Dell Studio XPS Shows How Cases Are Supposed To Be Done

It’s the little things that matter in life, and this obviously includes your PC.

The Dell Studio XPS is a fantastic PC, no question. The two models offered currently are the XPS 8100 and the XPS 9000. The base 8100 model (no monitor included) is $649. And what you get, said honestly, is a very fast machine. The specs include an Intel Core i5-650 3.20GHz CPU, 16x DVD R/W, 3GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB 7200rpm HDD and nVidia GeForce G310 512MB DDR3 video.

Aside from the tech goodness, what really stands out about modern Dell towers are the way they look. Sure, you could easily build a faster PC for cheaper, but can you make it look as good as the Dell you see here?

The current Studio XPS series is one of the best looking PCs Dell has ever built. A lot of thought went into the design. It looks like something straight out of the future – and it’s here now. You see sleek lines and meticulous attention to detail. Dare I say, it has an Apple-like quality to it. It looks like an over-$1,000 computer box, yet stays well under $700 while still offering some awesome bang for the buck.

Of course there will be those out there that say, "I don’t care what my computer box looks like as long as it runs well." To that I ask a question: Why shouldn’t you have a PC that looks good? You use it all the time, after all. Besides which, this is 2010. PCs should all look this good.

Compared to other case designs, the Dell does not have one of those ridiculous plastic doors in the front of it. Everything is open. You also have the convenience of card slots above the DVD drive, and on top are USB and audio ports with a small tray which is purposely sized to fit DVD discs, labels or whatever else you want to put there.

Form and function follow each other very well in this application. This box was built with people in mind, and it shows.

Do you realize how difficult it is to find a case that has both the top tray area and the ports?

I searched NewEgg to see how many towers cases actually had this.

Absolutely none of them had card slots on the top, but there were a scant few that did have the ports and tray:

You’ll notice something about each of the above – they’re all black. Very black. Black as night. The gamer kids today have absolutely no interest in cases with ridiculously sized acrylic windows, overdone lighting and so on. What they want are flat black no-nonsense cases, because it’s what’s on the inside that counts as far as they’re concerned.

So even if you’re the type that likes to build rather than buy, if you want a case that has top tray and ports, you’re left with nothing but Black Cases of Doom. They get the job done, no question, but they just don’t hold up to the Dell’s style.

Does style matter with computers?

Yes, it does. Apple has proven this to be true time and time again.

Even a Mac user would have to admit the Dell Studio XPS is one fine looking machine. It pulls off a look that doesn’t borrow from Apple whatsoever, yet looks classy and ritzy. And that’s not easy to do in the home computer industry.

Why aren’t there more PC cases with good style and convenience?

I have no idea. Even when you look at the super-high-priced cases like this one, what you’re left with is the same ol’ Black Case of Doom. Oh sure, the inside design is perfection, no question. Top build quality. And heavy. The case linked is 33 pounds. But the outward appearance would probably scare small children.

Do case manufacturers need to step up their game?

Yes. There need to be tower cases made that are at least on par with the design of the Dell Studio XPS.

Dell shows us you can have elegance, power, style and convenience all at once – without an Apple price tag.

I’m not saying the black-doom boxes should be killed off as there are people that like that sort of thing. But the case makers should pay attention to what Dell is doing and follow suit.

