Dell XPS 8340 Desktop PC Assessment

TweakTown’s Ranking: 88%

The Backside Line

With its accessible configurations, the Dell XPS 8340 is an efficient platform for any gamer, streamer, or inventive skilled to get their begin.

Execs

• + Value
• + Upgradable
• + Helps thirteenth Gen Intel CPUs
• + Loads of choices

Cons

• – Proprietary motherboard
• – Proprietary PSU

Must you purchase it?

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Introduction and Pricing

It has been some time since we had a desktop system in for testing, however we had been fortunate sufficient to snag an XPS 8340 from Dell simply as we completed the XPS 9315 just some weeks again. As most know, XPS continues to be the flagship model for Dell, whereas Alienware is the premium gaming model. That stated, the XPS nonetheless provides a powerful platform that may be configured for gaming if one does not just like the aesthetic of Alienware platforms. The 8340 is a really configurable system, as seen within the picture beneath, so allow us to see how our overview was spec’d out.

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Earlier than diving in, I’ll notice that our overview system was configured with the 12600K. On the time of writing, I couldn’t configure the system as despatched on the Dell.com web site, so we selected the 12700 non-Ok for pricing causes.

Shifting on, the XPS 8340 is an Intel 600 sequence chipset platform. It may be spec’d with any CPU from the 12400 to the 12900K. As talked about above, our unit was despatched with the 12600K. Reminiscence is DDR5, 16GB in a two-stick configuration working at 4400MHz. Additional, our XPS 8340 contains the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti LHR with 8GB of GDDR6, and storage consists of a 2TB NVMe and 1TB SATA HDD. Permitting for growth, the XPS 8340 has a number of PSU choices, ours coming with the 750W unit. We additionally added water cooling only for the additional thermal headroom in testing.

The MSRP for this method is available in at $1717.99 on the time of writing. Dell features a one-year guarantee together with accessible 24/7 help.

Dell XPS 8940 Gaming Tower PC

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The XPS 8340, BIOS and Software program

Packaging and BIOS

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Unboxing the XPS 8340, we’re graced by a largely white chassis with the entrance I/O painted silver. On the prime, you can see the facility button adopted by a full-size card reader, a 3.5mm audio jack, three USB 3.2 ports, and USB-C on the backside. Additionally of notice, this unit does have an optical drive put in.

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Shifting to the bottom, on the prime, you can see a thumbscrew to launch the facet panel of the chassis. We then transfer down into the exhaust fan and rear I/O. This features a full set of rear audio outputs and DisplayPort. Additional down, you will notice one other set of 4 USB-A ports and one other USB-C.

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On the backside, we have now the PSU and its enter, and above, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti and its 4 DP and one HDMI ports.

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Opening the XPS 8340, Dell manages the cable association fairly effectively. Beginning on the prime, we have now two cages for 3.5″ HDDs, one occupied by our IronWolf drive. Shifting down into the system, Dell makes use of a customized motherboard; even the shape issue shouldn’t be a DIY normal. It provides a number of NVMe slots and is a four-slot DDR5 motherboard that may deal with 128GB of reminiscence. The CPU is socketed, so there’s room for an improve. Additional down, we notice every little thing snapped into place, together with cooling followers and the GPU itself.

BIOS

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The BIOS is primary and contains the principle menu displaying the put in {hardware} configuration.

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The superior menu does embrace choices for core configuration together with HT and Pace Step. Additional down, you can see help for resizable bar help and SATA/NVMe operation mode.

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Dell contains overclocking options within the BIOS. Although simplified, it does permit a number of ranges.

Software program

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My Dell is the software program included with the XPS 8340. This contains mannequin identification and guarantee help on the correct panel.

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Exploring the software program, the menu above permits for personalization management, machine supervisor, and system well being.

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Dell Cinema strikes into sound and community site visitors management with CinemaStream.

As seen above, we have now CPUz pictures for each the CPU and reminiscence.

