Sometimes you can cut too much to meet a low price. Although the Dell Dimension 4500s did perform on a par with the pricier Gateway 300X, what you sacrifice to get the $800 Dell model might not be worthwhile for some users.

The Dimension is difficult to upgrade; with no available pci slots or drive bays, your only choice is removing something to add an internal component or relying on the four USB 2.0 ports in the back. Dell equips the Dimension with 256MB of DDR RAM and—as with the Gateway unit—integrated Intel AGP video.

We were somewhat disappointed by the Dimension's 15-inch E551 monitor, which can handle only 60 Hz at 1,024-by-768 resolution. At least the decent Harman Kardon speakers come through for the A half of the AV features. The most notable element missing is any kind of writable drive. This is a must even for budget systems these days, especially for a system with a 20GB hard drive, which is all too easy to fill.

Like the Gateway system, the Dimension comes with Microsoft Windows XP Home and Microsoft Works Suite 2002. And there's the expected one-year parts-and-labor warranty.

Dell has free upgrade deals from time to time (including, for example, a free DVD or CD-R drive); without such a freebie this system is less attractive. But saving the system from ignominy is that it's a decent performer and that Dell lets you custom-configure it.