Should I get this Dell pre-built?

JYeager11

Gawd
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
563
I keep going back and forth on this build because 1) I'm a n00b, and 2) The guy who was going to help me put it together keeps changing his mind about whether to go pre-built or not (he's a traditionalist, but can also recognize a good deal when he sees one).

Right now he's leaning pre-built, and leaning Dell.

Here's what Dell is offering right now :

Studio XPS 9000
------------------------
Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate, 64bit, English
Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor(8MB L3 Cache, 2.66GHz)
nVidia GeForce GTX 260 1792MB
Dell UltraSharp U2410 24-inch Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor
12GB Tri-Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 6 DIMMs
1TB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
1TB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive (Secondary)
16X DVD+/-RW Drive
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Dell USB Keyboard
Dell Optical USB Mouse
Dell Online Backup 2GB for 1 year
No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system)
Microsoft Works 9.0, English (Free)
1 Year Limited Hardware Warranty with In Home Service after Remote Diagnosis
No Installation

Reg. Total : $2,807
You Save : $460
New Total : $2,347

Is it me or is this a pretty darn good deal, all things considered?

(Massive Photoshop / Music DAW work.)
 
Based on the quality of Dell's parts they put in their computers, you could build that system yourself for around $1200-$1500.
I'd say: build it yourself and buy a nice monitor like a LP2475 with the extra money.
 
Not a good deal, IMO. You're basically paying around $600-$700 for essentially something that works out of the box with better than avg warranty/support, but only for 1yr. To me, thats too much of a price premium. I'm guessing you can find a better deal if you check the deal sites, like slickdeals.net, gotapex.com, and fatwallet.com.

DIY would cost around $1500 but nearly everyone component should have at least a 3yr warranty, depending on the parts you choose (RAM and vidcard could potentially have lifetime warranties). Though, there is higher risk that you may get some DOA parts, and/or will have to spend time troubleshooting potential issues; also factor in the time it takes to build the machine.
 
Based on the quality of Dell's parts they put in their computers, you could build that system yourself for around $1200-$1500.

Prove it. Canadian prices, Canadian store. I await your build recommendation. ;-)

(Every part has to be equal to -- or better than -- Dell's, including the u2410 monitor.)

Oh, and don't forget the included Windows 7 Ultimate 64.
 
No problem at all, that is a grossly over priced rig and that gtx 260 will have issues with current titles on that monitors max res. This is a very heavy duty system 12 gigs of ram?? How do you intend to use this pc, gaming? etc? More info please. If gaming what titles.
 
Prove it. Canadian prices, Canadian store. I await your build recommendation. ;-)

You know, before you try to call someone out, do make sure to note that Dell's $2,347 price tag is in Canadian dollars ;) I don't think Drakan290, gwarren007, or even enginurd realize/remember that you're buying the PC in Canada. :eek:

And before you ask why I remember, I remember you as the Canadian getting a GTX 260 even though it provides little to no benefits for the kind of work he's doing with the PC:)

Anyway, can't comment on that "deal" just yet. For some reason, can't access any Canadian online store from this work PC. I'll comment later tonight when I get home.
 
Prove it. Canadian prices, Canadian store. I await your build recommendation. ;-)

(Every part has to be equal to -- or better than -- Dell's, including the u2410 monitor.)

Oh, and don't forget the included Windows 7 Ultimate 64.

I was going to agree with previous posters about this being a terribly deal.
You did not state in your OP that this was in Canadian dollars.

Since you did not state this, it was presumed it was American dollars.
And in American dollars, this is a horrible deal.
 
why don't we all just nod our heads and tell him it's a good deal?

Good deal bro, enjoy Dell's tech support should you ever need it

however, do a forum search for Dell sucks first before you pull the trigger
 
ok, lets get some answers before we start building lists. Not many people actually need win7 Ultimate, Home premium is $119 here in Canada, thats $200 less. This is not the only area that requires some clarification. Yes we can do it cheaper the Dell but, so what. What are you doing with this pc that requires 2 x 1 tb hd's for example?
 
