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Help me build! Thanks (Dell)

J

JadedMaple

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
204
Hey, I've wanted to build my own computer since last June.. I have finally(almost) go my goal of $1300 Canadian to spend on a computer! I was all pumped up to go out and buy a nForce4 Mobo, A64 3200+ X700Pro etc. When my parents said they would give me another $1300+(only if it is needed ie. $2660 after taxes) if I bought a Dell. They also said that it would have to be a Dell in order to get the cash bonus. I need to get XP Home and Office Small Business and 3 years on site warrenty.

I am 14 years old.

I game like theres no tomorrow, played HL2/CS Tonight for 4+ Hours, plan to get into some graphics work when I get my computer, and a bit of webdev.


My budget is $2600 after taxes and shipping so I can spend about $2200 on a system before taxes/shipping.

I don't know what I should buy and what I don't need to save some $$$


Heres what I have so far..

Dell Dimension 8400 http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/dimen_8400?c=ca&cs=CADHS1&l=en&s=dhs


3.0 GHZ Intel Pentium 4
XP Home
1 GB of DDR2 at 400mhz RAM
80 GB SATA Hard Drive
48x CDRW/DVD-Combo Drive
Microsoft Office Small Business
17"M783s CRT Monitor
ATI Radeon X800 XT
Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit ADVANCED HD Audio
Dell A425 Speakers w/Subwoofer
Dell Jukebox powered by MUSICMATCH
Dell Multimedia USB Keyboard
Dell Optical USB Mouse
Dell Picture Studio, Paint Shop Pro Trial, Photo Album Starter Edition
Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0
3 Yr Ltd. Warranty, 3 Yr In-Home/On-Site Service, 24x7 Phone Tech Support


If anyone could build me something that would save me $$$ it would be greatly appreciated.


Note I am only buying a Dell because it fits my current situation the best.


Thanks



THE STUFF IN BOLD MEANS I NEED TO GET IT.
 
Do your parents understand how bad Dell is? Like the complete lack of tech support? If your parents are gonna pay for good tech support, don't look at Dell, there have been some horror stories over the years. You would get better tech support if you brought the parts from your local computer shop, like warranty, repairs etc., although on-line sites like newegg are pretty good too. And generally, their copmuters aren't that good anyway.

While I understand your position, if you need to get tech support, forget Dell.

Oh, and here's a few ideas about the system.

AMDs have always been better for games than the Pentium 4s, and they are cheaper too. If you look at the A64 3000+ for example, you are getting better performance than the Pentium in your system for a lot less money. It also has the benefit of being 64-bit too, so when all the programs start needing 64-bit processors, you don't have to upgrade. Considering that it probably won't be too far in the future, you can save money and hassle now and in the future if you go that way.

Also, when you buy Dell you have have a Dell motherboard... and boy have I seen some troubles with those over the years. Your best bet is usually to stick with a trusted brand, like ASUS, Abit, MSI etc., as they have a lot more features and better performance and stability than the Dells.

But the rest of the system is good, thats a heap of RAM that will serve you well in games, also the video card is a good one too - can't go wrong with those two for gaming. And, its easy enough to pick up XP Homeand Office Small Business, Office may be expensive but it is easy to get. The rest of the system is good though, 17" monitor, software, but don't think about that Jukebox powered buy MusicMatch - its not as good as Winamp or Media Player.

Anyway, thats what I think. Once your parents know that they won't get good support from Dell even though they are paying for it, they might change their mind. With an AMD system simlar to those specs it might be a fair bit over your budget, but you can be future proof with it (another thing to tell your parents - longevity in a computer is a very good thing to them, so if its gonna last and be compatible in the future they usually think its a good thing ;) )
 
