Dell vs. building my own

[userofcomputer]

Hello everyone this is my first post, though i have been reading a lot.

My question:
How is Dell compared to building my own system?
(I have never built any system on my own)

What is the general quality of Dell systems? Quality of the mobo, cooling, PSU?

And who manufactures their GPU:s? I saw a Dimension 9150 with "256MB nVidia GeForce 6800". That isn't a 6800GT right? How good is a 6800, is 6600GT better?


As for building my own, I have some questions:
I haven't yet found any PSU im confident with, any suggestions on models/brands?
And are there any cables that don't usually come with the PSU, apart from the power cable?

And what cable do I use for my S-ATA 300 harddrive? I have only found S-ATA 150 cables, do they work for S-ATA 300 aswell?

Thanks alot if someone can answer these questions.

 

[eflat]

Originally posted by: userofcomputer
Hello everyone this is my first post, though i have been reading a lot.

My question:
How is Dell compared to building my own system?
(I have never built any system on my own)

What is the general quality of Dell systems? Quality of the mobo, cooling, PSU?

And who manufactures their GPU:s? I saw a Dimension 9150 with "256MB nVidia GeForce 6800". That isn't a 6800GT right? How good is a 6800, is 6600GT better?


As for building my own, I have some questions:
I haven't yet found any PSU im confident with, any suggestions on models/brands?
And are there any cables that don't usually come with the PSU, apart from the power cable?

And what cable do I use for my S-ATA 300 harddrive? I have only found S-ATA 150 cables, do they work for S-ATA 300 aswell?

Thanks alot if someone can answer these questions.

Well, the Dell will work fine (although be cluttered with useless software), be cheaper and probably just as fast.

Think of making your own as more of an educational experience than a way to get a better system or save money.

If it breaks, it won't be a mysterious black box and you will be able to trouble shoot it yourself. You will also get to customize every aspect.

Something tells me that if you have the patience to read these forums, you should build your own system

It's almost impossible to upgrade a Dell because their motherboards, cases and power supplies are proprietary (they only work in a Dell system).

 

[Unkno]

and locked bios.

 

[sgentry6]

I would suggest building your own. Sure you may have to do more legwork since you will be picking the parts and such, but you will learn a lot more about computers doing this.

Dell has no idea how you will use your computer, you do. You know if you will be gaming, using this machine for more web use, using it as a media center, etc...

As for me, I have built one machine, and bought one machine. The machine I built last me 5 years through college. The machine I bought from Dell had a dead motherboard within six months and had to be replaced by them. I did buy a very cheap system from Dell thinking that I would be upgrading soon. It has served it's purpose well, it allows me to surf the internet, do some office work and such, but I would not use it for gaming. Like I said though I bought it to do very basic things such as that until I obtained the means to build a new system. I am still debating on parts myself, and I have been out of the market for a long time.

If you are going to game a lot I suggest an AMD system as they seem to have better performance. If you plan on going high-end with your video cards I would suggest getting a SLI compatible PSU.

Dimension 9150 Service Manual

It could be that it is a 6800 GT, or a 6800 GE. I do not know much about the GE, but I asuume it has fewer pipelines or a smalller bus width so that it performs under the level of the GT. I don't know about those cards though.

A retail power supply will likely come with a power cable, so you shouldn't have to worry about that.

I believe that the SATA cables are the same.

 

[sniperruff]

i'd get a dell for my next computer when this one goes kaput. it was fun building it, but i want a near silent PC that's fast and cheap. dell it is.

 

[hans030390]

Building your own can be frustrating, and assuming you get it right your first time, it's much better than a Dell...

If you're worried about building...hmm, a customized dell wouldnt be too bad...though it would cost a good bit more than building.

 

[everman]

Building your own is the best way to go for home use. But if I need something for business use, service contracts can be well worth it.

I suspect you're doing this for home use and gaming, so build your own. You can customize anything you want, however you want it.

 

[Aepheme]

You've got to consider the audience that's answering this question. This is primarily a DIY computer forum, after all.

I've built all of my machines over the last 8 years... but I've got to admit, it's gotten to the point where Dell is very price competitive. At one point in time, there was no doubt -- you could easily get a better, faster, more reliable computer by building it yourself than ordering it premade.

However, Dell has some great deals... and their computers aren't bad. If you were to buy the exact same components and assembling it yourself, you'd probably end up spending more for lesser quality.

That said -- Dell has some points where they're price competitive (usually value or mid-range lines) and some where they're not (high end). If you want an ultra high end box, do it yourself. Otherwise, if you're even considering ordering Dell -- you should probably go ahead and do it. Save time, money, and hastle.

 

[userofcomputer]

I don't fear hassle and wasted time, i rather think it would be fun.

I'm more curious about the price/performance ratio of the two options, if Dell got a better ratio i would go for that.

The computer I'm aiming for is one made for gaming and maybe some DVD burning, which brings me to the question whether the included DVD burning drive of the Dell is any good?

