I used to also think that DIY computers are a lot better. But after buying a Dell recently, also from the November Sale, I think differently.
Here is my deal from DELL.
Dell Dimension 4700
Intel 915G Express Chipset w/ integrated graphics
P4 3.0GHZ HT 530 w/ 1mb cache.
512mb (2x256mb) PC 3200 DDR2 (Micron Technology)
ATI Radeon X300SE 128mb PCI-E
48X CD-ROM (Hitachi)
Maxtor 80GB SATA HD w/ 8mb cache
2 Years On-Site Warranty
17" LCD Monitor E173FP
Free Cheap Lexmark rebranded printer
Power Supply: 305W
Windows XP Home
$100 MIR
Grand Total Including shipping and tax minus MIR: $727 (I live in CA, so i was charged tax).
Because the video card was weak and I didn't need the monitor.
-$200 for monitor
-$45 for ATI Radeon X300SE
-$20 for the cheap printer
+$145 for Gigabyte 6600GT 128mb PCIe
Updated Total: $607
I think this is an awesome computer for this price. There is no way a DIY computer could match this in price.
For those of you saying that Dell uses crap parts. Please take a look at the brands that i listed for the Hard Drive, CD-ROM, and Memory. I doubt that dell could get the processor or the video card from anywhere other than from Intel and ATI. What else is left? The case and the power supply. I like the case minus the logo, but it is really quiet. That is something that I have to give Dell props for.
I recently built my friend a computer using a thermaltake copper HeatSink w/ fan control Model
#CNPS7000A-Cu, a Cooler Master Wave cast model
#TAC-T01-E1C, and a ThermalTake Silent PurePower 420W PowerSupply Model
#TT-420AD(DUAL FAN). At the time I paid a total of $230 for all 3 times w/o shipping and tax.
I have to say, I expected a nice and quiet computer, but this case is louder than my dell. Granted I didn't read any reviews before buying these items so I do not know if these items are good for quiet computing, but judging from the specifications I expected something better.
Now let's move onto the price comparison.
From newegg, the cheapest 915G Express chipset motherboard that even supports DDR2 memory costs $115 and it does not even have integrated graphics (not that it is necessary for this setup). Now if you go to pricewatch, you can get a MSI motherboard for $97.
From pricewatch, the cheapest P4 3.0GHz 530 LGA-775 OEM processor goes for $169. From Newegg, the cheapest one goes for $187, but since i have seen it at $180 let's take it at $180.
From pricewatch, the cheapest 512mb PC-3200 DDR2 (2x256mb) costs $116.
Now, let's add the video card. Say if you get it at the same price as i did, which is very hard because i bought mine used. It was $165 shipped. But in reality, you can probably expect to find this card for $185 shipped and taxed at the cheapest, depending on where you live.
Just these components, w/o the case, power supply, CD-ROM drive, HD, and Operating System. It will cost you $528 not including tax and shipping. Now, if you go out and buy everything yourself, the best warranty you will get out of them is 1 year warranty for most parts. Where as the Dell comes with a 2 year warranty for everything. GL finding everything else you need to complete this system with $80.
If someone can prove me wrong, please do because I would like to go back to the days of DIY computers when I can actually save some money.
Now, for upgradeability. It is based on the new 915G Express chipset, how is this not upgradeable. The LGA-775 socket was introduced not long ago. The motherboard has 4 slots for DDR2 memory for up to 4gb of memory. It supports 2 SATA drives and has one U-ATA/100. The motherboard also has 1x PCIe x16 slot, 1x PCIe x1 slot, and 2 PCI slots.
I have multiple DIY computers at home, but because I am not an extreme gamer so i never OC them. So this computer won't be any different. It isn't like a machine like this really needs to be OC'd either. I can run HL2 on mostly high settings and the fps fluctuates between 160 and 40 fps.
As a note, I posted this to show that it is very hard for DIY computers to compete with Dell's stuff in terms of price if you just want a decent computer that doesn't require OCing. Granted if you can OC a computer, you can get about 10% - 20% more performance out of it. But is the price really worth it? I guess for some of us that extra speed is crucial, but for most of us it isn't.
FYI: the Dimension 8400 comes with a 350W Power supply, it uses a 925X express chipset, 1x PCIe x16 slot, 1x PCIe x1 slot, gigabit networking, and more. So please do your research before trying to compare computers.
Carldon: Sorry to disappoint you but.
ECS "915P-A (1.0)" 915P Chipset Motherboard For Intel LGA 775 CPU -RETAIL
Item# N82E16813135157 $89.00
It only supports 2 DDR2 Memory sticks, the other two are for DDR only. But the only thing about the ECS that is better is the sound. It does come with 8-Channel Sound where as the Dimension 8400 only comes with 6 channel sound. Oh yeah, the Dimension 8400 also comes with a 925x chipset and not a 915P chipset.
I think other people touched on the video card and memory already, so i'll leave those be.