Please Help with New DELL Computer Build

[CrimsonChaos]

I'm purchasing a Dell computer, and would like your expertise. Here are the specs:

Budget: < $2,000
Uses: Gaming, Web Page Design (notice, gaming is first. )
Misc: I don't overclock, and don't usually upgrade computers.

Motherboard: Dell Motherboard, 945P Chipset
Processor: Pentium D 940 (3.2GHz Dual-core)
Video Card: X1900 XTX [pretty sure not Crossfire]
RAM: 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Hard-drive: 160GB SATA (8MB cache, if that matters)
Media: 48X CD-RW, and 16X DVD+/-RW
Monitor: 19" E196FP Analog Flat Panel
Soundcard: None - Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy
Speakers: None - Already have some
OS: Windows XP Pro

Here are my primary concerns:
- Are there any potential bottlenecks in this build?
- Is the 945P Chipset any good? (I'm not doing SLI or overclocking)
- How does the Pentium D 940 compare to say.. 3800 X2? (going to go look at benches)
- Is the X1900 XTX overkill with a 945P Chipset?
- Is the Monitor OK? I'm giving this to my wife, so won't be using it for games.

If you could answer these questions, and offer any other advice it would be greatly appreciated! (Edit: Forgot to mention, the above build is $1750 -- and remember it includes a flat panel monitor.)

 

[essasin]

IMO..anything above 1k is worth building yourself

2405fpw or 2007fpw
opty 165, x2 3800
2 gigs of g.skill ddr500
asus, epox, or dfi board your pick
74gig raptor
one storage drive of your choice
1655 benq drive
7900gt
fortorn source 450, seasonic 500, pc power and cooling 510

 

[CrimsonChaos]

Thanks for the reply. However, I'm not sure I'm hardware savvy enough to build the computer myself. Any thoughts on the computer I listed in the original post?

 

[bamacre]

That is quite expensive. Maybe you know someone who could built the system for you (while you watch and learn)? It's not complicated as you may imagine.

How much is that going to cost you, tax and shipping? At better system with a much better monitor could be built for less than $1700 (which would include the LCD, OS, K&M). Find a good guy to build it for you for $150 or less, and you're walking away with a much better system and at a cheaper price.

In all honesty, the cheapest way of getting almost any kind of computer is going through Dell, but not the way you're doing it. I would recommend getting a Dell XPS 400 (Read HERE) and just upgrade the memory and video card.

Memory

Video Card

Monitor

You may not be able to find one with a 940, but you'll save a ton of cash. The above 3 items are ~ $880. You can find a system with a Pent 930 for less than $800 shipped, maybe $600 if you get lucky. You'll end up with a better system (except maybe cpu), and saving about ~ $450, with the same system warranty, and a better warranty on the items above.

 

[sniperruff]

get a refurb dell and go from there.

if you insist on new, monarch can help for a price.

Text

 

[CrimsonChaos]

Originally posted by: bamacre
That is quite expensive. Maybe you know someone who could built the system for you (while you watch and learn)? It's not complicated as you may imagine.

How much is that going to cost you, tax and shipping? At better system with a much better monitor could be built for less than $1700 (which would include the LCD, OS, K&M). Find a good guy to build it for you for $150 or less, and you're walking away with a much better system and at a cheaper price.

In all honesty, the cheapest way of getting almost any kind of computer is going through Dell, but not the way you're doing it. I would recommend getting a Dell XPS 400 (Read HERE) and just upgrade the memory and video card.

Memory

Video Card

Monitor

You may not be able to find one with a 940, but you'll save a ton of cash. The above 3 items are ~ $880. You can find a system with a Pent 930 for less than $800 shipped, maybe $600 if you get lucky. You'll end up with a better system (except maybe cpu), and saving about ~ $450, with the same system warranty, and a better warranty on the items above.

You really think it's expensive?

I thought $1750 was OK for getting an x1900xtx video card, 2GB of RAM, Pentium Dual core, with a 19" flat panel monitor.

What would this cost if you built it yourself? Are we talking just like $100 or $200 less, or like $500 less?

 

[HarryP]

If you are in the market for a Dell, you must bookmark the following bargain sites for it is not uncommon to find coupon codes for 35% off. You can also find coupon codes for sale on Ebay for a couple dollars. Although I haven't been keeping up with Dell's prices, I believe you should be getting at least a 20 or 24 inch widescreen for the price you quoted. I'm not a huge fan of Dell but I do respect their amazing supply chain and have followed their amazing growth since the early 90s.

