Where is the catch(Dell has a great deal?????)

[bamacre]

Yeah really, A64's are not a "cheap component." Especially if you're gaming.

I agree though, with certain products at certain times, you cannot beat Dell's price by building your own. The 400SC was easily proof of that.

 

[MontyBurns]

I'm saying that the assumption is that, for instance, an AMD 64 3500+ is comparable to or faster than a P4 3.4 GHz, so that you could buy a (cheaper) AMD chip and have a system that is essentially the same.

I have yet to see a benchmark test supporting that assumption.

(I used the #'s I did above to reflect real-word chip availability.)

 

[MontyBurns]

Meanwhile, my biggest gripe with Dell is their cases. Unless you get an XPS (which is by an large overpriced compared with identical configurations from ABS), you're not going to get a great case. The 8400 case has 4 internal bays -- 2 5.25", and 2 3.5". You'll likely have cd/dvd drives occupying the 5.25"-ers, leaving you only one extra 3.5" slot for an extra internal hard drive (assuming you don't need a floppy drive -- if you want a floppy, you're pretty much doomed to have one internal hard drive).

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: MontyBurns
Meanwhile, my biggest gripe with Dell is their cases. Unless you get an XPS (which is by an large overpriced compared with identical configurations from ABS), you're not going to get a great case. The 8400 case has 4 internal bays -- 2 5.25", and 2 3.5". You'll likely have cd/dvd drives occupying the 5.25"-ers, leaving you only one extra 3.5" slot for an extra internal hard drive (assuming you don't need a floppy drive -- if you want a floppy, you're pretty much doomed to have one internal hard drive).

8400 you get 3 3.5 slots and 2 5 1/4 slots

 

[edelbrock]

I hate the case also. I got a really good deal on an 8400 Media Center. (3.4ghz, 1gb Ram, 160gig HD), 19in Ultrasharp, and 17in LCD TV for about $1200. I took a 200gb seagate out of my main computer and put it in the dell for a drive to record tv on. In the other case the temps were about 30C. In the dell case they are around 50-55C while recording TV because there is almost no airflow in the case. If the motherboard had a standard ATX mounting pattern, I would definately replace the case.

 

[gpgofast]

My 400SC case has 2 Optical drives,1 Floppy Drive and 2 Hardrives. It still has an open 5-1/4 slot if I had the guts to run another drive with the stock power supply, that I currently have running a BFG 6800oc(nu) and Audigy ZS soundcard.

 

[cirthix]

diy>dell
amd>intel
lcd>crt
newegg>narly all
ddr>ddr2

 

[Samus]

Originally posted by: nickv360
Proof? I find that somewhat difficult to believe. I've been shopping for parts for a few weeks, and haven't seen anything significantly cheaper.

And it is weird about the FSB. On the actual magazine page, it says 1066....

It's not weird, its Dell.

Originally posted by: cirthix
diy>dell
amd>intel
lcd>crt
newegg>narly all
ddr>ddr2

lcd<crt (less eye strain, less glare, no native resolutions, no dead pixels, not as fragile especially around kids, and overall less expensive...sure, they're big, old fashioned and heavy, but they're superior none-the-less, especially with Samsungs new mCRT's that are 6-7" thick)

 

[radiocore]

I was also shopping around for a new computer. just moved back to the states and I have no computer for gaming. Would this be a good deal? Never bought a dell before?

 

[crimson117]

If you're looking for a solid prebuilt Intel computer, Dells are pretty good, provided you don't buy any overpriced upgrades from them (like obscenely priced HD or RAM upgrades).

If you like building them yourself and don't mind putting in some elbow grease, then build an A64 system with the EXACT features you want at a lower price.

 

[Slack3r78]

So far as I know, the only propietary parts in recent Dells are the Motherboard/Mobo tray. All the ones I've worked on recently were fairly standard other than that. Oh, the most recent one I've seen did use a propietary HSF mounting mechanism.

I'll definitely agree that the Dimension clamshell casing is a royal pain. Whoever thought that was a good idea..... well, they should have bad, bad things happen to them.

