A Guide to Dell Intel Pentium 4 PC Desktops
Established in 1984, Dell manufactures desktop computers and laptops. It offers a range of styles and models in its desktop line, many containing Intel Pentium 4 processors.
What components influence a computer's speed and storage?
Pay close attention to the specs of four parts: the central processing unit (CPU), graphics and video card, hard drive, and random access memory (RAM).
- CPU - The processor determines how quickly the desktop computer performs calculations and handles program requests, expressed in GHz. The processor attaches to the motherboard and is considered the heart of the computer since it powers every component and function. A processor's GHz speed depends on the number of cores it features.
- Graphics and video card – This card determines the quality of the displayed graphics and video. It gains importance if you'll use the system for gaming, film editing, or graphic design.
- Hard drive – Also called a hard disk, this determines the amount of space to store files and install programs. The larger the number, the better with a caveat. Hard drives are measured in both gigabytes (GB) and terabytes (TB). A TB equals 1,000GB, so while a 500GB drive holds twice as much as a 250GB drive, a 1TB drive holds twice as much GB memory as a 500GB drive.
- RAM – This temporary memory provides the computer a place to store programs as they run. A computer with too little memory will run programs slow, experiencing lag.
What RAM options does Dell provide?
Dell systems offer a range of less than 1GB to 8GB of random access memory. The lower range works well for word processing and other general office applications, but the high range provides the minimum needed for gaming and watching DVD-ROMs and operating CD-ROMs.
What operating systems do these systems offer?
Choose from systems that come with no operating system, allowing you to partition the hard drive and install the operating system of your choice. You may also select those with Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 10.
What hard drive sizes are available?
You can find models of these computers with hard drives of less than 100GB all the way up to 2TB.
What form factors does the manufacturer provide in these models?
Choose from six form factors in these desktops: All-In-One, micro tower, mini desktop, mini tower, small form factor (SFF) tower, and the ultra small form factor (USFF).