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Andrew
Haha, I like your term “Black Case of Doom.” I am actually an owner of a BCD and yes I picked it for the no-nonsense look. It is an Antec P180 black and it’s smooth on each side, has a ridiculous door on the front, and a flat top for that extra bit of impromptu desk space. I would like a case with a bit more flare, but still retain the no-nonsense, powerful look of a BCD. However most cases just end up looking gaudy; the only one that came close (imo) was the Thermaltake Level 10. This was out of the question thoguh as it had an absurd pricetag($850), but it did give me the idea of making my own case. I found your article on case building a timely bit of information. So all this is to say: I think finding a case that suits all your needs and wants is tough and to find the perfect case, we may just have to build it ourselves.
Steve Stone
Good looks and functionality. I stuff my towers next to my desk in a corner of the room where they barely, if ever are seen. Painless entry into the innards in a tight place is essential for me, along with low noise and the ability to suck the heat off of whatever hardware is in the box. The Antec P182 I purchased a few years ago seems to do the job for me.
David M
How a case looks is very qualitative. It really depends on the individual.
As far as my own tastes go, I think this Dell case is above average. My own preference are the all black aluminum Lian-Li cases with very little to no decoration. To me, those are gorgeous cases. I certainly would understand if the next person thinks they are ugly because they prefer cases with alien faces.
Example: http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=223&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=62&g=q

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
The company you cited does produce “alien face” style garbage:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/NewProduct.aspx?Item=N82E16811112241
http://www.newegg.com/Product/NewProduct.aspx?Item=N82E16811112217
Lian Li is just as guilty as Dell is with the Alienware line.

David M
Rich,
I think you misread what I said. I never said Lian-Li had cases with alien heads.
David

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
Neither did I. I said alien face *style*, which is garbage, and posted two links proving Lian Li does make garbage cases like that.

David M
Ewwww…that is indeed repulsive. I had not realized that Lian-Li had hired some dopers to work in their design department.

David Kennedy
You’re right, there aren’t too many “designer” cases. It’s part of the reason why, when recently picking out parts to build a computer, I had the hardest time picking a case. Just looking at pics of them online doesn’t do much for you. But I don’t think there’s that much interest for them.
The Dell Studio XPS is a nicer looking case. Too bad the components on the inside are junk.

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
The XPS isn’t just designer. It is much more “human” friendly compared to other cases. The thoughtful touches of the tray and ports on top show that. It is a sound blend of form and function.
Speaking from personal experience, I can fully confirm that the XPS series in no way uses junk components. The chassis on the inside easy to work with, the parts used are above average. You will find no rough edges, no misplaced components, no dangling wires. This is absolutely not the cheap Optiplex machines you remember from years ago. Not at all.

David Kennedy
Sorry, I used “designer” to mean, they took more time in the design than just throwing 6 black steel sides together. Didn’t mean to imply form over function.
Every Dell machine I have had the pleasure of working with over the past 3 years has had components that failed prematurely. I’ve now soured so much on Dell that I won’t touch them, personally. That’s why I’m now starting to build my own machines. Perhaps the XPS is different, but given the continued focus on cost cutting at Dell…I doubt it.

http://www.menga.net Rich Menga
The reason you probably haven’t worked on many (if any) is because a) it’s not the cheap crap and b) the failure rate is much, much lower. XPS is not bargain bin garbage.
The XPS is significantly better compared to the lower Inspiron line, no question. If you buy cheap with Dell you get cheap. Sounds obvious but it’s still true. The upper line XPS has all the bases covered both inside and out.

J Solis
Just got my xps9000 today. Overall I Like it with the exception of the DVD drive! The button to eject is difficult to reach and it’s impossible to reach when the tray is open!
Ted
I have an XPS 9000. It is indeed a very nice case, and very nice computer overall, but has a cooling issue with those tiny holes (they are actually punched hexagons if you look close!) in the side and using that duct to suck in cooling air for the cpu, pretty much useless (afterthought?) and the i7 runs hot already. Simply taking the case side off drops temps 10 degrees C across the board at idle, so possible mod coming there (easy to add opening and screen into side panel and duct for straight shot of room temp air), trick is to make it look “factory”
Also, I am sorry but this case still does not compare to the Apple G5/Mac Pro case which is simply fantastic quality and makes changing drives etc super easy. Its nice to see PC case makers having some fun though, overall this is a decent machine and hopefully as reliable as my Dell laptop which is well into its third year with no issues.
I couldn’t buy the parts to build my own machine for what this XPS cost, won’t even mention the price of software. Running two drives with two different operating systems and so far very happy