Dell Coupons

http://www.bensbargains.net

Finally, checkout this step-by-step system assembly:

http://sysbuild.corsairmemory.com/report.aspx?id=2

 

[CrimsonChaos]

Originally posted by: sniperruff
get a refurb dell and go from there.

if you insist on new, monarch can help for a price.

Text

Ok, so I used the Monarch site: Case + PSU + Fan + 945P Motherboard + Pentium D 930 (not 940) was $750.

On Newegg, an x1900xtx video card runs around $500.

So already we're at $1,250, and that's without a Flat Panel monitor, hard drive, CD/DVD drives or OS.

I'm still not sure why people are saying $1,750 sounds expensive for the original setup from Dell?

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: CrimsonChaos

Originally posted by: sniperruff
get a refurb dell and go from there.

if you insist on new, monarch can help for a price.

Text

Ok, so I used the Monarch site: Case + PSU + Fan + 945P Motherboard + Pentium D 930 (not 940) was $750.

On Newegg, an x1900xtx video card runs around $500.

So already we're at $1,250, and that's without a Flat Panel monitor, hard drive, CD/DVD drives or OS.

I'm still not sure why people are saying $1,750 sounds expensive for the original setup from Dell?

You'd save about $200 by building. I guess it's not as expensibe as I thought. If the monitor had DVI and the hd were a little bigger, it'd be a better deal.

 

[doctordoctor]

You can definitely build the system yourself . . .

I am an computer idiot compared to most people here and I have built two systems . . . although I seem to be having a small CD-ROM problem 1 month out from the build.

Regardless, it's nice to get to know the "meat" of the computer . . . and gives you confidence to upgrade in the future . . .

I just built a comparable system (I think) for about 400$ less . . .

 

[essasin]

Originally posted by: CrimsonChaos

Originally posted by: sniperruff
get a refurb dell and go from there.

if you insist on new, monarch can help for a price.

Text

Ok, so I used the Monarch site: Case + PSU + Fan + 945P Motherboard + Pentium D 930 (not 940) was $750.

On Newegg, an x1900xtx video card runs around $500.

So already we're at $1,250, and that's without a Flat Panel monitor, hard drive, CD/DVD drives or OS.

I'm still not sure why people are saying $1,750 sounds expensive for the original setup from Dell?

For 1750 you get a great video card and chip....the rest are cheap dell components. This is what I priced on newegg. Keep in mind these are name brand, high quality parts that most users have or want.

Case: antec p180
PSU:FSP 450
CPUpteron 165
MOBO:Asus A8N-E
Ram: 2 x1 gigs G.skill ddr 500
Optical drive: BENQ 1655
HD 1 WD RAPTOR 74gig
2 WD Cavier 250gig sata (500 gigs)
Video card: Gigabyte x1900xt

It came out to be 1586.43 before tax and shipping.

For less money you get name brand, trusted, quality components...a better psu, a better optical drive, more hd space, and an overal faster machine that is customized and geared towards your needs.

 

[bamacre]

essasin, don't forget keyboard, mouse, and OS. As well as tax/shipping.

And if he's uncomfortable building a system, why the Opteron, you think he's going to OC?

 

[jondl]

Originally posted by: essasin

Originally posted by: CrimsonChaos

Originally posted by: sniperruff
get a refurb dell and go from there.

if you insist on new, monarch can help for a price.

Text

Ok, so I used the Monarch site: Case + PSU + Fan + 945P Motherboard + Pentium D 930 (not 940) was $750.

On Newegg, an x1900xtx video card runs around $500.

So already we're at $1,250, and that's without a Flat Panel monitor, hard drive, CD/DVD drives or OS.

I'm still not sure why people are saying $1,750 sounds expensive for the original setup from Dell?

For 1750 you get a great video card and chip....the rest are cheap dell components. This is what I priced on newegg. Keep in mind these are name brand, high quality parts that most users have or want.

Case: antec p180
PSU:FSP 450
CPUpteron 165
MOBO:Asus A8N-E
Ram: 2 x1 gigs G.skill ddr 500
Optical drive: BENQ 1655
HD 1 WD RAPTOR 74gig
2 WD Cavier 250gig sata (500 gigs)
Video card: Gigabyte x1900xt

It came out to be 1586.43 before tax and shipping.

For less money you get name brand, trusted, quality components...a better psu, a better optical drive, more hd space, and an overal faster machine that is customized and geared towards your needs.

