We tested the Dell Precision Workstation 360 with the entry-level nVidia Quadro FX 500 graphics solution ($2,984 direct, without monitor) and the higher-end nVidia Quadro FX 1000 ($3,634). Like the HP system, the Dell 360 came equipped with a 3.2-GHz P4, an Intel 875P chipset, and 2GB of 400-MHz DDR SDRAM.

• These prices get you a 40GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive, which is small for a workstation (or even a work-a-day PC these days); most users will want to upgrade. Dell includes a DVD drive for archiving content you create. You can choose either a tower or a desktop chassis.

  Accessing the internal components is a tool-free affair, though the Dell 360's clamshell case is heavier and more cumbersome than the HP xw4100's. You have to tip the unit or place the case on its side to open it and reach the components.

  When equipped with the mid-level graphics card, the Dell 360 outpaced the comparable HP xw4100 on all but three tests (though by a slim margin). With the entry-level card, the HP unit had only one first-place score. Both companies offer special support lines for workstation customers with priority problem elevation. Dell ups the ante with a promised 4-hour response time for parts and on-site labor, trumping HP's next-day service.