New computer time!

[oxfordfreestyl]

I couldn't help but notice the Dell you built was pretty much the same as one that we have on the shelf at work...

Walmart.com: Dell XPS 420-105W Desktop PC w/19" LCD Monitor, Intel Core 2 Q6600 Quad-Core processor: Computers

You can do better, shop around. Best Buy has some very VERY beast Gateways marked down.

[zero2000]

Originally Posted by oxfordfreestyl

I couldn't help but notice the Dell you built was pretty much the same as one that we have on the shelf at work...

Walmart.com: Dell XPS 420-105W Desktop PC w/19" LCD Monitor, Intel Core 2 Q6600 Quad-Core processor: Computers

You can do better, shop around. Best Buy has some very VERY beast Gateways marked down.

lol. I saw that PC at my local walmart.

You need to tell them to stop ripping off technological illiterate Wal-mart drones. At mine, it was under "gaming PCs", and the box had Quad Core plastered all over it. Yet the graphics card they give you isn't going to do ****.

It is a media PC, not a gaming PC.

[oxfordfreestyl]

Yeah you're telling me. In my store I'm the only one that knows **** about anything back there. There is another kid that works back there with me that knows a bit, but most of the time I"ll get called over to the department from the back just because they dont know the answer =/.

[Subject 17]

When I was first upgrading my PSU, I had to call dell to see if they had used their proprietary type of PSU or if it was a normal ATX (apparently this has caused problems for others who have tried to upgrade). They told me it was impossible, and then they started asking me if I wanted to upgrade my hard drive, since it was only "80gb", even though I had repeatedly said that I had already purchased another, supplementary 320gb one. So then I bought a regular Antec PSU and it worked fine. Since then, well, just **** Dell's customer support. It takes too long for them to get to you, the majority of the time they connect you to their Indian tech support center (which only has a few trained people that I know of, like seriously I swear I was teaching them more about their products than Dell did, which coincidentally is very similar to Sprint's tech support), and it takes them an hour or so to do that, and then they just fumble around getting the most basic aspects of your PC straight.

[TheVietCong]

1) Can more RAM replace the lack of a high end graphics card?
2) 512MB ATI Radeon 3870 or 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT?
3) With either of those graphics cards, can I get by with only 2GB of RAM?
4) Are those graphics cards considered "good"?

As in GPU ram or memory ram? If you are talking about memory no it can't. They are important but they both do different things.

I'm a Nvidia fan but I will have to go with ATI. The 8800GT can't compete with the 3870. The 3870 is GDDR4 whereas the 8800 is GDDR3. The 3870 also has a faster core clock.

Yes you can. If you are using it for games I would get more than 2 so you won't have to upgrade later. If not 2 is enough.

Yes they are both good but they are also sort of outdated. ATI already has a 4870 which uses GDDR5 memory and Nvidia has a 280 GTX. The 8800GT is good but it isn't the newest thing out.

I like Dell but I don't know if I would recommend them. They do last a long time and hold up but I have heard they use cheap parts. I am pretty sure they use some of the cheapest ram and there mother boards don't allow OC.

If you are playing games I would get an Alienware. They are made by dell but are better and aren't much more expensive. They are more money but they are cheaper for what you get. Like if a normal dell computer was $1200 and has 4GB of ram with Alienware a computer with the same specs but with 8GB of ram would be $1600. They are more expensive but you also get more options.

You said you have $900? I don't think you will be able to get all that. I know the 8800GT (at least slightly OCed ones) are still around $150 so it will probably be more expensive at dell.

Btw anyone know what happened to the 280GX2? I remember BFG Tech had one but now I can't find it?

[BoyEngland]

OK so it's back on, I have another question.

Video Card:

1) 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT
- OR -
2) 512MB ATI Radeon 3870
- OR -
3) 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9800GT

Which one should I choose? They are all the same price, just a case of which one will give the best performance.

The current setup has 2GB RAM with a 2.40GHz Quad Core (1066MHz, 8MB cache) processor. Would I be able to run Fireworks and Dreamweaver flawlessly on it?

My current laptop has 2GB RAM, GeForce 7400 (I think) and a 1.73GHz Dual Core. It really struggles with Fireworks for some reason, that's why I ask.

[sublime80220]

I would choose the third one.
Flawlessly? Definitely a lot smoother then your previous computer. Are you still going with a dell? Dells always gave me problems bad support and rebooting them is hard as hell.

[BoyEngland]

Well I have been talking to a friend who is in my college class, and he has the same computer with similar components. He has put my doubts aside.

He has the same processor, 3GB RAM, and the 8800GT. His boots up in less than 30 seconds, can run 2 games at once, and has only had 1 freeze up in the 6 months he has had the system.

I have been looking at some benchmarks, and the ATI is totally out of the question. The 9800GT is statistically better than the 8800GT in all categories except temperature and noise output, so I am going with that.

My final setup:

Intel® Processor Q6600 Quad Core™ (2.40GHz, 1066Mhz FSB, 8MB cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 - English
20in E207WFP WIDESCREEN UK/Irish Black (1680 x 1050) TCO99 DVI-D
3072MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x1024/2x512]
Hard Drive 500GB Serial ATA non Raid (7200 Rpm)
SINGLE 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9800GT Card
DVD +/- RW Drive (read/write CD & DVD)

Dell™ Enhanced USB Multimedia Keyboard - UK/Irish (QWERTY)

Dell Optical Scroll Premium Mouse

Belkin 802.11g Wireless USB 2.0 Network Adapter

19-in-1 Bluetooth Media Card Reader

Total Cost: 754GBP (917GBP without discounts)

Note: Totally happy with screen size, HDD size is more than enough, I don't burn disks so the drive is fine, and built-in wireless isn't an option.

Very happy with the setup, now I just need to order it. The discounts expire on Wednesday, so I should be ordering before then which will make it arrive around my birthday. Due to it been my birthday and my parents paying from their tax money, I will be personally paying about 50GBP/$95.

[zero2000]

They don't offer the 4850 as a GPU choice?

Still think you should go with the e8400. -_-

[Sparkplug1990]

I've had four dell computers, three desktops and one laptop and I have never had any problems with them. The only reason Ive had so many is because my mother has this theory of a new computer every year.

I will say, there tech support is garbage, but I've never personally had to call them. I guess I'm just really lucky eh?