Product Review: Dell Dimension 4600 Desktop Computer

If you should happen to be looking for an affordable and reliable used or refurbished desktop, Dell is a great way to go. I have been using Dell computers since late 2006 and have almost never had a single problem with them. Depending on demand, not everyone needs a new top of the line computer. Older models from the last few years can easily handle most computing tasks with no problem. Refurbished models offer a nice alternative to a four-figure desktop that you may not even need.

In late 2006, I received a used Dell Dimension to replace my dinosaur from the 90's. The model I got was a 4600 built in 2003. The model came with a Pentium 2.4 GHZ processor, 512 MB of memory, integrated sound and video card, DVD Burner, and an 80 GB hard drive. I had to do a fresh install of Windows on it because it didn't come with the original disks. I will say that as a company, Dell is difficult to find drivers for certain models. However, being that I had to find each one individually, that most of that was my fault. Overall I would have to say that it is a great computer.

This is not a computer that I would recommend for high-end computer games or extremely hard ware intensive applications. For almost any other purpose, it performs like a champ! Mine has Windows XP Pro on it and I seldom ever get an error on any program that I use. It might handle Windows 7 but that it a little more demanding on the hardware and really don't seem to do normal tasks any better than XP. It will run computer games, however with an integrated graphics card and less that 1 GB memory, some of them can be a little shaky here and there but nothing major. As far as Internet, word processing, audio, photos and those types of tasks, I have never had a problem with it.

There are a few things to know for the do it yourself user regarding the hardware. The motherboard will only hold 1GB ram total. The factory CD drives are not the greatest. The only problem that I have had with the hardware was that the CD/DVD burner began to fail in the middle of this year. Considering the age and use of it, that's 2-3 years past the average life span of an optical drive anyway. All of the hardware in the machine is IDE, which is helpful to know. I replaced the original drive with a newer one and it works just fine now. Burning a data DVD at 8-12X is no problem at all for this machine. The good news is that all you need to remove is the side panel, and the front panel, which is no trouble at all.

As far as upgrades, the most to expect without a lot of money is 1 GB ram and newer optical drives. You may be able to add a separate video or sound card, but I am not sure. The upgrades for another 512 MB of ram and a newer CD/DVD burner will run about $100 from a parts supplier like Tiger Direct. This computer is super easy to work on and anyone who can read a tutorial can perform those upgrades. However this is not a computer I would add a new motherboard or more expensive parts to. The cost of the parts would rival a new desktop and that would defeat the purpose. To upgrade it as much as possible would still make for a nice, quick, solid machine that will last.

The model I have used is a Dimension 4600, however I would say the same attributes would apply to any Dell desktop from 2002 and up. This machine has worked nearly everyday for 7 years with almost no problem at all. Optical drives only live 4-5 years and the one in this lasted nearly 7 so I can't even complain there. These can't be beat for reliability. I plan to upgrade the memory in mine and keep it operation for at least a few more years. This computer has successfully completed hundreds of tasks for me with no trouble. So, if you are looking for a solid workhorse machine that's easy on the wallet, I can't recommend these enough!