Gateway as always provided a strong value/performance ratio with their products and that has not changed, with the FX530XT you simply get more for your money than with Dell. However it becomes clear that Dell owns Alienware now when we look under the hood of the XPS 710. While Dell leaves us out with standard features like media-card readers and slower hard drives, the Dell XPS 710 gives us something that Gateway's FX530XT cannot; room to grow! The FX530XT's case is jam packed and adding requires moving and removing and maybe rearranging. The roomier case in the XPS is nice and radically styled. The Gateway leaves a smaller footprint if room is a concern. In terms of performance the factory overclocked Gateway consistent pushed past the XPS 710, due largely to its hard-drive arrangement and speed.

Also important to gamers, mac loyalists, and audio/video/music professionals is that the XPS can be tricked out into something that would scare a server. We were able to order the new XPS 710 H2C, for $8,876.00 you get an overclocked internally cooled, dual monitor, dual drives, dual video card, physics accelerated 2TB-hard drive beast of a machine, and there's more under the hood...

Dell versus Gateway ends in a tie, almost. The value award goes to Gateway. More performance, more monitor real-estate more software. But this is Gateway's top, there is no factory shipped or built-to-order $8800 Gateway. The biggest appeal to the Dell XPS series is that it truly is a series, with prices ranging from $929 to $9290, offering laptop and desktop variations. In purchasing, determine your budget and figure your needs, if you find that your price range tops at $4000 the Gateway offers more features and bang for the buck. If you need or want to customize a great machine then consider Dell first and foremost.