The idea of paying $320 for an operating system makes me want to vomit in terror.
 
For those who don't know...

No worries. They were answered in the sister thread, but I don't mind repeating.

Computer will be declared a company expense, so budget isn't an immediate concern. Let's say $1500 before taxes, CND.

I prefer pre-builts to building my own. A friend is insisting I let him build my machine by suggesting the parts listed above, but if they're not blowing everyone away, then I really feel like falling back on Plan A (pre-built).

Usage will be proposterously-high resolution Photoshop work (we're talking 3-4GB PSD files) as well as DAW editing (ie, Cakewalk Sonar, which is juggling so many simultaneous 24-bit wavs + real-time plugins that it'll find a way to make use of -- and eventually max out -- ANY hardware I throw at it). No gaming, though.

I believe my friend suggested the 260 because I'm a nVidia loyalist. I don't mind going ATI if Googling reveals it's a significantly better card (ie, reviews).

From what everyone's telling me, the i7 920 is what I should be looking at.

So ideally, really, what I think I'd like is :

- Pre-built i7 920
- At least 8GB ram
- 1TB HD (preferably two physical 500GB drives)
- I haven't kept up on the video cards, but I'm a longtime nVidia fan
- I wouldn't mind a blu-ray player, though it's not a must by any means
- Need solid & dependable DVD burning
- TV tuner would be nice, but not a must
- Needs to have at least 1 free PCI slot for my specialty audio card (for the DAW work)
- The more USB slots the better
- Windows 7 Pro or better, 64-bit.

I'm not 100% set on *anything*, but this is what I'm leaning towards.

(Don't need a keyboard, mouse or monitor.)

But in terms of what's best for you, JYeager, I can't tell you anything that I haven't already said in your earlier threads.

(As an aside....)

The idea of paying $320 for an operating system makes me want to vomit in terror.

It depends on whether or not you believe that it's worth the money. The retail versions of Windows are only worthwhile if you plan on building several computers over the "lifespan" of the OS (based on the assumption you would have to buy a separate OEM license key for every computer that you build during that time). In short, you can transfer the retail license key from computer to computer, as long as you erase it from the old computer beforehand, whereas the OEM license key is "bound" to the motherboard and dies when the board dies.

As far as features go, I personally believe that the main selling points of Windows 7 Ultimate (BitLocker, Windows XP Mode, 35 language support, and all the features of Windows 7 Profesisonal) aren't worth the money over Windows 7 Professional (Windows XP Mode, better backup and remote desktop tools, plus all the features of Windows 7 Home Premium)... but it's only $20 more (for the retail version).
 
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the only advantage you're going to get with pre-built is probably the easy tech support. DIY builds you gotta be ready to do your own research when you get a problem; call different places, ask different people, look things up, with a pre-built you prety much call the company that put it together and wait for them to do most of the work looking it up for you. not always that easy but it is for the most part, then again, if you have any big problems you usually have to send in your whole pc for them to look at/replace parts rather then just sending in a single part you're having trouble with if you're not able to fix it with software.

it's sorta like rebuilding an older car over buying a new one from the dealership (talking maintenance wise here). rebuilding's normally cheaper (if you know where to get decent parts at the right price), but you gotta be able to maintain it yourself more or less.
 
Oops, I thought I pointed out that it was Dell.ca. It appears I did not. My apologies to everyone for the (very important) omission.

I also agree that paying $350 for an OS sucks, and that's one of the reasons I was going pre-built. The OS is included. Granted, there's a premium to pay to upgrade from Home to Ultimate, but it's less than half the price of a full stand-alone Ultimate (reason I want Ultimate is because I want to be able to access more than 12GB ram should the need arise, and the price difference between Pro and Ultimate is too negligible to quibble over... I'd rather just pay the $20 and know I have everything.)

So yes, I'd like a 260... and yes, I need 12GB ram (and possibly more someday). And my machines last me 5 years, not 2... so better to be safe than sorry with the version of OS, right?