 

[Generic Moniker]

Originally posted by: crimson117
If you're looking for a solid prebuilt Intel computer, Dells are pretty good, provided you don't buy any overpriced upgrades from them (like obscenely priced HD or RAM upgrades).

If you like building them yourself and don't mind putting in some elbow grease, then build an A64 system with the EXACT features you want at a lower price.

I really kind of doubt that. I've tried. I ended up with the following for $454 shipped to my door:

P4 3.0ghz
1024MB DDR 400mhz
128MB DDR ATI RADEON 9800 PRO
1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive
80 GB EIDE Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
56Kbps Data/Fax Modem
8X DVD + RW Drive
XP Home
Speakers

 

[McQualude]

Originally posted by: Chunkee
you can if you go Athlon 64
jC

Using an Athlon is the only way and even then, I have yet to see anyone do it. My point is that it is nearly impossible to build a machine from scratch, equivalent to a Dell (in quality and included stuff) for less money. The reason people can't match the price of a Dell is that you have to compare apples to apples... that means you have to include the monitor, keyboard, mouse, operating system, and other software that Dell includes. You also have to use equivalent quality components, generally meaning mid-level quality. The first thing everyone does when they try the challenge is go to pricewatch and start with $30 monitors, generic memory and $5 cases, then they usually forget to add the shipping. I don't accept that cheap stuff as equivalent. When they start adding in the software they fail.

Now, if you already have some components that you plan to reuse, like software, monitor, speakers, etc.; then you can build a box for less money.

Someday someone will beat me at the Dell challenge but it hasn't happened yet and I've been challenging people for three years. The rules I tell people are: no cheap junk or generic parts, must be mid-level quality or better; prices must include shipping; direct links must be provided to the components; must include everything that comes with a stock Dell (usually we pick a 4600, sometimes an 8400, once we did it with a maxed out XPS and the guy still couldn't beat it). Let me put in perspective, if someone beats it I won't be crushed or feel like I failed. I have no vested interest in Dell whatsoever. I just do it for the amusement, because I've tried it myself many times and I haven't beat it yet either.

 

[radiocore]

So, as far as down the road...is this computer upgradable if I needed to sometime in the future? say new video card or more memory. which i think is all i might possibly need.

and if the case is the downside, is it possible to buy another case and just swap all the stuff from the dell stock one?

thanks for the info! :thumbsup:

 

[dboy]

Vid card is upgradeable as long as you get one that has an AGP or PCIe slot (ie not the 3000). RAM is upgradeable.

You CAN'T however swap cases - the motherboard uses non-standard mounts. I guess you could use another case, if you wanted to mod it an put standoffs in the right places

 

[pctwo]

My big problem with Dell's high power rig (e.g., the XPS) is the noise. That's the main reason I would try to build my own -- to control the noise.

Anyone with a recent XPS with a 6800GT or similar, can you comment on the noise level?

 

[Generic Moniker]

I got the 4600. I discovered that most of my noise comes from the fan on the 9800 pro.

Pull the vid card out and it is whisper quiet.

 

[DJFury]

How about this for $1600 shipped:

P4 3.4 ghz 800fsb
1gb DDR2 533mhz
160gb 7200rpm w/ NCQ
256mb X800XT
Dell 2001FP 20.1" LCD
16x DVD-Rom
Free Dell 720 printer

I originally had it configured w/ the 6800GT but upped it to the X800XT for $50 more. Was it worth it?

 

[LordNoob]

Originally posted by: Samus

Originally posted by: nickv360
Proof? I find that somewhat difficult to believe. I've been shopping for parts for a few weeks, and haven't seen anything significantly cheaper.

And it is weird about the FSB. On the actual magazine page, it says 1066....

It's not weird, its Dell.

Originally posted by: cirthix
diy>dell
amd>intel
lcd>crt
newegg>narly all
ddr>ddr2

lcd<crt (less eye strain, less glare, no native resolutions, no dead pixels, not as fragile especially around kids, and overall less expensive...sure, they're big, old fashioned and heavy, but they're superior none-the-less, especially with Samsungs new mCRT's that are 6-7" thick)

Where can you find these new samsungs?- I checked and nowhere to be found at newegg.