Dell is not at all what it used to be, and if they were the computer I am now typing on (Built by me June '04) would've been a Dell in a heartbeat....I just resigned from my Civil Service job of repairing/rebuilding computers for the Navy (I resigned to join the Air Force Reserves), and what Dell is now....Awful....The best computer you can get today is home made....Tell your parents as a matter of fact I recommended Dell computers to a business, and they got the warranty with them...Don't waste your money on the warranty, they aren't worth crap...Or at least Dells isn't....The people are all overseas (emmhmmm India) can't understand a word they say....The business I repair computers for on the side is a Title buisiness run out of a home. The place is about an hour drive from my house so I tried to get them computers that would be "Problem Free" and it was for awhile, but spyware got into them....They called Dell, couldn't understand anything coming out of Ali Babbas mouth....So they called me up I came over and had the whole business/network up and running by the end of the night...If anything, and I know this is sounding bad coming from a tech...Check out HP's Newer computers, I was actually impressed when I saw those....They're built better and run better than the newer Dells......If worse comes to worse I have a list of stuff I would recommend for a problem free build with an estimated cost of $1428........

Thermaltake 5?? watt PS
Asus P4C800E-Deluxe
Intel Pentium 2.8 or 3.2 GHZ (Socket 478)
Thermalright XP-120 w/Panaflow Fan (Panaflow purchased separately)
1GB Kingston Hyper X Ram (PC3500 or above)
2 Western Digital HD's
ATI 9800XT 256MB Made by Sapphire
Sound Blaster Audigy sound card, but if budget requires you can use the onboard sound..
Generic DVD+-RW
2 round IDE Cables
Windows XP Home

And if you need any more info feel free to pm me!!!! :)
 
*sigh*


The Dell is the better option for my situation right now. The Gov't of Canada uses Dells all the comp sci's there are nuts about Dells.. Dad works for enviroment canada = Dell Influence.



I WOULD BUILD MY OWN IF I COULD.
 
What do you mean if you could, you stated in your first post that you have 1300 CAD to spend on a non-dell system. Alot of the [H] members have kick a$$ gaming computers for under 1300 CAD.

Edit: configure a system a http://www.monarchcomputer.com, I'm pretty sure they offer warranty/tech support, etc. And they won't rip you off out the ass.
 
You should hit your dad with some facts. He's the exact reason why Dell is still in business. They only sell on a name now.

As someone else mentioned, check out the HPs. If you google enough, you'll find many of the industry reviews about Dell vs HP. We've been kicking their ass in support ratings, product quality, and overall customer satisfaction. I've worked on several of our newer machines that co-workers have bought, and I was quite impressed.

Explain to your dad that Dell still uses proprietary parts, so upgrading or replacing is very VERY costly. We use industry standard parts, and on top of that, guess who makes our motherboards? Asus....not some cheap proprietary crap, eh?
 
The simple answer is that no one here could keep a clear conscience recommending you a dell. It would be a huge mistake and a waste of money. If your dad thinks dell is so awesome, <sarcasm>I'm SURE dell will know exactly what you need</sarcasm>

But seriously, I don't think anyone on this forum would approve of you getting a dell no matter what the case. Keep bugging your parents. I built my first computer at 14 :)
 
Matt126 said:
The simple answer is that no one here could keep a clear conscience recommending you a dell. It would be a huge mistake and a waste of money. If your dad thinks dell is so awesome, <sarcasm>I'm SURE dell will know exactly what you need</sarcasm>

But seriously, I don't think anyone on this forum would approve of you getting a dell no matter what the case. Keep bugging your parents. I built my first computer at 14 :)
Click to expand...

I can reccomend him a Dell with clear conscience. He needs that 3 year NBD On-site service. Have you TRIED RMAing a motherboard that you bought over the counter at retail? I've done it twice with Tyan and am going to have to do it a third time because they still didn't fix the board properly (this is for a system I did not build btw). Most of the time the place you bought it from will only help you if they still sell it, the Tyan Tiger in question is no longer sold by the store my customer purchased it from. Both times I've RMA'd it I've had to wait 5 days or more just to get the damn RMA # while they sit on their stupid damn form, they also had the board two weeks before I got it back. I've also heard nothing but other horrors from people dealing with ASUS' RMA department. If he gets the Dell with the NBD warranty the MOST he'll have to put up with India (but he'll more than likely get Round Rock TX) is an hour and then the tech such as myself will be calling him the next morning to set up a service appointment. Dell's 3 year warranty is like $119 I'd hardly call it a ripoff compared to what HPQ dealers charge.
 