Now, people told me that the Dell is expensive for what you're getting... that they could build cheaper... but they're changing the video card, leaving out the legit OS license, and downgrading other components when presenting their lists to me. OF COURSE it'll be cheaper if I downgrade everything. That wasn't what was promised to me. The dare was to build an identical system cheaper. IDENTICAL (or better). That means you don't trade the 260 for a 220, and don't downgrade the ram from 12GB to 8, etc. ;-)

BTW, the WD Caviar can be found for $100 (can't remember where... I believe it was TigerDirect.ca) so whoever's paying $114 for it is overpaying.

Thanks, and sorry again for not specifying my Canadianness. ;-) My bad.
 
retail versions of an OS are about double the price of OEM, the difference is that retail lets you install on several PCs and OEM is 'locked' to one. quick google search brought up ~$160 for ultimate and ~$100 for pro. there's also student discounts you can get if you know anyone or are a student, cost isn't really an issue at that point, lol.
 
Well, I'm too lazy to shop, so you can figure out the math yourself and decide if the price premium is worth the stuff I mentioned above or not. :p The Dell OS license is OEM, and you can legally buy an OEM license for a DIY build -- no need for retail in this comparison.

... And before you ask why I remember, I remember you as the Canadian getting a GTX 260 even though it provides little to no benefits for the kind of work he's doing with the PC:) ...
Careful, your brain will fill up some day. :p Selective memory... as you get older, you'll learn what you should and should not remember, lol. Also, with the internet, you actually have to remember less these days. ;)
 
You need Win7 Ultimate to use more than 12GB of RAM?! I'm not a Windows user so I wouldn't know exactly, but that sounds preposterous. Surely it isn't the case.

p.s. 12gb ram: $280
 
retail versions of an OS are about double the price of OEM, the difference is that retail lets you install on several PCs and OEM is 'locked' to one. quick google search brought up ~$160 for ultimate and ~$100 for pro. there's also student discounts you can get if you know anyone or are a student, cost isn't really an issue at that point, lol.

I know the difference. I just don't need the OS on any other computer. Again, as I pointed out earlier, I keep my machines for 5 years. By the time I'm due for another machine, another OS will be out. I won't want to re-install this one, anymore than I want to put XP (which is what I'm using now) on my new machine. :)

Well, I'm too lazy to shop, so you can figure out the math yourself and decide if the price premium is worth the stuff I mentioned above or not. :p

Yeah, I kind of figured you were all talk. ;-)

It's always like this when push comes to shove, so you'll forgive me if I don't jump every time someone on the internet tells me "that sucks" but doesn't have the "time" or the "inclination" to put up some numbers.

You can all point and laugh and giggle all you want, but until someone nuts up, there's just no price advantage to building your own rig. I already tried. NCIX, TigerDirect, NewEgg.ca, and CanadaComputers... that extensive enough for you?

You were the one who claimed you could build the same thing for $700 less. I invited you to prove it. You declined to. In my position, how impressed would YOU be right now? Probably not very.
 
Honestly, I wouldn't give a shit if you were impressed or not

if you don't wanna DIY, then don't

it doesn't matter to anyone here either way

your attitude also is a reason why nobody here is seriously trying to help you

If you want a suggestion, go ahead and buy the pre-built, why not? You obviously know more than any of us here, given your infinite wisdom, we're humbled you'd ask us mere mortals for our uneducated opinions on a decision you have to make
 
Now, people told me that the Dell is expensive for what you're getting... that they could build cheaper... but they're changing the video card, leaving out the legit OS license, and downgrading other components when presenting their lists to me. OF COURSE it'll be cheaper if I downgrade everything. That wasn't what was promised to me. The dare was to build an identical system cheaper. IDENTICAL (or better). That means you don't trade the 260 for a 220, and don't downgrade the ram from 12GB to 8, etc. ;-)

Before you get snooty, the 5770 is roughly comparable to the GTX 260 with the latest drivers. j-sta's build that comprised it has no real compromises relative to the Dell hardware-wise, and it's significantly cheaper (yes, in Canadian dollars). And you have your precious (waste of money) 12GB of RAM, 2TB HDD storage and whatnot in there as well.

