Dell was one of the last major PC manufacturers to only produce Intel based computer systems, but that changed recently. On the exterior, the Dimension E521 looks pretty much identical to the Dimension E520. The only real difference between the two is the use of the AMD based processors instead of the Intel ones. Find out how the new AMD based Dell budget PC compares to its Intel version.
How about listing the specs of the Intel equivalent;)
Actually, the Intel equivalent for the Dell Dimension E521 is the Dimension E520 that I also reviewed. It can be found at:
Dell Dimension E520 Review
The primary difference between the two comes down the processors that are used. While both use dual core processors, the E520 comes with an anemic Pentium D 805 processor while the E521 comes with a Athlon 64 X2 3800+ that provides better performance both in single and multitasking.
What is multitasking?
Multitasking is when multiple programs or applications are running within the operating system at the same time. An example might be using an application such as email and web browser while an anti-virus application is running.
What most people don’t realize is that after the operating system is loaded, there generally are multiple applications running. When a system has a dual core processor, these programs can be divided between two seperate processors that makes it easier for the computer to deal with rather than constantly switching between the programs in a single processor core.
What is your impression of the E521 with the Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor, compared to the AMD.
If you are looking to spend more than $750 for a computer system, then the E520 equipped with the Intel Core 2 Duo processor is a better choice than the E521. But for the budget versions of the Dimensions E520 and E521, the E521 with the Athlon 64 X2 outperforms the Pentiumd D E520.
I’m thinking of purchasing this unit from Dell, but before all major purchases I like to get technical and customer feedback. Most technical feedback on this unit has been positive, but customer complaints have been that using the USB ports have been causing the system to lock up. Do you know anything about this or have any comments? Any guidance that you could give would be greatly appreciated.
Is there any simple way of determining which AMD processor is comparable to its Intel counterpart? The nomenclature is confusing to me. Thanks!
Unfortunately there is no easy chart that will show direct comparison of model numbers between the Intel and AMD processor. This has to do with how each of the brands perform in various task will cary greatly. For example, even a lowly Core 2 Duo E6300 can outpoerform a high end Athlon 64 X2 4800+ in terms of gaming, but in terms of office productivity the AMD processors will be just as fast or faster. In general, I would recommend the AMDs now for those looking at office applications and web browsing but the Intel Core 2 for those looking to do multimedia or gaming.
Thank you for the review, and the timely response to comments made adn questions asked. Such wise counsel is unique. I think every viewer of this website would agree.
Tom’s Hardware has charts that compare most CPUs from the Core 2 EX6800 all the way back to Pentium D 805.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html
Its a good comparison of how a chip will benchmark
On the E521 is there a max limit to GB for a second internal drive AND can I add more than 2 HD internally?
Thanks.
The motherboard for the E521 has a total of 4 memory slots allowing for a maximum of 4GB of memory using 1GB memory modules. As for the hard drives, there are two internal 3.5″ drive days, so it can only hold 2 hard drives unless you buy a 5.25″ tray to hold a 3.5″ drive in which case you can place a third drive into the system.
I’m buying this computer, but I’m worried about the Power Supply limitation, since I’m planning to buy also a Nvidia 7600gt video card. Which video card would be considered the maximum that this 305 watt PSU can handle?
The GeForce 7600GT is a very low power consumption card and typically does not require a seperate PCI-Express power connector. The PCI-Express bus on the motherboard should be able to supply power to the video card and the power supply within the E521 should not be a problem.
How were the acoustics?
I’ve done something probably not recommended, in hopes of having my E521 run cleaner- a fresh install of Windows. I believe I’ve been able to succesfully reinstall MCE 2005, the drivers, and upates. But, now I don’t have a DVD decoder for Media Center. Any ideas? Also with the chipset driver, should I have both the NVidia MBus and the AMD Processor driver installed, or just one of them? Thanks.