If you can convince your dad you need an Alienware, I would say go for it. I will now explain to everyone why I say this. First, Alienwares can be had at a reasonable price IF YOU PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT. Secondly, their tech support system is still IN AMERICA! That's right, if you call Alienware, you get a genuine english-speaking intelligent American. If you try to get help from Dell, you will be mirrored over to a non-english-speaking Indian who knows virtually nothing about your problem and is doing nothing more than giving you a set of predetermined answers. Trust me, I have owned an Alienware and had problems with it. My DVD burner was busted, and they didn't have 4x burners any more. Without even thinking about it, they shipped me an 8x burner FREE OF CHARGE and it arrived within a few days. I have personally experienced their tech support, and if your dad is the "warranty" freak you make him out to be, Alienware should be what you need. Admittedly, you will spend a little for the brand name ($200-$300), but that money is more than worth the tech support, especially in a business enviroment.

NOTE: I am not bashing Indians, I am simply using this as an example.
 
Tell your dad to read this thread.

In 3 years your going to be getting ready to go off to college and probably will be getting a new computer anyway. Dropping over $2,000 on a dell is NUTS when you can get a machine that will perform BETTER, last LONGER, upgrade EASIER and COST LESS than a Dell.

When I did PC repair, I hated getting Sony's, Dell's, or HP's with broken hardware.

IE: This summer, a customer had a dell laptop and their keypad was cracked right down the middle. They had the warranty so everything was cool. Right? Wrong. It took 45 minutes to get a human on the phone. The gentleman was very nice, polite man from India. Now imagine someone with an Indian accent saying "Thank You for calling Dell, my name is Tom, how can I help you?" They are so nice, but you CANNOT understand what they are saying. So after giving them all the info he tells me I should have the replacement in 2 days. 2 days later we get a KEYBOARD. They have the information of the product right in front of them. They see Laptop. Why send a KEYBOARD. It took another 3 days to get the Keypad. Customer was not happy with it taking so long.

If you get a Dell, good luck upgrading it in the future. You are overpaying big time.

New Egg is your friend. For under $2000 you can build a kick ass A64 gaming rig and have $ left for a 19" CRT.
 
Dell's maybe better suited for business computing. I have purchased 3 laptops, 4 computers, 2 workstations, and 2 servers from Dell over the 2.5 years I have been with my current employer and we have had two minor issues, a couple of broken CD-RW driver that were replaced within a day or two. I admit that talking to some of their tech support representatives can be difficult, it is not impossible. Overall I am more than happy with the level of quality and support I have received from Dell. I cannot vouch for their home systems as I am not familiar with how well they work for home use. I know one thing for sure, an Athlon 64 system will blow it out of the water for gaming, no question.

And about the warranty issue. If you buy all the parts yourself you can still get a great warranty, only it may be spread out amond devices. For instance, a PIB Athlon 64 comes with a 3-year warranty, a Raptor or Seagate hard drive comes with a five year warranty, get a BFG card and you are golden for life, most monitors have a 3-year, etc, etc. So you still have a good warranty if you look at individual parts. Granted not all the parts will be the same but most of the more expensive pieces should be covered.

Then there is the overclocking factor. You may not want to do so now but in the future after the rig shows its age you may change your mind. This will void your warranties but by then you may not even care. If you buy a Dell, kiss overclocking good-bye.
 
