Is this good....computer

[Milner]

OK, spent some time on newegg last night trying to put together a new computer. This is what I came up with, let me know what you think. Where I can improve, where I can cut cost without loosing performance, what would be a better choice, etc???? What am i forgetting?

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=4227725&WishListTitle=CONFIG1

Again, mostly for PS CS2 and hopefully CS3 batch processing, i2e photo processing, and then just the basic stuff. No gaming at all.

I choose that mb because I want to be able to upgrade later, stayed with 3 gigs because i plan to stick with XP for now.
Am I on the right track? Input greatly appreciated, just trying to learn....

Thanks
Marc

 

[mbryson]

Wow, for that amount of cheese I'd get a Dell Optiplex.

 

[78mitsu]

Wow, for that amount of cheese I'd get a Dell Optiplex.

Ditto that! You could buy a precision for that. What is the application you are looking at, that's a lot of hardware.

 

[Caleb]

Again, mostly for PS CS2 and hopefully CS3 batch processing, i2e photo processing, and then just the basic stuff. No gaming at all.

Thanks
Marc

Ditto that! You could buy a precision for that. What is the application you are looking at, that's a lot of hardware.

Really, anymore it's almost not worth it to build your system unless there is a very specific need for the system and it needs to be built to specific specs. Just glancing at you list it appears you have everything you need. I'd now go look at some of the nicer pre-builts like mentioned above and see where they fall into line.

 

[mbryson]

Really, anymore it's almost not worth it to build your system unless there is a very specific need for the system and it needs to be built to specific specs. Just glancing at you list it appears you have everything you need. I'd now go look at some of the nicer pre-builts like mentioned above and see where they fall into line.

They're a little more (maybe $100-200), but they come with an OS and a single source for support. Worth the headache if you have issues.

 

[Milner]

Hmmmm, everything I tired thru dells website was over $2k and all the stuff in the big stores is c2d6300 and atlleast $1400-$1600.

Guess I will try dell again....There is a 4core xeon optiplex on ksl for $760

I guess my concern with prebuilt is upgade-ability. I want to be able to sort-of keep up, and not have to replace it in 2 years....

 

[mbryson]

Hmmmm, everything I tired thru dells website was over $2k and all the stuff in the big stores is c2d6300 and atlleast $1400-$1600.

Guess I will try dell again....There is a 4core xeon optiplex on ksl for $760

I guess my concern with prebuilt is upgade-ability. I want to be able to sort-of keep up, and not have to replace it in 2 years....

The only thing I ever really upgrade is RAM and sometimes hard disks. The rest is all kind of a 'system' and I usually get about 4-6 years out of my computers. I keep the same OS on it that it came with.

I'll buy through my business account for you if that helps the pricing. I just priced a Dell Precision 390 for you. (I buy the Optiplex machines for work here. I don't think I've had a single hardware problem with ANY Optiplex I've bought (I've got to be in the 20 something units placed range now). I don't have any experience with the Precision. Wayne Hartwig would be the man to talk to about those, being a Dell rep or service guy or whatever he is/was.)

Same processor, 1 GIG RAM and 500 GB drive, 128 MB video card and 'free' 20" Widescreen LCD monitor for $1394. Shipping is usually around $50-75 or so.

I'm sure I could call my rep and bet I could get the monitor dropped and another hard disk added.

 

[Jay5.9L]

$1394 is not really a bad price for the hardware your geting.

mbryson: can you get any deals on 19" or bigger LCD monitors?

 

[78mitsu]

I just bought a 390 for my development machine, dual core 4 gig memory 1.50 TB sata 2.0 raid 10 array for 2250 - But I get a steep discount with Dell, I agree with MBryson, I have about 150 dell's in service, I've had the one off hardware issue, but they've proven they're workhorses.

 

[Milner]

OK so I dug a little deeper on Dell. I was just doing the quick links to config a home/office machine, but with a little looking I found the optiplex you all were refering to....Guess I will do a little playing with those and see what I can do.
Will I have a problem adding 2 gigs to a dell if I order it with only 1? (is there a way to know if they have 4 slots on the MB?) I assume it is not a problem to add another HD to a Dell?

THANKS

 

[mbryson]

$1394 is not really a bad price for the hardware your geting.

mbryson: can you get any deals on 19" or bigger LCD monitors?

They had a SCREAMING deal going in Feb. I finished buying the whole office 20" widescreen LCDs for about $290 a piece or something. Normally those run above $350. What do you want? I can email my normal sales guy.

OK so I dug a little deeper on Dell. I was just doing the quick links to config a home/office machine, but with a little looking I found the optiplex you all were refering to....Guess I will do a little playing with those and see what I can do.
Will I have a problem adding 2 gigs to a dell if I order it with only 1? (is there a way to know if they have 4 slots on the MB?) I assume it is not a problem to add another HD to a Dell?

