100C ran 62 percent slower than the Dell 9100 in our Photoshop test but only 7 percent slower when encoding MP3 files in iTunes. The 5100C managed to beat out the dual-core Sony VAIO VGC-RA842G at MP3 encoding by 42 percent, despite having the same Pentium D 830 CPU.
The new Intel GMA 950 integrated graphics provides a step up from the older GMA 900 graphics core, but it still can't compete with today's dedicated 3D graphics cards. We didn't expect earth-shattering 3D performance from the 5100C and rightly so; it isn't geared toward gamers. A score of 66.2 frames per second on our Unreal Tournament 2003 tests means you'll be able to play some older games, but many of today's graphics-intensive 3D titles will bring this system to its knees. The system wouldn't run our Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 benchmarks, but for an extra $80, you can add a half-height version of ATI's 128MB Radeon X600 SE card. It won't help your 3D scores that much, but it will make the 5100C a stronger system for Photoshop and Media Center features in general.
Business users eyeing the Dimension 5100C can opt for XP Home or Pro. To take full advantage of Media Center's ability to display and record TV, spend an additional $149 to get a TV tuner card and a remote. The 160GB SATA hard drive provides ample storage for most needs, but we'd recommend spending the extra $70 for a 250GB drive if you'll be storing lots of recorded TV programs or other bulky digital media content. Although our build did not come with a monitor, we did receive a three-piece speaker setup that performed adequately. If you'll be using the 5100C as a Media Center, you'll want more power and surround-sound capabilities. A multimedia keyboard and optical scroll mouse are standard, but Dell offers a wireless desktop set as an option.
Bundled software includes WordPerfect 12.0, Musicmatch Jukebox Basic, and Corel Photo Album Starter Edition. The system comes with a stingy warranty covering parts, labor, weekday at-home service, and telephone support for a mere 90 days--a regrettable new standard we're seeing more often. Additional coverage is available for one ($22) or two ($92) years, and for $172 more, you can get three years of coverage with night and weekend at-home service. Other than a generic desktop-information guide, the 5100C lacks printed documentation. Instead, Dell preinstalls user manuals on the hard drive--an approach that becomes less convenient if you're trying to revive a dead system.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
 | BAPCo's SysMark 2004 rating | | SysMark 2004 Internet-content-creation rating | | SysMark 2004 office-productivity rating |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
| Half-Life 2 1,024x768 4XAA 8XAF | | Half-Life 2 1,600x1,200 4X AA 8X AF |
(Lower times are better)
| Sorenson Squeeze 4.0 video-encoding test (in seconds) | | Adobe Photoshop CS test (in seconds) | | Apple iTunes 4.7.1.30 MP3-encoding test (in seconds) |
Find out more about how we test desktop systems.
System configurations
Apple Power Mac G5 dual 2.7GHz
Macintosh OS 10.4; Dual PowerPC G5 2.7GHz; 4,096MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800 Ultra (AGP); 250GB Maxtor Serial ATA hard drive
Dell Dimension 5100
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 3.0GHz Intel Pentium 4 531; Intel 945G chipset; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 400MHz; 128MB ATI Radeon X300 SE (PCIe); Maxtor 6L160M0 160GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA
Dell Dimension 5100C
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 830, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; Intel 945G chipset; 224MB (shared) integrated Intel 950G; Maxtor 6L160M0 160GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA
Dell Dimension 9100
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 3.2GHz Intel Pentium D 840; Intel 945GP chipset; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800 (PCIe); two WDC WD160JD-75HBB0 160GB Serial ATA 7,200rpm; integrated Intel 82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (RAID 0)
HP Pavilion d4100e
Windows XP Home SP2; 2.4GHz AMD Athlon 64 4000+; ATI Radeon RS480 (ATI Radeon X200 Xpress) chipset; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 400MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6800 (PCIe); Seagate ST3400832AS 400GB 7,200rpm, Serial ATA
Sony VAIO VGC-RA842G
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2; 3.0GHz Intel Pentium D 830; Intel 945G chipset; 1,024MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce 6600 (PCIe); two WDC WD2500JD-98HBC0 250GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA; integrated Intel 8201/GR/GH SATA RAID Controller