Just my thoughts on this ... The listed config isn't bad. Maybe not worth the price , but it does have a 3 year warranty. As for support, my one and only RMA was a hassle, and most of the threads I've read on the subject detail some kind of problem. Let's face it - hardware problems suck however you look at it. Besides, my dad never offered to pay for half of my machine. As for Dell's reliability, I've owned one, and my in-laws own a few with no problems, they swear by them. Besides, if you got the Dell, you could save your money for the 3 years it's under warranty, thne build what you want instead of settling for what you can afford (and keep the old man happy at the same time;))
 
Hi, ignore everything everyone above me said. Go to this thread:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=862249

Go to the XPS gen 3 coupon for $1250 off. Build a $3450 Dell. Use the coupon. Get your computer for $2200 instead of $3450. Laugh uproarously when you get your computer and it rocks socks. Or use the $500 coupon for all Dell desktops > $1999 instead if you'd prefer the ATI x800xt, or don't and listen to these guys who think you can get a cheaper/better computer building it yourself. :rolleyes: No, a $1300 computer built yourself is NOT better than a $2200 Dell, much LESS a $2700 one, much much much less a $3450.

-zac
 
PawNtheSandman said:
Alienwares are for kids whose Mommy and Daddy try to buy their love.
Click to expand...
You OBVIOUSLY didn't read my post. 10 to 1 you stopped when you saw the word "Alienware". Read it again, THEN we can argue.
 
pr0zac said:
Go to the XPS gen 3 coupon for $1250 off. Build a $3450 Dell.
-zac
Click to expand...

But the basic configuration is $2426, has no monitor, an X300SE graphics card (yes this card is as wank as they come), basic software and indeed, no reason I can see to charge $2426 for it. Why if you added $1250 worth of extra parts (only a maximum of a 6800GTO mind, slower than an X800 XT) I reckon you'd almost, but not quite have a PC worth $2426.

To the poster - building your own PC is very rewarding but can be very hard work if you're starting from scratch. If you want to work in computers, you're best off getting your hands dirty now. Maybe approach your Dad with a well-worked out spec of what you can get for $2000-$2100 and how it'll be better than the Dell. Explain how you think that building it is going to help you out in the long term and let him know that if something breaks you'll take responsibility for getting it RMAd and fixed up again, without asking for your parents' help. Maybe they'll let you have that extra money anyway.

If you can't be bothered with any of that, just get the Dell with the X800XT. Get a decent 19" CRT with it though. You'll be thankful in the long term.
 
sac_tagg said:
You OBVIOUSLY didn't read my post. 10 to 1 you stopped when you saw the word "Alienware". Read it again, THEN we can argue.
Click to expand...


Sorry you lose. The comment wasn't meant towards you anyway.

PM me for my PayPal addy so you can send the money since you lost the bet. :D
 
PawNtheSandman said:
Sorry you lose. The comment wasn't meant towards you anyway.

PM me for my PayPal addy so you can send the money since you lost the bet. :D
Click to expand...
That was probability, not a bet. There are 10 chances you did not read it to every 1 chance you did read it. Nice try :p
 
use your parents 1300$ and buy high end components from Dell... then go to newegg and buy your own components.

get a graphics card (maybe.... prices may be too much of a ripoff at dell), a sound card, sound system, mouse and keyboard, monitor, and any other components you can get altogether for under 1300$.

then go to newegg, use your 1300 dollars, and build one kickass machine. the bang for your buck will blow dell right out of the water.

heres another idea i had while typing this: buy a dell and then strip it. buy some good main components and accessories, and you can have yourself a custom-built pc.

heres the dell:
P4 3.2GHz
XP Home
1GB Dual Channel DDR2 DDR400
160GB SATA
1 Dual Layer DVD Burner
19" Flat CRT M993
256MB nVidia GeForce 6800 GTO
Audigy 2 ZS
Dell Multimedia USB KB and Logitech MX500 (take off 70$ if you want to get KB&M elsewhere)
MS Office Small Business

TOTAL: 1816$

Then go out to newegg and buy a new case, new mobo, new power supply (theyre still proprietary, right?), another DVD or CD Burner drive, new heatsink and fan, and a new sound system. that should be everything, and you should be all set then. you can have a kickass system, using your parents 1300$, and maybe still have a few bucks left in your pocket.
 
