The first thing you notice about Dell's Dimension 4100 system is its LCD screen. This is a fully flat screen, like you'd see in a notebook, but considerably bigger than would squeeze into any portable's lid. This is a 17-inch panel, which means it measures a full 17 inches from corner to corner, unlike similarly rated CRT monitors which usually only manage 16 inches. It gives a clean picture, if a little dim, and is driven digitally from a GeForce2 Ultra graphics card.

The PC itself is built around a 1GHz Pentium III chip, with 256MB of memory, giving it a commendable turn of speed, and the 37GB hard drive is more than you're ever likely to need. DVD and CD-RW drives are fitted, leaving most of your options open for archival and CD creation.

Sound is as well catered for as video. It starts with an impressive Turtle Beach Santa Cruz card. Turtle Beach is not as well known over here as in the US, where the company is a leading contender in the high-end PC audio market. They co-developed the SonicFury card with the UK's VideoLogic. The Santa Cruz card is a full six-channel device and drives a set of Altec Lansing speakers, which look as good as they sound.

A copy of Works 2000 Suite is bundled with the system by Dell and overall the Dimension 4100 1GHz is a formidable high-end PC with good quality video and audio technology.