With a 3.06GHz Pentium 4 and starting at 256MB of DDR RAM, the high-end of the Dimension line delivers screaming performance. Whether you're bringing work home or editing home videos, you won't be disappointed by what a souped-up Dell can do.

Users intent on looks and saving desk space can also incorporate a Dell Ultrasharp flat-panel display into the Dimension 8300 system. You can upgrade the standard 17-inch CRT monitor to a 21-inch CRT display for an extra $520.

A typical dimension will also include an ATI Radeon 9800 graphics board, making it well suited for the latest games. Of course, if you're really looking to maximize the multimedia, you'll want to upgrade the adequate two-speaker Harmon/Kardon set to the Altec Lansing 4.1 or their THX-certified 5.1 surround-sound options (an extra $80 or $220, respectively). Having the extra speakers is almost a must for gaming as well as for watching DVD movies or listening to music with the Dimension, and both of these sets deliver clear trebles and thumping bass.

The Dimension series features a unique clamshell design, opening like a book after you depress buttons on the top and bottom of the case (although the bottom button can take some searching to find the first time). Once open, the well-marked interior makes it easy to upgrade or swap out components. Each drive bay has two green tabs that let you slide drives in and out, and a green bar swings up from the PCI slots, letting you add new cards easily. The open memory sockets are unobstructed, making it simple to add more RAM. Any of these upgrades can be performed without tools, although you have to be careful when closing up the case because some wires can get pinched in the chassis edges.

There are eight USB 2.0 ports on the tower, with two located up front for easy connectivity with digital cameras and other devices. There's also a front headphone jack for listening to audio without disturbing anyone else in the house. A convenient flip cover closes down over the front ports when they're not in use.

While the default drive for the Dimension 8000 series is only a 16X DVD-ROM drive, you can upgrade all the way to a 4X DVD+RW drive, which lets you create your own DVD movies as well as burn to traditional CD-R and CD-RW discs. This upgrade will run you another $169, but you can opt for a 48X/24X/48X CD-RW drive for only $20 if you don't need the DVD-writing capability.

Another external storage option is an Iomega Zip 250 drive ($99), which lets you pack 250MB onto Zip disks--useful when bringing large files home from work or taking music over to a friend's house.

Microsoft Windows XP Home edition is the default operating system for the Dimension 8000 series, with an upgrade to the Professional version possible for $60. The series ships with the WordPerfect Productivity Pack including Quicken financial software, but that should be considered a bare minimum if you plan on doing any home office work. You can add on the Microsoft Office suite of applications for $150 for Small Business and $349 for Office Professional. Dell Picture Studio image editing software can be added for $40, letting you catalog and add finishing touches to your digital images.

A network port is integrated into the motherboard, so you can connect the Dimension to a cable or DSL modem. A 56K modem is also included, and Dell throws in six months of free Internet access through AOL or Earthlink with the 8000.

If you have multiple home PCs, you can opt for wireless connectivity, tossing in a USB wireless adapter for $49. If you're not sure about setting up a wireless home network, Dell even offers to come to your house and set it up for you--for a fee, naturally.

The Dell QuietKey keyboard and two-button scroll mouse function well, but if you're an input device maven, you might consider upgrading to the Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse combo ($65) for across-the-room access.

The Dell Dimension 8000 series desktop PCs start at $969, but that will only get you a stripped-down system with the bare minimum in terms of performance and multimedia. Opting for mid-range components, you can get a powerful and impressive system for around $2,000. There are lots of budget systems out there that promise lower price tags. But if you're more concerned with stability and performance, a Dell Dimension 8000 can deliver that and a whole lot more for those willing to spend for it.

Pro: High-end components, well-designed tower, easy expandability.

Con: Price adds up quickly.