^^Looks pretty solid. All you really have to do now is search on google video for a computer building tutorial. I remember seeing one before.

Unless you don't mind the extra noise, make sure you buy quiet fans.

 

[CrimsonChaos]

Ok, so aside from the price being about $200 too high, can someone answer the technical questions asked in the OP?

Here are my primary concerns:
- Are there any potential bottlenecks in this build?
- Is the 945P Chipset any good? (I'm not doing SLI or overclocking)
- How does the Pentium D 940 compare to say.. 3800 X2? (going to go look at benches)
- Is the X1900 XTX overkill with a 945P Chipset?
- Is the Monitor OK? I'm giving this to my wife, so won't be using it for games.

 

[ForumMaster]

1. yes there are bottlenecks. the cpu.
2. the 945P chipset ain't any good compared to nvidia's offerings. and only nvidia chipsets can run SLI while only ATI chipsets can run crossfire.
3. the pentium D 940 sucks compared to the 3800 X2. especially for gaming.
4. unless you're a gamer and going to get an AMD cpu, the x1900xtx is overkill.
5. don't go cheap with the monitor. it's the way you are going to interact with your computer and it will probablly last you a lot longer then your computer. build your computer and you'll save enough money to get a good monitor. if you are going to get the x1900xtx, pairing it up over vga instead of dvi is a big mistake. choose the x1900 instead of the xtx. the price premium aint worth it. here is a link to a good DIY pc building manual on PCMAG.com. use dude. buying a dell pc is stupid. use Newegg.com, monarch or zipzoomfly.com to purchase your parts. you'll save loads of money and have a better computer plus you'll increase your computer skills.

 

[ForumMaster]

whoops. for some reason i accidently double posted. my mistake. srry.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: ForumMaster
1. yes there are bottlenecks. the cpu.

I disagree, totally. This is just nonsense.

2. the 945P chipset ain't any good compared to nvidia's offerings. and only nvidia chipsets can run SLI while only ATI chipsets can run crossfire.

Without regard to SLI/Crossfire, I would take a 945P chipset over anything Nvidia had to offer. Intel simply has the best chipsets for running Intel cpu's.

3. the pentium D 940 sucks compared to the 3800 X2. especially for gaming.

Actually no. They are about equal. And the 940 is about $40 cheaper

4. unless you're a gamer and going to get an AMD cpu, the x1900xtx is overkill.

:laugh: This is just idiotic.

5. don't go cheap with the monitor. it's the way you are going to interact with your computer and it will probablly last you a lot longer then your computer. build your computer and you'll save enough money to get a good monitor. if you are going to get the x1900xtx, pairing it up over vga instead of dvi is a big mistake. choose the x1900 instead of the xtx. the price premium aint worth it. here is a link to a good DIY pc building manual on PCMAG.com. use dude. buying a dell pc is stupid. use Newegg.com, monarch or zipzoomfly.com to purchase your parts. you'll save loads of money and have a better computer plus you'll increase your computer skills.

I agree with you about the monitor, a 19in or 20in with DVI would be much better.

As for Dell, you cannot get a better deal on a computer, however, not the way the OP is doing it. I've built maybe 30 computers in the past year, and I game on an upgraded Dell. Couldn't beat the price.

 

[techwanabe]

Wow,

Aside from the video card and 2 gb system RAM, the computer quote in the original post appears to be about the same as the one I ordered from Dell in Oct 2004 for a total price of $1048. Mine shipped with a Radeon X800SE 128 mb video card, which has served me well enough, but I'm not a hard core FPS gamer either. I have the 19-inch 193EP monitor and it has been very decent, again, I'm not a hard core FPS gamer so they might be more picky.

 

[Mogadon]

nevermind ... .

 

[essasin]

Originally posted by: bamacre
essasin, don't forget keyboard, mouse, and OS. As well as tax/shipping.

And if he's uncomfortable building a system, why the Opteron, you think he's going to OC?

hahaha more like I wish he would overclock with the budget he has. Any rig over 1200 should have a monster chip like the opteron.

 

[essasin]

Originally posted by: CrimsonChaos
Ok, so aside from the price being about $200 too high, can someone answer the technical questions asked in the OP?