Another thing, it might be possible that Dell isn't as competitive in Sweden where I live:
US: Dimension 5150 $1,587
Sweden Dimension 5150 $2003

 

[alimoalem]

i wouldn't worry much about dell's dvd burner. u can always get it fixed. personally, i would go with a custom built system. i built a low/mid range system back in the end of november/beginning of december in 2003 and it's lasted until now. it cost me $700. i'm now going for an $800 system to last me for the next few years. if you plan on keeping your system for 2+ years, go custom built. you won't have to worry about compatibility issues later when you want to upgrade and it's always good to know what goes where. if the dell's going to cost you $2000 in sweden, i'd go custom built. dell does have some pretty good deals on its $900 and cheaper systems considering they usually come with LCD monitors. another thing to consider is safety. if you build it yourself, you'll have to go to the manufacturer. one more pro about making it yourself is you know what you bought. it's cheaper too, piece for piece. let's say it costs you $200 for a graphic card to purchase on your own. if you upgrade through dell, it'll cost like $275. but if you're sticking with a stock system with no revisions, i guess dell is the way to go

 

[emilyek]

What is your budget? It's around $800 that you can actually make your own midrange gaming box. $1k-1300 for the whole thing-- monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse, copy of Windows. A comparable Dell gaming box would be lots more expensive. (Not exclusive to Dell, a 6800 is known as a 'vanilla' 6800 and it is inferior to a 6800GT but superior to a 6600GT). If you are not for looking for a gaming computer; just net surfing and whatever, Dell is almost always cheaper and the right way to go.

Actually building the computer is the dog-easy part. If you know what you are doing you could probably put one together and have it running in under an hour.
Reading up on what parts go together is what is time consuming.

Most people who start to have an interest in components and whatnot bought a 'good' premade computer then ended up wanting to upgrade it when it didn't suit their needs.

If you've got money to spend-- say 1.2k dollars + on the whole thing-- then I would suggest thinking about building your own. If you have more money than that to spend,
the cheaper it gets: for example, you could probably build 2 the same for what Alienware charges for one of their machines.

You can tell people your budget and then ask them to make a build list.

If you do this, get lots of opinions.

 

[f1y]

Have you tried dell customer service? They suck in my opinion. IF you buy the extended warranty for like 300$ for a whole year (whoop-te-do) a dell is going to last that long. When it goes out of date and you want to play a new game you'll want a new video card. Dells AGP slot is reversed and therefore your paying out the butt for a Dell made video card. RAM is usally, not always, proprietary. So there goes 180$ for a 256Mb stick of crap. A Built system may be a little more now, but come upgrade time.. It will be way easier, cheaper, and a lot more hassel free. You can basically trade up. None of that buying a whole new machine. Your mobo goes out, just get a newier one that's backwards compatiable with your chip, and ram. That way you can upgrade those later to. I wouldn't think twice about building my own.

 

[tooltime]

i bought a dell gaming rig a couple of years ago with an upgraded sound blaster card...i later went to SB's site to update the driver because some newer games would not handle the sound...when trying to install the driver it said i did not have a sb card!

went to dells forum and it tuned out i was one of many people with the same problem!

i went out and bought a sb card, installed it and viola the new games worked!


why NOT to buy a piece of computer tin made by dell?

 

[tooltime]

i will never buy a desktop from dell. as a result of this i have learned how to build and work on pc's...and for this i thank Dell!

 

[the cobbler]

Originally posted by: userofcomputer
I don't fear hassle and wasted time, i rather think it would be fun.

I'm more curious about the price/performance ratio of the two options, if Dell got a better ratio i would go for that.

The computer I'm aiming for is one made for gaming and maybe some DVD burning, which brings me to the question whether the included DVD burning drive of the Dell is any good?

Another thing, it might be possible that Dell isn't as competitive in Sweden where I live:
US: Dimension 5150 $1,587
Sweden Dimension 5150 $2003

dollar for dollar, you get more for the money by building your own
consider that you are paying dell for 24/7 customer support, etc. If you don't feel you need lots of guidance to use/troubleshoot your PC, there is not much point in buying a Dell (desktop at least, laptop is different IMHO).

not to mention that you save a fortune in the long run by having the ability to easier replace/upgrade parts at your will. Dell's proprietary motherboards, cases and power supplies make upgrades difficult and expensive. for instance if you want a newer mobo in 2 years, you have to replace the power supply and possibly the case as well, in addition to a full OEM version of Windows, as Dell install CDs only work on their motherboards.

if you are looking at primarily gaming, you are best off to go with an AMD-based system rather than one of Dell's Intel-based machines. If you can fit it into the budget, the X2 3800+ dual-core would be a good option for you. otherwise 3000+ or 3200+ Venice (~150USD and ~$190USD respectively). And you can overclock a self-built system, you can't do that with a Dell, that's where you get your biggest $$$ savings! i.e. I bought a venice 3000+ and overclocked it to 2.72ghz, which sort of gives me almost an FX-57 with half the cache disabled for ~$200USD. saved ~$800 on my CPU! you get the idea...

the beauty of building is that you can cut corners here and there on things you don't need immediately, i.e. huge capacity hard drives, misc. software, etc. And later you can upgrade and sell off these parts individually, nice easy upgrade paths

also there is a huge Scandinavian enthusiast community, you may have good luck finding many of the newer AMD mobos/CPUs/etc. slightly used and save a bundle that way.

