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Dell Inspiron 518 - The Perfect Desktop for Everyday Use

By Matt Ryan

Dell is known for the quality machines that they produce along with the high performance they implement into each PC. They have added, yet another, phenomenal desktop to the Dell family - the Inspiron 518. This mini tower is one of the best computers for any home or dorm. Students of all ages, and entire families, will find everything they need in the new Inspiron 518.

Like any Dell, you can custom build this desktop. Without any upgrades or additions, the standard mini tower starts at $329. Other manufacturers offer similar desktops for a little less money; however, the Inspiron is back by the Dell name along with superb support for the first year.

Under the hood you will find a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM, 256 ATI Radeon HD 3450, and a 320GB 5,400rpm hard drive. The Inspiron 518 also has gigabit Ethernet for fast connection speeds, dual-layer DVD burner, and operates on Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 (32-bit).

Notice that there is no option for the installation of the 64-bit version of Windows Vista. Unfortunately, the Inspiron 518 is not flexible in this sense, as it only supports a 32-bit operating system. 64-bit operating systems require more memory, which this system does not have. If you are planning to upgrade to Windows 7, you will first have to upgrade the memory, and any other necessary hardware, to get the desktop up to speed to handle a 64-bit OS.

The overall design, of the Insprion 518, is quite sleek and easy on the eyes. Dell did not stop with the overall appearance; they actually added a tray, to the top of the mini tower, for easy storage of small plug-n-play devices. Additionally, there were two USB 2.0 ports added, near the tray, to allow users to conveniently charge and connect with these devices.

Dell provides consumers with friendly interfaces and easy navigation. To increase the user experience, they have now added what is called the Dell Dock. Similar to Vistas sidebar, you can customize this dock to hold icons for your favorite applications and files. This gives you easy one-click access to those things you use most. You can customize where the dock appears, on your desktop, along with the option to completely shut it off.

There are a few features, that Dell normally offers, that are not available on the Inspiron 518. Consumers cannot upgrade their optical drive to a Blu-ray drive. Draft-N-Wireless is an available extra on this model. As for graphics cards, your choices are limited. You will either have to choose the low-end graphic card, or stick with the ATI Radeon HD 3450 as no other options are available. There are still many other extras that can be added, but you are limited on the Inspiron 518, unlike many other Dell machines.

The Inspiron 518 is a budget friendly computer. Combine this with its high performance and the number of features it offers, and you've got yourself an amazing everyday computer. Whether you are looking for a computer for a student or an entire family, the Inspiron 518 is a good fit.

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