The reason he didn't use the GTX 260 is because it's an overpriced, outdated, crummy POS now. But with the hundreds of dollars you'd save with that build you could easily grab a 5850 instead of the 5770 and go wild upgrading the other components before you even approach the Dell's price.
 
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It's a Dell dude, go for it. Besides, your knowledge level seems to be on the low end of the scale. You would benefit greatly from the warranty anand support if your friend bails.
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You can all point and laugh and giggle all you want, but until someone nuts up, there's just no price advantage to building your own rig. I already tried. NCIX, TigerDirect, NewEgg.ca, and CanadaComputers... that extensive enough for you?

All righty then, here's my modified version of j-sta's list:
$310 - Intel Core i7 920 CPU
$200 - MSI X58 Pro-E X58 Motherboard
$280 - 2 x Crucial 3 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$190 - MSI N260GTX Twin Frozr OC GeForce GTX 260 896MB PCI-E Video Card
$200 - 2 x Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$30 - LG GH22NS50 DVD Burner
$80 - Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W PSU
$750 - Dell UltraSharp U2410 24" LCD Monitor
---
Total: $2040 plus tax and shipping.

I can't find Dell Keyboard or mouse equivalents but I'm willing to bet they don't cost that much. I deliberately left out the case as I do not know what case will fit your needs or aesthetic requirements. But this case/PSU combo is an excellent choice in terms of price to performance (of course replace the 620W PSU in my above build if you go with this case):
$110 - Antec Sonata III ATX Case with Antec Earthwatts 500W PSU

Ok, so the above shows that, at most, there's a $200 CAD difference. Maybe $150 CAD if you splurge a bit on the case. So there is a price advantage, however small it is, to building the PC yourself. Now what I'm about to say next has already been covered by Enginurd but bares repeating:

The above build offers two key advantages over that Dell even if you disregard the price differences:
- Full hardware warranty. The CPU, motherboard, LCD monitor, and PSU has a three year warranty. The RAM has a lifetime warranty. The hard drives have a 5 year warranty each. Only the video card and the DVD drive have a one year warranty. Compared that to the Dell you listed where every single part listed is covered only under a one year warranty. The parts in the Dell PC may be the same as the above parts but they're covered under an entirely different business/license/retail agreement. Essentially, any piece of hardware sold directly to Dell for use in their own PCs does not have manufacturer warranty whatsoever.

So after one year, any part that dies or becomes defective in that Dell PC, you will have to shell out quite a bit cash for a replacement or a fix. With the above DIY setup, all you have to do is pay the shipping fee, ship the part, and get it back repaired, replaced, or refurbished.

- Greater expandability. More than likely, Dell uses a low wattage PSU that would only be capable of powering the exact system setup with little room for upgrades. In the above, the 620W PSU lets you add any number of video cards or hard drives without ever worrying about power issues. In addition, more than likely whatever case you get will allow you to add more hardware over time than the Dell.

Now key disadvantages with my above setup:
- If anything fails, you or your friend will have to handle the RMAs, returns, or repairs.

- Higher chance that you may get DOA parts as you are a consumer and as such do not have a huge stock of hardware lying around should one part not be working. Like Dell

- Time it takes to build the PC. For some, this a long task. For others, it's a relatively short time. It varies from builder to builder.

So it's up to you man. If you don't care about warranty or expandability whatsoever, then go with the Dell.
 
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Honestly, I wouldn't give a shit if you were impressed or not.
And I don't give a shit if you give a shit or not. So it's all good, right?