THANKS

For what I'm assuming you're doing (photo editing), I'd do at least 2 gig for now and clarify your order with a rep to make sure you can expand it to 4 gig later. No problem adding the HD, it just made the price go higher a little. Add $219 to the price for the second 250 Gig Sata drive. (you could probably dump the monitor for the drive. almost an even for even swap, I'd assume---personally, I'd take the monitor) The machines typically come with expansion capabilities built in with the exception of watching the RAM slots. A lot of the motherboards on machines I've checked out (most Optiplex machines I've not opened the case--We've got a couple of the cheaper machines that I work on a little more often {and I'll not be buying those again}) only have two slots.

The 'Precision' line seemed more in line with what I think you'll be doing and had more of the higher end components (found in Mac workstations ).

 

[Milner]

Maybe I will wait a month or so
http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/news.php?tid=735045&starttime=0&endtime=0

 

[mbryson]

Maybe I will wait a month or so
http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/news.php?tid=735045&starttime=0&endtime=0

Probably save you $50 or $100?

 

[Cody]

you know Marc (bryson), maybe if you put a bunch of reliable computers in that never have problems, your services will no longer be needed....

don't do your job so well that there is no job left to do


ohh, and I did send out sample packets to those folks you told me to....nothing

Cody

 

[mbryson]

you know Marc (bryson), maybe if you put a bunch of reliable computers in that never have problems, your services will no longer be needed....

don't do your job so well that there is no job left to do


ohh, and I did send out sample packets to those folks you told me to....nothing

Cody

Oh, we're fixing the reliability of my network. We're moving to Windoze 2003 tomorrow.

 

[Caleb]

Oh, we're fixing the reliability of my network. We're moving to Windoze 2003 tomorrow.

SP2 for 2003 just came out yesterday...check out the list of fixes that's one hell of a list.

I prefer 2003 over any of the other Windows Server OSes :-\

 

[waynehartwig]

Definately. Keep checking Dell.com often. They will throw up some kick butt sales that last like an hour all the time.

Dell's boxes are upgradeable, and are not proprietary - for the most part. If your warranty goes, and then teh power supply, just buy a new case and transfer the parts. Or if the motherboard goes, buy a new Intel MB and replace it.

Dell has the best warranty and support out there, bar none. I've done support for Dell, HP and Gateway. HP is terrible, so is Sony. Gateway isn't much better, but at least they try. Dell might have occasional issues, but they will bend over backwards to make it right.

I just bought a new laptop (D820) loaded for about $2300. The battery I felt wasn't staying charged long enough. One quick call and I had a new battery at my door the next morning. I wanted to install Vista on a different drive so that I can experiment before actually making the switch. I chated online with Dell, told them my HDD was making a clicking noise - I had a new hard drive at my door the next morning.

Those aren't isolated cases, either. I had one guy drive over his laptop and destroy everything. He called Dell, and no questions asked, they send me out with EVERYTHING but the HDD and screws to replace his entire laptop with new parts. Again, no questions asked, no charge, and the next morning.

BYU uses Dell exclusively, there are probably 30,000 Dell PC's on campus - for this reason, their warranty.

Hollywood Video uses Dell exclusively as well.

Bottom line, buy Dell and you won't be sorry. Keep checking their site, and I bet you can get a complete system - LCD, tower, printer for under $1000.

 

[Badger]

the problem with most pre-builts is the components they use.things like resistors,etc,etc on the boards themselves.how do you think they are able to give you such a great computer for such a great price.sure it will work but for how long ? how hot will different components run.I have seen to boards that are compare able run completely different because of crappy components used.

I would go with a build yourself over any pre-built .**** my last machine(granted for gaming) was 1500 just for the board,video card,processor,memory,and case. no monitor,keyboard,or mouse.

 

[waynehartwig]

the problem with most pre-builts is the components they use.things like resistors,etc,etc on the boards themselves.how do you think they are able to give you such a great computer for such a great price.sure it will work but for how long ? how hot will different components run.I have seen to boards that are compare able run completely different because of crappy components used.

I would go with a build yourself over any pre-built .**** my last machine(granted for gaming) was 1500 just for the board,video card,processor,memory,and case. no monitor,keyboard,or mouse.

Not necessarily. Dell's MB's are made by Intel, and use Intel chipsets and components from other quality manufactures. They use Samsung, or other high end, for memory. Seagate, Maxtor, etc. HDD's. High end video cards, if not the Intel built in. Their LCD's are typically Samsung or Sharp, which are also high end players in the LCD market.

Besides, who cares who makes what when you have a no questions asked next day warranty???

EDIT: If yours goes bad, then what do you do? Buy another $1500 box??

 

[Meat_]

Prebuilts make good commuter cars, but if you need performance build your own.