DELL Vostro 460 review

Let me start this review by saying that this is the fastest, most responsive computer that I've ever used and all my benchmark results prove this. And this is only a mid-range 'Sandy Bridge' processor the Intel Core i5 2400! With configurations starting at just over £400 this Vostro 460 mini-tower is a real bargain for anyone who wants a powerful desktop or as a basis of a value gaming system.

Opening the attractive case reveals further details that show the typical DELL attention to detail. Two 8cm fans spin slowly and quietly, and the quality 350W power supply. Also the six pin PCI-EX graphics card power adapter allowing you to install mid-range low power consuming graphics card like the AMD Radeon HD6850. There do not appear to be any USB 3 connections available or SATA 6GB/s sockets on the motherboard and these do not appear to be options either. There is an external eSATA and HDMI connectors on the rear of the case. Also an older VGA D-sub video connector instead of the more modern DVI.

A real disappointment is the use of proprietary metal rails to secure the hard disk drive. These are not available from DELL unless you purchase a really expensive extra hard drive. Also the memory upgrades are expensive as well, though with four slots you can always purchase the DDR3 DIMMs yourself and easily expand the capacity.

These points do little to dampen my enthusiasm for this excellent value desktop which really show the performance of Intel's new processor in an affordable package.