I am trying to decide whether to get the E521 with Athlon or the Duo Core 520. I have read that the Athlon can get very hot. Is this a problem with Dell’s 521? Also, I don’t plan to do gaming at all, but will be doing still photo editing and have several windows open at once. What would be best for my needs? Thanks!
Acoustics – It has been many months since I originally evaluated the E521 and I don’t recall it being any louder than comparable systems.
E521 vs. E520 – For the money,the E521 is the better deal. It is slightly slower than the Core 2 Duo processor, but for most applications users will not notice a difference. Only those doing video editing or PC gaming will really see a difference.
I’ve noticed on the power supply that comes with the E521 has dual +12v rails @ 18A a piece which makes 36A in total, which should be enough to run a high end video card. I personally run an ATI X1900GT, which is pretty power hungry with no problems at all. Put 2 gigs of RAM in this machine with a decent video card this thing is smoking fast for the price.
Things to consider prior to any purchase are:
1) Quality of the components that you are paying for…the old saying you get what you pay for really sticks with the newer Dells.
2) Look closely at the warranty you get and compare it to other manufactures. Dell’s warranties are as short as 90 days for some of its computers. Dell wants to be able to sell its customers the highly profitable extended warranties.
3) Check the manufacture’s reputation in the industry at large, how is their stock doing? Google the manufacture and the model of the computer prior to purchase and see what others have to say, check several sources. Go to http://www.BBB.org and see if the web’s Better Business Bureau has any complaints against the company.
4) Call 3 or 4 independent repair facilities in your neighborhood and get their opinion of the systems you are considering.
5) What is their customer service like? How long will you spend on the phone trying to get help?
6) If your business relies on your computer for day-to-day operation, how long will you stay in business without your computer?
Is this a decent desktop for gaming?
The E521 can be used for gaming, although the GeForce 7300LE graphics card is not really suitable for the task. It should probably be upgraded to something like a GeForce 7600GT graphics card if it will be used for gaming. My wife ran an AMD Athlon X2 3800+ plus an older GeForce 6800GT graphics card and it was able to handle games like Oblivion without much of a problem.
I just bought this E521 w/ 20″ LCD from Dell 5 days ago. Oh my, the CPU fan is so loud, like a plane taking off. I think Duo core is supposed to handle multi-tasking, but it is just so loud. And it shuts itself up several times. I am gonna call Dell support to find out if every E521 is loud.
what is the main drawback of it lacking firewire ports?
How would I transfer my date from older computer into this one?
LOUD ~ I just bought the DELL E521 Yesterday…It does sound very loud as another owner described..like a plane taking off. Is it because of the temp setting? If not i’ll go deaf in a week. Dell needs to fix or i’ll return.
~UPDATE~ LOUD POWER SUPPLY FAN … Bought the Dell E521 Brand New from Wal-Mart yesterday, turned it on and sounded like an airplane taking off! Dell Tech Support said to stick a thick rolled up piece of paper in there to stop the fan to make sure it Was indeed the Fan. Duh! Well it was and they said they’d send out a new power supply and a tech to install it. Obviously the power supply either isnt connected right or is malfunctioning and making the fan max out its R.P.M.’s non-stop! Which is deafening over time and annoying. Thank God for Wal-Marts 15 Day return policy. Who wants a 848 dollar 912 w/tax computer that is faulty out of the box, or wait for tech to fix a problem straight from factory. I say build your own and use XP or any other free OS on your system!
Yes, the CPU fan sounds like a plane taking off when you run several job at the same time on my Dell E521 with AMD dual-core CPU.
I got the same model, year 2006, mine came with only one disk driver, and from the first day i got it and it has windows vista. It’s been nothing but problems. And i can’t play nay computer games, and my video card is crap and i hate it. Nothing really works.
Have you had any problems with it?
how much dose it cast first hand and how much do you reckon it cost second hand (moniter two speakers mouse, key bored)about 2 years old.