 

[Cleaner]

man I love this place.

 

[CU]

With some of this cheap Dells you might could buy one from Dell that had a part you wanted say the ram or cpu and part out the rest and keep the part you want for less than you could buy it seperate some where else. Just a though.

 

[cbehnken]

Originally posted by: Samus

Originally posted by: nickv360
Proof? I find that somewhat difficult to believe. I've been shopping for parts for a few weeks, and haven't seen anything significantly cheaper.

And it is weird about the FSB. On the actual magazine page, it says 1066....

It's not weird, its Dell.

Originally posted by: cirthix
diy>dell
amd>intel
lcd>crt
newegg>narly all
ddr>ddr2

lcd<crt (less eye strain, less glare, no native resolutions, no dead pixels, not as fragile especially around kids, and overall less expensive...sure, they're big, old fashioned and heavy, but they're superior none-the-less, especially with Samsungs new mCRT's that are 6-7" thick)

You are saying that LCDs have more eyestrain and glare than a CRT??????????

Your eyes must be of a different breed than everyone else's on earth.

CRTs are all junk because never will one stay perfectly focused for long periods of time. Even brand new CRTs hurt my eyes far more than a LCD. Talk to anyone who switched from CRT to LCD who uses their machine 12+ hours a day and see what they think.

Add in the fact that they use half the power, take up way less space, and don't have tons of radiation pouring into our eyes and I think it's easy to see an LCD is the best display for work that doesn't involve extremely accurate colors.

 

[FranksAndBeans]

1.) Refurbs tend to be a good deal when there is a free shipping and instant off promotion active at the same time - and you are shopping for a $150-300 range base system. In such cases you can sometimes get systems for the price of the CPU alone. It's nuts.

2.) For higher end systems - the current Dellf coupons combined with Dell promotions make it in many cases cheaper to buy new than off of Dell's own outlet site.

3.) 4600 is quiet because it is probably a Northwood CPU. My 2.66GHz 4600 had a passive Nvidia 5200 in it and indeed it was very, very quiet. A refurb 4600 with a 5200 (junk for games) makes a nice HTPC basis when you can tuck it out of the way - very very quiet. 4700's are still pretty quiet but because of the Presshots they are a good bit louder. In general Dell desktops are among the quietest desktops except for those specifically designed to be quiet (HTPC's, diy quiet cases), and certainly much better than most diy systems thrown in low cost cases.

4.) Dell deals rotate very often and require careful working of all three sites to get the best deal. For outlet, that is covered in item 1. The best Dell home offers of late tend to be when the promotions suit you (for example LCD upgrades are nice for most, but some prefer memory or HDD or whatever) at a price that is right on top of a Dellf coupon price point (899 being a good one).
On the small business side, the good deals tend to be outrageous deals, again with a promotion you like and when the mail in rebates are active. Generally speaking, it is usually best to start with the lowest cost configured deal and add to it, in some cases this is cheaper for the same system that Dell has preconfigured to a higher content level.

5.) Anything more than a 2 year warranty on a desktop is overkill imho. Look at it as a % and realize how cheap it will be to replace and/or update in 1-2 years.

Originally posted by: Generic Moniker
I got the 4600. I discovered that most of my noise comes from the fan on the 9800 pro.

Pull the vid card out and it is whisper quiet.

 

[igowerf]

Originally posted by: cirthix
diy>dell
amd>intel
lcd>crt
newegg>narly all
ddr>ddr2

diy>dell - You don't get the warranty or an OS or any bundled software. That's where the slightly extra cost is coming from. Dells are way better for average joe than DIYs.

amd>intel - The P4 can whip the Athlon64 in some encoding tests. They're pretty close in others. The Pentium-M is a pretty even match for Athlon64s, but with nearly half the thermal output.

lcd>crt - LCDs still ghost. CRTs have better colors. For design work, it's still better to use a CRT. That said, I love my 1800FP.

newegg>narly all - Agreed

ddr>ddr2 - Agreed