Heres the specs of a comp im planning to build soon:

ATI RADEON X800 XL 256MB PCIE ENG/FR.........$456| frontierpc.com
..........................................................................$524|* Total

512MB PC-3200 DDR400.......................................$85| Canada Computers
Athlon 64+ 3000 RETAIL BOX ..............................$189|
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum nForce4 S-939.................$189|
Antec TruePower True480 Power Supply................$111|
..........................................................................$661|* Total


Chieftec Dragon Blue ATX MidTower Case....$27| Tigerdirect.ca
................................................................$32|* Total

Hard Drive:..............................................$115| Factory Direct

............................................................$1332|** Full Total

All in canadian prices, you could easily get an cheaper card (660GT is your best bet) and it would go down ALOt, plus most of those parts have good (1-3) year warantys on them.

Tell your parents NOT TO GET A DELL WHATSOEVER,

My mom bought herself a dell, in the 2 years shes had it, shes asked me to come fix it 9900000000000000000000000 times (at least twice a week), shes not bad at computers at all, its just awful. Shes called tech support, but frankly youd be better off using HELP in windows...
 
PawNtheSandman said:
PM me for my PayPal addy so you can send the money since you lost the bet. :D
Click to expand...
/off-topic
i didnt even see the word "bet" mentioned...a search of the page only turns up "better" and your mentioning of bet...so when did he bet you anything?

/on-topic

you can most definitley build a MUCH better system with a good warrantee for $1300...here..ill do it for you.

Mobo: MSI K8N NEO2 Platinum
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-468&depa=1

CPU: Athlon 64 3200+
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-502&depa=1

Memory: Geil Ultra Series Value Dual Channel 184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-144-310&depa=1

Video Card: EVGA nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-130-220&depa=1

PSU: Fortron Blue Storm 500W
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-104-934&depa=0

Case: (GOTTA have a Lian-Li) Lian Li Black PC-61 id tower (go pick your own if you dont like)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-112-025&depa=1

Optical drive: Rosewill 52x32x52x16 CD-RW Black Combo Drive (DVD drive too)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-190-009&depa=1

[H]ard Drive: Maxtor 160GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-137-132&depa=1

Monitor: ViewSonic G90FB 19" PerfectFlat CRT Monitor - 1600X1200 opitmal resolution
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=24-116-282&depa=0

right around $1270 not including shipping

i probably missed a few things...

if you dont need a monitor a X800XT can be bought...or a 6800GT, or if you get a cheaper case....which is NOT suggested by me :p
 
Hate_Bot said:
Shes called tech support, but frankly youd be better off using HELP in windows...
Click to expand...
quoted for truth. i completely agree. all tech support is a PITA, but dell's support takes the cake. the bottom of the cake, that is.
 
Those are american prices, plus a sight that doesnt ship to Canada

If the original 1300 is your money (I dunno) then just tell them your going the SMART way and building your own computer. The comp specs I just showed you are enough t play Source powered games with great quality.

Although youd still need the other things (Monitor, keyboard etc...) thos are the things im only going to worry about AFTER I build the actual computer.

Edit: Also for SURE you need an Atholon 64, dells dont have that (I think) and that's pretty bad.
 
well yea i guess i didnt think of that...but still, he could build a pretty good computer for 1300 CAD...

i for one am STRONLY against DELLS...there good for the grandmother, but not for the kid interested in computers...
 
Plus, it feels nice to build a computer urself, it's like when you can get either a model airplane (DIY) or a pre-made toy, with the toy you get bored of it, then toss it away, with the airplane you spend time and effort into it, and then your content with it being on a shelf, You just feel great that you finally finished it and it looks so great :p
 
someday we will all be saved when we can start building our own laptops.


<building is better than not-building>
 
Thanks, I'll probably repost this when it comes to buying time.. In a month or so..