All righty then, here's my modified version of j-sta's list:
$310 - Intel Core i7 920 CPU
$200 - MSI X58 Pro-E X58 Motherboard
$280 - 2 x Crucial 3 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$190 - MSI N260GTX Twin Frozr OC GeForce GTX 260 896MB PCI-E Video Card
$200 - 2 x Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$30 - LG GH22NS50 DVD Burner
$80 - Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W PSU
$750 - Dell UltraSharp U2410 24" LCD Monitor
---
Total: $2040 plus tax and shipping.
Hey Danny, I appreciate the effort, and will definitely look at your list more closely tomorrow (it's 1am here and I'm beat). However, like most people in these forums, it appears you've forgotten the OS, which is one of the big advantages of going pre-built. Now, I'm not saying everyone here's using pirated software, but I'm beginning to find it strange how the very heart of the machine is being constantly forgotten in everyone's equations.

Are you guys really all running hacked versions of Windows? If so, it's your prerogative, and I don't claim to be a saint myself... but when it comes to the very heart of the machine (ie, the OS), I choose not to do that... so if anyone's going to suggest a system to me, it has to factor in the Operating System. In this case, the Dell I quoted included a legit Windows 7 Ultimate 64b license.

And if no one here understands why I'd want Ultimate, okay... for the sake of argument, let's say I downgrade the OS... the Dell comes $150 cheaper if I go Home Premium.
 
They make two different packages OEM (for system builders) and Retail

Oem Home Premium = $104.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754

Ultimate 64bit Oem $174.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116762

Home premium retail $183.50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116716

Ultimate Full retail $292
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116718

You can install eithor, and they install the same. Most of us install one operating system per computer, so why give MS and extra $100+
Almost all of the guys here have legal OS's.
 
everyone leaves out the OS because it's up to YOU to decide what OS you want

why should anyone tell you you need Home Premium over Ultimate?

I have Windows 7 Enterprise I got for free from school

I guess some of us DO have free OS's :p
 
Hey Danny, I appreciate the effort, and will definitely look at your list more closely tomorrow (it's 1am here and I'm beat). However, like most people in these forums, it appears you've forgotten the OS, which is one of the big advantages of going pre-built. Now, I'm not saying everyone here's using pirated software, but I'm beginning to find it strange how the very heart of the machine is being constantly forgotten in everyone's equations.

Are you guys really all running hacked versions of Windows? If so, it's your prerogative, and I don't claim to be a saint myself... but when it comes to the very heart of the machine (ie, the OS), I choose not to do that... so if anyone's going to suggest a system to me, it has to factor in the Operating System. In this case, the Dell I quoted included a legit Windows 7 Ultimate 64b license.

And if no one here understands why I'd want Ultimate, okay... for the sake of argument, let's say I downgrade the OS... the Dell comes $150 cheaper if I go Home Premium.

Well the main reason why the OS is rarely placed in the build list itself is that a good majority of the people here on the forums already have a legal and reusable OS key/license. You can easily see this in a good majority of the build threads here in General Hardware. But yeah I did forget the OS. But it's not like I was intentionally omitting it.

To make things clear: Nowhere in General Hardware do we advocate using hacked versions of Windows. Only the loonies do that.

$150 more? What case, KB/m, and OS license did you go with? The OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit and Windows 7 Ultimate only costs $123 CAD and $223 CAD respectively. The OEM version is the same version Dell uses with their PCs.
 
oh don't lie to him danny, you use a hacked OS, he clearly knows more than we do, he's even able to use Everest remotely to find out what we're using in our systems!!! All hail JYeager!!
 
JYeager,

It seems you have already convinced yourself that the Dell is the way to go. Why are you even here? Why bother with this thread? Get the Dell, and forget all of this ever happened.
 
Dell standard warranty is 1 year (monitor is 3 year).

Build it yourself your looking...

Case: 1~3 year warranty
CPU: 3 year warranty (OEM is 30 days)
Memory: Lifetime
Motherboard: 3+ year warranty (if you get a respectable brandname)
hard-drive: 3~5 year warranty
Power supply: 3~7year warranty (Antec/Corsair/Seasonic)
Videocard: 1~3year or lifetime

IF you need a legit OS then buy the $30 Windows 7 student deals. If you are not a student then find someone who is and use them to help you out.

