11. Performance Analysis, Continued
The majority of Ultimate system buyers will likely use their systems for multiple tasks, including games, so an average of performance differences between all test suites provides a good estimate of the system's worth.
Remember that we chose our own high-end components based on the philosophy that incremental performance increases often result in exponential price increases. In reality, we expect a 50% performance increase to bring with it a 150% price increase. A 46% performance gain means Dell's XPS 720 H2C Edition PC has to be incredibly expensive if we're to justify our position. But is it?
If our previous rationale for limiting expense were numerically accurate, the XPS 720 H2C Edition should cost nearly "nine grand"! Fortunately for high-end buyers, the base price for this system is $6,000, and the fully optioned-out version we received tops out at $7,746 - with Windows Vista Premium and a gaming keyboard and mouse. Buyers can certainly save some money and get a big return in performance by choosing XP Professional and 2 GB RAM, putting a portion of that money aside for a possible future Windows Vista upgrade when Windows XP finally loses its broad industry support.
Conclusions
Ultimate Enthusiast level systems are never cheap, but Dell makes sure that anyone who can afford its XPS 720 H2C Edition PC gets all the performance and features they'd expect. The company's move to differentiate its highest-performance systems from those of its Alienware subsidiary are also quite successful on the surface - and when it comes to brand differentiation, the surface is what matters.
Builders might be able to save a scant few dollars by assembling a similar system themselves, but such home-builds don't come with a one-year in-home service warranty, 24/7 tech support, or the exclusive fit of Dell's H2C cooler in a custom-designed, ultra-thick aluminum case.
Test lab technician Shelton Romhanyi was incredibly impressed with the system's low noise and solid construction, noting that the system weighs between 60 and 70 pounds. That's a lot to lug around, but buyers at this price level are probably not planning to take such a large system to a LAN party anyway. If they do - they can probably afford a cart!