Turn the system around, though, and you find four USB ports, one USB 3.0 port, one eSATA port, one SPDIF optical connection, one gigabit ethernet connection, and integrated connections for 7.1 surround sound, all making for a truly diverse PC. As for video, the system's graphics card supports two DVI connections, an HDMI connection, and a DisplayPort connection -- the holy trinity of video options. We couldn't ask for much more.

The system's all-white chassis is a bit of an Apple-esqe departure from the designs we're used to seeing in the performance category. Nevertheless, we like it overall. The practicalities of working inside the XPS 8300 are a little less pleasing. Not only is the system full of screws, instead of tool-free accessories, but you don't actually get all that much to work with compared with competing performance desktops. Only one of two 5.25-inch bays are free for new devices, and only two of three hard drive bays could benefit from extra storage. A single, lonely PCI Express x1 slot represents all the add-ons you'll be able to stick on the motherboard in addition to the existing AMD GPU.

Dell continues its all-white motif with a glossy, bleached mouse that accompanies the system. It's generic in functionality, but we do like its look -- just different enough from the old bargain-bin black that we're so used to seeing on competing systems. The XPS 8300's keyboard is black with a white trim, but, more important, it packs a few additional function buttons for launching applications and controlling media and volume. We dig.

It was surprising enough to see Dell's XPS 8300 just come out of nowhere and slap around competing desktop PCs with its killer mix of price and performance. But as we dug deeper into the system, Dell's system just refused to disappoint. To call this a "cheap" PC would do it a disservice. From its ample storage, to its ample connectivity (networking or otherwise), to its ample speed, the XPS is easily one of the newest white knights on our performance PC charts.