Dell is gunning for high-end PC gamers with the release of its new Dimension XPS PC this week: It features Intel's latest processor and chip set, ATI's newest graphics card, and a redesigned tower chassis with plenty of room for upgrades, starting at $2199.

The PC vendor hopes that the XPS can win attention from advanced users who either build their own PCs or turn to smaller specialty vendors such as Alienware and Falcon Northwest for high-end rigs (often with AMD processors). These buyers are important because they are the tech-savvy folks to whom everybody else turns for PC buying advice.

"These gamer-enthusiasts are influential with other buyers," says Mark Vena, director of Dimension product marketing. "If we can provide a good solution for the 'show me' type of users, this will have a trickle-down effect."

To build a more powerful PC, Dell started with a new power supply. The XPS features a two-fan, 460-watt power supply that sits in the bottom section of the new tower case (most Dell PCs use 300- to 350-watt supplies). The extra juice makes it possible to load up the unit's open PCI card slots and drive bays without pushing the system's stability, Vena says.

Isolating the power supply also helps keep temperatures low, Vena says. The unit has three additional fans beyond the usual two. Two of the extras pull air from the CPU and motherboard, and the third keeps the PCI cards cool.

Dell did more than just load the case with fans, says Vibha Monteiro of the Dimension product marketing team.

"This market loves fans, but we don't just put fans in there. We monitored the system to strategically place all five of those fans," she says. "We make sure there are no hot spots in the system."

Careful engineering lets Dell run all those fans quietly, Vena adds. "Other high-end systems run loud, and people just accepted that," he says. "But because of the power supply location, we will have a very quiet unit."

The XPS chassis is distinct from its high-end Dimension 8300 unit in other ways, Vena says. The XPS can accommodate up to three 5.25-inch drives and three internal 3.5-inch drives, and offers a front-accessible 1394 port.

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