 

[CrimsonChaos]

Originally posted by: the cobbler

if you are looking at primarily gaming, you are best off to go with an AMD-based system rather than one of Dell's Intel-based machines.

:thumbsup:

This is a huge point. Dell only sells Intel-based machines. AMD is notably better than Intel for gaming. So as "the cobbler" stated, if you're looking to game, build your own (or go somewhere else other than Dell).

 

[Insidious]

If you don't mind the time (and homework) of building and maintaining your PC, I think you would be happy and enjoy the exercise of building your own.

As to Dell "support" you will get better answers here than they seem to be able to offer up. Granted, some of the advise you get here is dubious as well... but still more accurate overall. (ie: don't blindly accept advise here either... do your homework and

READ THE MANUALS !!!!!!!

However, with all this said.... If you want to buy a PC, use it and enjoy a hands-off experience.... go with the Dell

-Sid

 

[thecoolnessrune]

I hate Dell :| I hate them from the bottom of my heart :|

 

[everman]

Originally posted by: userofcomputer
I don't fear hassle and wasted time, i rather think it would be fun.

I'm more curious about the price/performance ratio of the two options, if Dell got a better ratio i would go for that.

Doing it yourself almost always has a better price/performance ratio, except sometimes in the very low end. In your case it should be rather easy to get more for your money if you do your homework. Check out hot deals forums, fatwallet.com, and do some deal hunting.

 

[sniperruff]

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune
I hate Dell :| I hate them from the bottom of my heart :|

im pretty sure michael dell feels the same.

 

[tami]

i am a heavy laptop user, but i also own a few desktops -- all that i built myself. previously, i owned dell desktops as well, but the last one i owned was relinquished in 1999.

if you're all for the learning experience and want complete control of the configuration of your machine, by all means, go build your own. for that very reason, i don't think i'll go back to dell for desktops. if something breaks, i diagnose it myself. i learn from my errors, and i buy better or gain valuable troubleshooting skills.

all in all, dell would be the best way to go, but if you're looking for a fun activity, building a computer is certainly one you should consider. i honestly don't know the pricing in sweden versus the united states, but i do know that once you build your own desktop, it's hard to go back to a pre-built one.

 

[JLGatsby]

 

[userofcomputer]

Ok, I have put together two systems, one Dell and one I build myself. Only considering the price/performance aspect what do you think? (They're not set in stone, feel free to come with suggestions).

Dell Dimension 9150:
Intel Pentium 4 630

Dell Motherboard
Based on Intel 945P chipset

Unknown manufacturer
2048MB PC4200 DDR2 533MHz (4x512)

Unknown manufacturer GeForce 6800

Unknown manufacturer
160GB 8MB 7200rpm S-ATA 1.5 GB/s

Unknown manufacturer
DVD+/-RW

Dell Case

Dell PSU

Additional features:
Dell 17" Value Flat Panel
Internal 9-in-1 Flash Card Reader
Windows XP Home Edition SP2
Dell crap keyboard and mouse

Dell: $1351


Mine:
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice $253

MSI K8N NEO4-F $116

Corsair Value Select $138
1024 MB PC3200 DDR 400MHZ CL2.5 (2x512)

Asus Radeon X800XL $350

Western Digital Caviar $116
200GB 8MB 7200rpm S-ATA2 3GB/s

NEC ND-3540A $58
DVD±R/RW Dual Layer

Thermaltake Soprano $116

Fortron/Source $45
300W

Mine: $1195

What would you choose?

EDIT: The prices are Swedish translated into US Dollars.

 

[dainthomas]

Originally posted by: JLGatsby
You can't get an AMD in a Dell, so buying from Dell isn't even an option, atleast in my opinion.

Give me AMD or give me death..!

I've seen ads lately for hp or emachines systems with X2s in them for around $800. Seems like a decent deal, if I was getting a prebuilt to game I would def get one of those and throw in a 6800 or something.

 

[JLGatsby]

Originally posted by: dainthomas

Originally posted by: JLGatsby
You can't get an AMD in a Dell, so buying from Dell isn't even an option, atleast in my opinion.

Give me AMD or give me death..!

I've seen ads lately for hp or emachines systems with X2s in them for around $800. Seems like a decent deal, if I was getting a prebuilt to game I would def get one of those and throw in a 6800 or something.

An X2 for 800 bucks? I think not. I just looked up eMachine's website and they have no X2 systems at all.

However, HP does have an AMD X2 system for that price, but who wants to admit they have an HP?