When [H]ard|OCP reviewed Dell’s XPS 400, they expected to find a clean machine tuned for the rigours of PC gaming. In reality, the PC was stuffed full of useless software (the image on the right is only a section from the list of junk that came with the system) that interfered with several games including: Quake 4, The Sims 2 and Splinter Cell.

At one point the reviewer was so annoyed by the number of pop-ups he “downloaded and ran Ad-Aware” just in case Dell had mis-configured the PC. The machine also arrived with out of date video card drivers and a mouse pad too reflective to work with the system’s optical mouse.

It’s ironic that a computer marketed towards gamers is barely functional as a personal computer, let alone as one dedicated to gaming. Although most “hardcore” gamers won’t be too worried by this news, since they’re off having fun with their custom built $500 gaming rig.

[Via Slashdot]