Anyway, he now thinks that I will need Norton Ghost because I will most likely fuck it up 2 months into having it :D
 
JadedMaple said:
Anyway, he now thinks that I will need Norton Ghost because I will most likely fuck it up 2 months into having it :D
Click to expand...
Hehe, thats fathers for you. Mind you, why do it yourself when the Dell can do it for you? :p

Seriously, theres been a lot of good arguments for going against Dell, the lack of customer support being one, lack of name brand components (making it hard to upgrade and overclock) and the fact its not the best system for your money make it a bad option.

But in the end, if you have too, go for the Dell if it gets the money from your parents. You or them may regret it, but if its the best option now then you had better do it.

I'm not recommending Dell here, I wouldn't be able to sleep if I did (as Matt126 said, we wouldn't have a clear conscience if we reccommended Dell to you), but if you can look at another company, or build it yourself. You won't regret it. :)
 
the xps systems are pretty good. plus if u are worried about tech support(or your parents). when u get an xps u get xps service. that means on the phones with other tech people in the US that sometimes know about computers. and fast service. when i had a raptor go bad they overnighted me one. nothing but good service with the xps service line so far with me.
 
Ya, I forgot about SFF (Small form factors)

go to www.sfftech.com to read up on them. I love 'em, Although I cant get one since I'de need a PCI-Express setup they are still nice computers.

Plus they have MUCH more upgradability then Dells

Also Soltek makes a gret line of qbic systems, check 'em out
 
Or you could buy the cheapest Dell you can find (I've seen them as low as 349, but with all the stuff you need you might get it around 500 or so) and use that as a secondary computer and use the rest of the money for your own DIY.
 
TSS Modder said:
heres another idea i had while typing this: buy a dell and then strip it. buy some good main components and accessories, and you can have yourself a custom-built pc.


Then go out to newegg and buy a new case, new mobo, new power supply (theyre still proprietary, right?), another DVD or CD Burner drive, new heatsink and fan, and a new sound system. that should be everything, and you should be all set then. you can have a kickass system, using your parents 1300$, and maybe still have a few bucks left in your pocket.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I was thinking, except substitute some reliable Canucki dealer for Newegg. Oh, and Dell PSUs aren't proprietary anymore, they're just crap.

Actually you can get mostly brand name stuff from Dell. Definitely have to buy a new motherboard and PSU though. Buy the Dell with 1 hard drive (if they have a Raptor get it, otherwise just get whatever's smallest and cheapest). Then buy your own hard drives. Use the Dell opticals until they break (unless you're ripping loads of stuff, who notices the difference between optical drives?), then get the state of the art at the time to replace it. Keep the Dell case; they're actually pretty close to standard ATX these days and it'll hide the improved guts from your parents.
 
Or you can just get all the components, and get a dell case seperate?

Cheaper maybe? :p
 
4b5eN+EE said:
/off-topic
i didnt even see the word "bet" mentioned...a search of the page only turns up "better" and your mentioning of bet...so when did he bet you anything?

/on-topic

you can most definitley build a MUCH better system with a good warrantee for $1300...here..ill do it for you.

Mobo: MSI K8N NEO2 Platinum
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-468&depa=1

CPU: Athlon 64 3200+
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-502&depa=1

Memory: Geil Ultra Series Value Dual Channel 184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-144-310&depa=1

Video Card: EVGA nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-130-220&depa=1

PSU: Fortron Blue Storm 500W
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-104-934&depa=0

Case: (GOTTA have a Lian-Li) Lian Li Black PC-61 id tower (go pick your own if you dont like)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-112-025&depa=1

Optical drive: Rosewill 52x32x52x16 CD-RW Black Combo Drive (DVD drive too)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-190-009&depa=1

[H]ard Drive: Maxtor 160GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-137-132&depa=1

Monitor: ViewSonic G90FB 19" PerfectFlat CRT Monitor - 1600X1200 opitmal resolution
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=24-116-282&depa=0

right around $1270 not including shipping

i probably missed a few things...

if you dont need a monitor a X800XT can be bought...or a 6800GT, or if you get a cheaper case....which is NOT suggested by me :p
Click to expand...


