Ballzor

So im tired of my pos dell inspiron laptop and want to upgrade to something thats going to be able to handle all of the things I do with my computer. So I'm a huge fan of Dell just because of the service I've had with their technical support (they actually answered my call in less than 2 hours and rebuilt my laptop after I fried it), and I'm looking to get a dell xps tower. I play a lot of games on my computer and I want to get a system thats going to 1. be upgradable, 2. last longer than 2 years before I have to worry about upgrading. I've done some research and this is the system i think is within my price range:


-XPS 720
-Intel core 2 duo 2400-2900 (Is the quad-core worth it? does it have any advantages/disadvantages?, also is the core 2 extreme worth buying? I mean I can overclock the system myself but probably not as well as dell, anyone have any experience with this?)
-4 GB Ram
-120-500 GB Harddrive
- Windows Vista (I dont want to start a whole discussion thread about vista but for gaming how does this OS work. I know you need vista to recognize all 4 GB of ram but again is that worth it?)
-nVidia GeForce 8600-8800 ?mb (this is the thing that I know the least about. Is it worth it to shell out a whole grand for the 8800, a few years ago I bought the top of the line ATI card but neglected my processor and it made little difference, also what difference does 256/768 MB make?)

now the main issue is the price. I know if i bought this system direct from dell with all the best components I would be looking at a 3000-4000 dollar system, but ebay and delloutlet have systems with most of these components ranging from 1700-2400. I know the risk of buying a system off of ebay, but how about delloutlet, anyone have any experience with this website? Also does anyone know of a better website or store to get a system with these specifications at discount?

Finally I have this inspiron that I need to sell and I'm wondering if anyone knows of a good way to go about gettin rid of this, anyone know of a website aside from ebay that I could use? Its missing a battery and the speakers dont work for some reason (I think if i formatted they would work, I can get them to cut on if i put it to sleep like 10 times in a row but I have too much data I have to save to do it now) but it had all of the best components in it when I bought it, it basically had dell xps components in the more attractive inspiron body, well everything but the processor.

I know thats a lot but if anyone has any suggestions or advice, or knows a computer that fits the 1500-2300 price range that can do what I would, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

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kofspades

Really? People still buy computers that are $3000+. Wow. Even $1500-2300 is a lot.

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Wyodiver33

I just bought a Dell XPS 410 direct from Dell. I am very happy with the computer and Dell in general.

Specs:
Intel Core 2 2.13 GHz
nVidia 8600 GTS 256MB
2 GB DDR2 RAM
320 GB HD
19 Inch Widescreen LCD
Etc.

I'm only a casual gamer now so the rig is just fine for me. Set me back $1500. I did opt for XP Pro over Vista, though.

I haven't purchased a complete computer since 1995. I have built my own since then. But my last build died a horrible death and I needed a new rig quickly. I used to be big into overclocking but now I just want stability and reliability. This Dell is the best computer I have ever had. But, of course, every new computer should be the best ever.

As far as Vista goes, I have read that games run about 20% slower. That's probably due to infantile drivers. The same thing happened when XP dropped. M$ and others will fix that problem. I am very comfortable with XP Pro now and have no desire to "upgrade."

All in all, I am comfortable with Dell. You might want to go higher than I did when it comes to the CPU and Vid Card. Good luck!

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oiekeooiyw

I would configure the box with the least RAM possible and buy RAM from Crucial. Unless you are getting a free upgrade on RAM, Dell rips you off and you are better buying from Crucial or another vendor

biznatch

I agree on the RAM. Never buy more than the minimum of RAM possible. The computer makers always overprice it, and sticking in RAM is the easiest possible hardware upgrade.
Keep an eye on good deal sites.. dealhack, xpbargain, slickdeals, newegg... And you'll save enough cash to buy yourself a new game (or 5, thru the Orange box).

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Lasereth

If you buy this PC from dell, you won't have to upgrade for 3 years at least.


I would buy the Core 2 Duo E6850. Quad-Cores sound cool and perform well in most tests, but in gaming, the 6850 breezes past in many cases. You don't want to get into overclocking if you're a gamer, especially with a Dell.

Buy Windows XP, not Vista. Vista won't recognize the 4 GB of RAM unless you get the 64-bit version. XP won't either but you might as well buy the OS that is completely optimized for gaming (XP). Vista will make games run about 20-30% worse than they should due to drivers not being perfect for it yet.


Since Dell doesn't let you choose the 8800 GTS, I'd go for the 768 MB 8800 GTX. DO NOT buy the 8800 Ultra or the 8600 GTS. <B>8800 GTX 768 MB</B> is what you're looking for.

Yes, you will be paying a MASSIVE markup for buying it through Dell. You could order the same PC on NewEgg.com unassembled for less than $2,000 (probably closer to $1,500). What you do get from Dell is tech support if it randomly blue screens, tech support if the hardware fails, a preassembled PC that is ready to play when it gets there, etc. In some cases it's worth it. If you like building PCs, I'd order it yourself.