Here are my primary concerns:
- Are there any potential bottlenecks in this build?
- Is the 945P Chipset any good? (I'm not doing SLI or overclocking)
- How does the Pentium D 940 compare to say.. 3800 X2? (going to go look at benches)
- Is the X1900 XTX overkill with a 945P Chipset?
- Is the Monitor OK? I'm giving this to my wife, so won't be using it for games.

I could have made it a lot cheaper but i used the higher end products. I could have saved 100 bucks on the case by going with a cheaper antec, another 120 by not getting a raptor hard drives, saved 20 bucks on motherboard by getting an Asrock, 40 on the ram by getting corsair value selects, and 150 on the cpu by getting an opteron 146. The 1750 price quote is just the everyday price not including rebates or deals that can be had at the momment.

THe reason I am streesing a different system other than what is in the OP is because its a gaming machine. You want the best quality products. If you wanted a work computer or just an everyday web/email rig then DELL's can not be beat. For the same money and cheaper a built computer is 10x better cosmetically and in performance.

Basically spending that kind of money on a DELL gaming rig is equal to buying a diamond encrusted FOSSIL watch. You want the ROLEX not the FOLEX.

 

[DaRkLoRd666]

Originally posted by: CrimsonChaos
I'm purchasing a Dell computer, and would like your expertise. Here are the specs:

Budget: < $2,000
Uses: Gaming, Web Page Design (notice, gaming is first. )
Misc: I don't overclock, and don't usually upgrade computers.

Motherboard: Dell Motherboard, 945P Chipset
Processor: Pentium D 940 (3.2GHz Dual-core)
Video Card: X1900 XTX [pretty sure not Crossfire]
RAM: 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Hard-drive: 160GB SATA (8MB cache, if that matters)
Media: 48X CD-RW, and 16X DVD+/-RW
Monitor: 19" E196FP Analog Flat Panel
Soundcard: None - Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy
Speakers: None - Already have some
OS: Windows XP Pro

Here are my primary concerns:
- Are there any potential bottlenecks in this build?
- Is the 945P Chipset any good? (I'm not doing SLI or overclocking)
- How does the Pentium D 940 compare to say.. 3800 X2? (going to go look at benches)
- Is the X1900 XTX overkill with a 945P Chipset?
- Is the Monitor OK? I'm giving this to my wife, so won't be using it for games.

If you could answer these questions, and offer any other advice it would be greatly appreciated! (Edit: Forgot to mention, the above build is $1750 -- and remember it includes a flat panel monitor.)

PLZ dont buy from dell, they over charge you

Now the best idea would be to build it yourself, but if you cant/dont want to thats fine and you should compare your Dell system to Cyberpowerpc.com first

Edit : i will post what i think to be same (or better) for less price soon!

 

[DaRkLoRd666]

Athlon 64 X2 PCI-E Custom Build Configurator

# *BASE_PRICE: [+655]
# CAS: HOT NEW! X-Discovery Mid-Tower Case 420W W/ WINDOW & LCD Temperature Display (Silver Color)
# CASUPGRADE: NONE
# CPU: (939-pin) AMD Athlon?64 X2 4200+ Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology [+70]
# CD: (Special Price) LG GWA-4161 16X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR)
# CD2: NONE
# CABLE: None
# FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
# FREEBIE_CU1: FREE! 1GB USB 2.0 Portable Flash Drive
# FREEBIE_CU2: FREE! AGE OF EMPIRE III
# FAN: AMD ATHLON64 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK + 3 EXTRA CASE FANS [+9]
# FLOPPY: NONE
# HDD: SPECIAL!!! 160GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8M Cache 7200RPM Hard Drive
# HDD2: NONE
# IEEE_CARD: NONE
# KEYBOARD: Logitech Deluxe 104 PS/2 Keyboard (Black Office Pro Keyboard)
# MOUSE: Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse (BLACK COLOR)
# MONITOR: ViewSonic VA902B 19" COLOR TFT Active Matrix SXGA LCD Display Monitor (Black) [+259]
# MONITOR2: NONE
# MOTHERBOARD: (Sckt939)Asus A8R-MVP Radeon Xpress200 CrossFire Chipset DDR400 Dual PCIE SATA RAID MB w/GbLAN,USB2.0, 2xIEEE1394,&5.1Audio [+31]
# MEMORY: 2048 MB (1GBx2) PC3200 400MHz Dual Channel DDR MEMORY [+195] (Corsair Value Select)
# MODEM: NONE
# NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD
# OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional w/ Service Pack 2 [+135]
# PPU: NONE
# PRO_WIRING: None
# PRINTER: None
# PRINTER_CABLE: None
# POWERSUPPLY: **Recommended** NZXT PF-500 500Watt Power Supply [+49]
# RAID: NONE
# RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
# SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS 24/7 LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
# SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
# SPEAKERS: NONE [-5]
# TEMP: NONE (AS SHOWN)
# TVRC: None
# USB: Build-in USB 2.0 Ports
# USBHD: NONE
# UPS: None
# VIDEOCAMERA: NONE
# VIDEO: ATI Radeon X1900XTX PCI-E x16 512MB VIDEO CARD [+460]
# VIDEO2: NONE
# WNC: NONE
# WAP: NONE
# ZIP: NONE
# _PRICE: (+1858)
# _view_: detail


