Dell Studio Hybrid desktop computer is worthy of serious consideration, particularly if you are looking for a tiny media centre computer PC. Dell’s latest endeavour, the Dell Studio Hybrid desktop is part of the Studio range, which ships in standard ATX, slimline and small form factor appearance. The PC is perhaps the most interesting of the trio, thanks to its unusual styling, attractive price tag (price from £349) as well as its strong, according to Dell, eco credentials.

Build and Design

The Studio Hybrid is a small and attractive desktop computer. It approximately has the size of a hardcover novel, a good bit thicker and heavier though. Dell Studio Hybrid would not look out of place in a living room, media room, bedroom, or even in the kitchen.  In fact, the only place it would seem out of place is an office, simply because it looks great.

Dell’s Studio Hybrid’s exterior can be customised according to your style and needs. It is available in emerald green, quartz pink, ruby red, topaz orange, sapphire blue, black leather, brown leather and a bamboo finish. Each one comes with a removable perspex sleeve that is tinted slightly to match the colour of the chassis. Budding designers can experiment with different colour schemes by buying additional sleeves for £29.

Dell managed to pack all the technology into the petite enclosure by using mostly notebook components.  This is certainly not new (HP TouchSmart line or even Dell’s own all in one, the XPS One come in mind), but it means that the system is less powerful than traditional desktops. Dell’s Studio Hybrid is not a computer designed to play the newest PC games. However, this is not a problem as Studio Hybrid is a desktop computer that manages to be capable enough while maintaining an attractive footprint.

According to Dell, Studio Hybrid Desktop is the producer’s greenest consumer desktop PC. The packaging itself is composed of 95 percent recyclable materials and contains 5 percent less printed documentation by weight when compared to typical tower desktops. Dell also claims that the machine consumes about 70 percent less power than a typical desktop and meets energy star 4.0 standards thanks to its 87 percent efficient power supply.

Inputs and Expansion

Studio Hybrid desktop has a startling number of ports for a compact system. At the front and across the optical disc slot is the SD card reader. Under that there are two USB2.0 ports and a headphone jack. At the back there are three more USB2.0 ports, a FireWire port as well as a jack for the gigabit network card. Additionally, there are audio line in and line out ports, digital S/P DIF out, DVI-I out and HDMI out. The last three are predictable additions, given Dell’s marketing efforts to present the product as a potential media centre/ HTPC. In the same vein, the FireWire and USB ports could be useful for attaching additional storage space, since there is not enough room in the case for a second drive.

When it comes to upgrades, there are not a lot of supported upgrades you could make to the Studio Hybrid Desktop. RAM and hard drive are easy ones while you could possibly upgrade the CPU with another notebook processor if you had a steady hand.  Besides, the Studio Hybrid comes with the option to add a Blu-Ray drive. This is an expected addition when it comes to the entertainment centre.

Performance

Despite its size, Dell’s Studio Hybrid is a good performance PC. Its Core 2 Duo T3200 CPU achieves a solid 3,657 in PCMark 2005, pointing out that it is notably quicker than the Eee Box (1,407), the Advent Eco PC (3,310) and the Shuttle x27D (2,035). Graphics are not particularly impressive, however. It turns in a 3DMark 2006 score of 539, so if you are a gamer, you should probably look for Dell’s gaming laptops or desktops computers.

If you are considering of using Dell’s Studio Hybrid as a Media Centre, there are some good news for you; Studio Hybrid desktop stays cool and runs quietly. The last thing anyone wants is a loud, obnoxious desktop PC drowning out the dialogue while watching a favourite movie.

Conclusion

Studio Hybrid’s unique design holds plenty of appeal. It is a very stylish machine that would look great almost anywhere. Compared to other desktop computers in its small-scale legion, Dell’s entry is actually one of the best equipped. If aesthetic is your chief concern, Dell Studio Hybrid will reward you with its great design and respectable computing power.

Comparatively to standard desktop computers Studio Hybrid is not a very powerful machine. However, Studio Hybrid is not a standard desktop computer and comparing it thusly does not do the system justice. The machine manages to be capable enough to let you get work done while enjoying high definition content. On the other hand, Studio Hybrid has some annoying shortcomings that, had Dell changed the way it was designed, would make it absolutely stellar.  In later revisions of the Hybrid line, it would be great if Dell was to offer a model with both discrete and integrated graphics, and the ability to switch between the two.  That way it could still be energy efficient and maintain the ability to be a graphical powerhouse.

Despite its small issues, Dell Studio Hybrid is a very attractive machine, ideal for style-conscious consumers looking for a media centre PC or energy efficient desktop system. It is more expensive than nettops suck as Eee Box or Eee Top and it is difficult to upgrade yourself but, the fact that you can customize it to your specific needs makes it a worthwhile proposition.

Explore the choice at: Dell Studio Hybrid Desktop

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 4:44 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.