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By Rich Brown
Oct 25, 2007

Dell's new XPS 420 desktop advertises itself as the complete solution to all of your digital-media problems. Depending on the options you select for it, it can wirelessly serve up photos, music, and high-definition video over your home network, it can quickly convert large video files to smaller, iPod- and Sony PSP-friendly formats, it can even record and time shift HD digital cable. If you've embraced the idea of a traditional desktop acting as the media hub for your home network, the XPS 420 has you covered. It's also a capable system for manipulating consumer-level digital video. Gamers, HD DVD loyalists, and anyone not looking for a fully loaded digital media PC will find their needs better served elsewhere.

Editors' note : This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.com. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details.

Design

The XPS 420 features a chassis update to Dell's 400 series in the US. This new model comes with a glossy black front panel that seems to be required of any current mainstream desktop. Beyond just the cosmetics, the XPS 420 also comes with a small Windows SideShow LCD (or Dell MiniView, if you prefer) on the top edge. SideShow was announced early this year at CES. It's essentially an extension of Windows Vista's SideBar pane, and it runs all of the same free Gadget mini applications (similar to Apple's Widgets).

Features

The default Gadgets that come with the XPS 420 include system information screens, a music playlist and shortcuts. Right now Microsoft offers about 1,500 others available for download. The chief benefit is you can run use SideShow to play media or find sports scores, stock prices, weather, or other quick hit information without sitting down at your desk, and while the system is in sleep mode. We've seen SideShow on a laptop or two, as well as on a few high-end home theater PCs, but this is the first time we've seen it on a traditional desktop, and it's a definite boon you won't find from other vendors.

While the SideShow screen comes on every XPS 420, many of the features we received are optional. That's a good thing, too, because when we compare the specs of the XPS 420 to one of its rivals, you can see that those features add up.

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