This is what i have come up with, now i know its about 200 more, BUT if u buy your own ram (they rape you here) and install it yourself (ram is the easyest part to intall yourslef) you will same more money this is a BETTER system by a good ammount

For cpu comparison
http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=321&chart=70&model2=236

Better latencys on ram
MUCH better moniter
upgrade to crossfire by only bying the second card
AMD 4200+ way better then pentium d
only 1 media dvdrw and cdrw (why do u need 2 drives)
more reliable PSU
free 1 GB flash drive
free ageof empires3
COULD also get winxp 64 same price
CASE THAT LOOKS WAY BETTER

and you can also downgrade some things and still have a better system like Windows (if you "already" own Winxp) and get the slightly less powerfull cpu for savin $70 but still better then the pentium d

 

[bamacre]

Motherboard: Dell Motherboard, 945P Chipset
$95

Processor: Pentium D 940 (3.2GHz Dual-core)
$265

Video Card: X1900 XTX [pretty sure not Crossfire]
$450

RAM: 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
$140

Hard-drive: 160GB SATA (8MB cache, if that matters)
$70

Media: 48X CD-RW, and 16X DVD+/-RW
$60

Monitor: 19" E196FP Analog Flat Panel
$220

Soundcard: None - Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy
$0

OS: Windows XP Pro
$140

Case/PSU
$100

That's about $1540. If he wants to spend an extra $200 for the building and 1yr service, that's not a horrible deal. I wouldn't do it. But some of you guy act like he's getting it ITB from Dell here, and it's not just really so. Also, if this is an XPS 600, then I am off on the case/psu at $100, because both are very, very nice.

 

[jondl]

Originally posted by: CrimsonChaos
I'm purchasing a Dell computer, and would like your expertise. Here are the specs:

Budget: < $2,000
Uses: Gaming, Web Page Design (notice, gaming is first. )
Misc: I don't overclock, and don't usually upgrade computers.

Motherboard: Dell Motherboard, 945P Chipset
Processor: Pentium D 940 (3.2GHz Dual-core)
Video Card: X1900 XTX [pretty sure not Crossfire]
RAM: 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM
Hard-drive: 160GB SATA (8MB cache, if that matters)
Media: 48X CD-RW, and 16X DVD+/-RW
Monitor: 19" E196FP Analog Flat Panel
Soundcard: None - Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy
Speakers: None - Already have some
OS: Windows XP Pro

Here are my primary concerns:
- Are there any potential bottlenecks in this build?
- Is the 945P Chipset any good? (I'm not doing SLI or overclocking)
- How does the Pentium D 940 compare to say.. 3800 X2? (going to go look at benches)
- Is the X1900 XTX overkill with a 945P Chipset?
- Is the Monitor OK? I'm giving this to my wife, so won't be using it for games.

If you could answer these questions, and offer any other advice it would be greatly appreciated! (Edit: Forgot to mention, the above build is $1750 -- and remember it includes a flat panel monitor.)

Originally posted by: CrimsonChaos
Ok, so aside from the price being about $200 too high, can someone answer the technical questions asked in the OP?

Here are my primary concerns:
- Are there any potential bottlenecks in this build?
- Is the 945P Chipset any good? (I'm not doing SLI or overclocking)
- How does the Pentium D 940 compare to say.. 3800 X2? (going to go look at benches)
- Is the X1900 XTX overkill with a 945P Chipset?
- Is the Monitor OK? I'm giving this to my wife, so won't be using it for games.

So are you gaming or not gaming? Is this computer for you or your wife? Or did you just mean the monitor itself...

If this is for your wife.. i would just get a Dell and get it over with. Just wait for a good deal. Dell usually has some pretty crazy deals on desktops coupled with 24" LCDs.