Dell XPS 8500

In case you were wondering: XPS stands for eXtreme Performance System, but we’ll happily ignore the faulty acronym as long as the 8500 desktop really does prove to be an ‘extreme’ system.

What we found is that this is a multimedia computer with a powerful system that’s capable of running intense processor-heavy applications. It also provides premium quality sound and visuals.

What we like best

The Dell XPS 8500 combines a high performance processor and graphics chipset with 1 Tb storage minimum at a mid-level price. In short, not only is this desktop top notch, it’s also affordable.

The price for this system gets bumped up as you improve RAM. At its basic configuration you only get 4 Gb, but this can be upgrade to an impressive 16 Gb if that’s the kind of performance you’re after. Combine this with a second-generation Intel i7 processor (3.40 GHz) and a choice of either AMD Radeon or NVIDIA GeForce video cards, and Dell are being modest by only using ‘extreme’ to describe it.

The XPS 8500 could handle most workloads trouble free, and it seems to function just as well as an entertainment machine. The raw power of this desktop could easily run high-detail computer games. It can render 3D with ease and also boasts 7.1 surround sound, so provided you’ve got a decent screen and perhaps speakers, you’d never need to turn on a TV again (NB The Dell XPS 8500 has a built-in TV tuner).

To cap it all off, this desktop has connective options in abundance. We can’t fathom why you’d need four USB 3.0s but that’s not something to complain about. As well as an HDMI and VGA, you also get a 19-in-1 media card reader so uploading files or videos from most devices can be done with ease.

What we like least

This is an impressive system, but it has a generic Dell look to it – why go all out on the interior hardware and then go for a look that’s more bank vault than personal computer?

Funnily enough, on the Dell website it has a subheading titled ‘You have it, so flaunt it’. The 8500 may be a multimedia goliath, but at a glance it could be any Dell Desktop released in the past decade.