As famous, our 8340 got here with the 3060 Ti put in.

Cinebench, Crossmark and AIDA64

Cinebench R23

Cinebench is a long-standing render benchmark that has been closely relied upon by each Intel and AMD to focus on their latest platforms throughout unveils. The benchmark has two checks, a single-core workload that can make the most of one thread or 1T and a multi-threaded take a look at that makes use of all threads or nT of a examined CPU.

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Beginning with R23, the XPS landed us 1902 single thread and 17333 for multi-thread.

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Throwing the 8340 into our charts, we have now only one comparability machine within the ThinkStation outfitted with the 12900.

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Above we tossed our nT outcomes into our chart.

Crossmark

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CrossMark allowed a rating of 1911; this contains 1822 in productiveness and 2051 in creativity. Responsiveness landed in 1786.

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Shifting that information to charts, the XPS holds its personal, grabbing a greater rating in responsiveness.

AIDA64

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Above, we have now the reminiscence bench outcomes for 8340 with throughput working between 52K and 58K whereas latency is sort of excessive at 92ns.

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Throwing these outcomes into our charts, the 8340 has appreciable latency from the inventory DDR5 modules. It is 10ns slower than the ThinkStation utilizing DDR5 SODIMMs.

UL Benchmarks

3DMark and Gaming

3DMark

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Stepping into 3DMark, the XPS landed a single-thread rating of 986 and a sixteen-thread rating of 8019.

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Compared, we nonetheless have the ThinkStation alongside the 8340.

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Time Spy landed an total rating of 11374, barely above common for the {hardware} and able to 105 FPS+ in BFV.

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Again to our charts, the XPS 8340 performs higher in gaming than the productivity-focused ThinkStation.

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Hitting the storage benchmark, the XPS 8340 landed with a rating of 2750, with bandwidth at 476.32.

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Procyon outcomes had been fairly good and on par with what we discovered testing a number of Z690 boards final gen with our 12600K. 6501 for Picture and 6792 for Workplace.

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I tagged a couple of further benches in right here for the 8340. One was WEBXPRT4, scoring 316 factors.

Worth and Ultimate Ideas

Worth

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Value v Efficiency landed effectively for the 8340, given the small variety of platforms in our charts.

Ultimate Ideas

Dell’s XPS 8340, whereas a twelfth Gen Intel platform, is an efficient place to begin for a nervous beginner simply moving into gaming or streaming who continues to be deciding about constructing a machine. It provides the efficiency anticipated of its elements, as we famous in our testing, and doesn’t require all of the information wanted when placing collectively a system your self. It is upgradeable to some extent; this contains reminiscence, CPU, and GPU, and if configured accurately when ordering can help the best possible elements accessible.

In our testing, whereas restricted on pre-built comparisons, the XPS 8340 did fairly effectively and aligned with what we noticed evaluating many Z690 motherboards with our 12600K final era. R23 offered 1902 single thread and 17333 nT. Whereas taking a look at CrossMark, we noticed a unbelievable rating for responsiveness and productiveness. Procyon carried out the place we anticipated, with a barely increased rating in Workplace, although Picture was just a bit behind. We did do restricted recreation testing on the XPS, Time Spy displaying a rating of 11374, which ended up barely above common for the elements.

As with all pre-built methods, it’s at all times laborious to justify pricing as a result of “you may construct it cheaper.” On that notice, we tried simply that, utilizing Newegg.com to construct a system as shut as attainable to the unit despatched to us from Dell. We saved about $100 total by selecting a Z690 motherboard from ASRock, the 12600K, a 3060 Ti from MSI, and Sabrent DDR5. Storage was the 980 Professional within the 2TB configuration, and we discovered a good Corsair 750W PSU. The entire got here in at $1649.

On the flip, the XPS 8340 is coming at you round $1700, a $50 premium, however that does embrace help and a one-year guarantee. If something goes flawed with the system, you don’t get that if you construct your personal machine.