He gave 10 to 1 odds which implies a bet being made.

Other than that, I would second this setup. Just find a Canadian site with most of the same components.
 
PawNtheSandman said:
He gave 10 to 1 odds which implies a bet being made.
Click to expand...
I could debate that , but I will not. NO BET WAS IMPLIED! Anyway, jsut get the Dell. Even when they are overpriced, $2600 will still get you most Dell computer than $1300 will get you non-Dell computer.
 
[Offtopic]

PawNtheSandman said:
He gave 10 to 1 odds which implies a bet being made.
Click to expand...
No, he gave a rough 10 to 1 probabilty that you stopped at the word Alienware, like a lot of people seem to. They weren't betting odds, but probability odds. :)

[/Offtopic]
 
could we stop it w/ this off topic crap, and try to stay focused on our mission: to prevent the kid from making a very poor decision and buying a dell.
 
Hey, don't listen to all these guys, dells arent that bad. I have a dell, along with all my friends (Hick Town, Canada), and no one i know has ever had any problems. I got the computer and everything that came with it for cheaper that i could get from building it myself. Also, im lazy so i wanted someone to build it for me. No problems, plays new games perfectly, good bang for my buck. Get a dell!

Dont listen to all this bullcrap that a 1300 built computer is better than a 2600 dell.


*Puts on flame-suit*
 
Compulicious said:
Dont listen to all this bullcrap that a 1300 built computer is better than a 2600 dell.


*Puts on flame-suit*
Click to expand...

wow... you are a stupid n00b.... you must have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA wat 1300$ can get you!! 1300$ would almost build me a dream computer.

you must be way too lazy to even bother piecing a comparable PC together compared to dell.
its stupid ppl like you who dont deserve to be on these forums...
 
JadedMaple said:
3.0 GHZ Intel Pentium 4
XP Home
1 GB of DDR2 at 400mhz RAM
80 GB SATA Hard Drive
48x CDRW/DVD-Combo Drive
Microsoft Office Small Business
17"M783s CRT Monitor
ATI Radeon X800 XT
Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit ADVANCED HD Audio
Dell A425 Speakers w/Subwoofer
Dell Jukebox powered by MUSICMATCH
Dell Multimedia USB Keyboard
Dell Optical USB Mouse
Dell Picture Studio, Paint Shop Pro Trial, Photo Album Starter Edition
Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0
3 Yr Ltd. Warranty, 3 Yr In-Home/On-Site Service, 24x7 Phone Tech Support
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Okay, worst-case situation here. If you've got a gun to your head and have to buy a Dell (and you're sure it's a real gun too).

First, lose a few things (unless they're free upgrades). These are the things you can get cheaper and better aftermarket.

1. Speakers.
2. Sound.
3. Multimedia keyboard. Really no need to upgrade this. The basic Dell keyboard is pretty nice actually.
4. 80GB Hard drive. This is a 7200rpm. For not much more than the upgrade price you should be able to find a Raptor.
5. CDRW/DVD combo drive. If you can get CD-only for even a couple bucks less do it. DVD-+RW Dual Layers are becoming dirt cheap.

Now, take this money you've saved and upgrade to the Logitech mouse they're selling. Beats the hell out of the Dell optical. Unless you're 100% certain you don't need the extra room, upgrade to the 17" LCD. It's got a 13ms response time, so you can actually game on it. If you can talk your parents into springing for the 20" go for it. DO NOT get the 19", too slow.

Any of the funds left should go to the processor, since I'm guessing you're going to be stuck with this sucker until you go to college, and the processor under their weird-ass proprietary heat sink is a pain to change.

First thing you do when you set it up: UNINSTALL, UNINSTALL, UNINSTALL. Dell ships it with a lot of crap preloaded like their Jukebox. After you're finished uninstalling, run a Windows Update, then a third-party antivirus and anti-spyware. Don't trust the crap it ships with.
 
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