I would high quality parts with better warranty over the "advantage of OEM Windows 7" anyday.
 
Yeah, I kind of figured you were all talk. ;-)

It's always like this when push comes to shove, so you'll forgive me if I don't jump every time someone on the internet tells me "that sucks" but doesn't have the "time" or the "inclination" to put up some numbers. ...

LOL. I did the math the first time in USD, and in numerous other threads, so it's obvious I'm not all talk. If you want it in CAD, do the math yourself. My point is and remains the same: If you feel the price premium of the more expensive option is worth the advantages/disadvantages over the other, go for it. I even provided the main advantages/disadvantages to both. It's very simple.
 
JYeager,

It seems you have already convinced yourself that the Dell is the way to go. Why are you even here? Why bother with this thread? Get the Dell, and forget all of this ever happened.

The whole thread is just a dangerous topic in an enthusiast forum. He probably did the shopping math himself and found that the price was actually really competitive.

Of course, to an enthusiast, buying a prebuilt machine probably goes against everything you believe in. He knows people will be immediately opposed to it without actually giving it an honest look, so when he sees someone make an extraordinary claim like they can make the same machine for half the price, he's gonna call them out on it. Also forgetting to mention Canadian dollars probably made things worse.

I think people take it the wrong way when he advocates for Dell. He takes the side of Dell and challenges people's ideas in order to filter out what's valid to figure out what really is the best deal. Because no one around here is going to advocate for Dell if he doesn't do it.

It kinda reminds me of how you get help on the internet. If you ask a normal question, you get few responses. If you say "Linux sucks!" then you get tons of experts giving you useful information to prove you wrong. :p
 
I know the difference. I just don't need the OS on any other computer. Again, as I pointed out earlier, I keep my machines for 5 years. By the time I'm due for another machine, another OS will be out. I won't want to re-install this one, anymore than I want to put XP (which is what I'm using now) on my new machine. :)



Yeah, I kind of figured you were all talk. ;-)

It's always like this when push comes to shove, so you'll forgive me if I don't jump every time someone on the internet tells me "that sucks" but doesn't have the "time" or the "inclination" to put up some numbers.

You can all point and laugh and giggle all you want, but until someone nuts up, there's just no price advantage to building your own rig. I already tried. NCIX, TigerDirect, NewEgg.ca, and CanadaComputers... that extensive enough for you?

You were the one who claimed you could build the same thing for $700 less. I invited you to prove it. You declined to. In my position, how impressed would YOU be right now? Probably not very.

I was about to post giving you some suggestions and help but after this I don't see why we should bother. A bit less of the attitude please, we don't get paid to help you. kthxbi.
 
Honestly, I wouldn't give a shit if you were impressed or not

if you don't wanna DIY, then don't

it doesn't matter to anyone here either way

your attitude also is a reason why nobody here is seriously trying to help you

If you want a suggestion, go ahead and buy the pre-built, why not? You obviously know more than any of us here, given your infinite wisdom, we're humbled you'd ask us mere mortals for our uneducated opinions on a decision you have to make

JYeager,

It seems you have already convinced yourself that the Dell is the way to go. Why are you even here? Why bother with this thread? Get the Dell, and forget all of this ever happened.

+1 this is a fail thread. /facepalm
Buy the dell, lock the thread, everyone go make a sandwich and have a beer.
 
(reason I want Ultimate is because I want to be able to access more than 12GB ram should the need arise, and the price difference between Pro and Ultimate is too negligible to quibble over... I'd rather just pay the $20 and know I have everything.)

#1 - the Win7 OEM EULA states the OS is to only be installed on a machine that will be for resale. Hence why I included the Retail version, since legally you cannot buy OEM and install it on your personal computer (obviously people will, I'm just doing my best to not condone it, regardless of whether or not I would do it myself)

#2 - ummm.. apparently you need to do some research. Ultimate is NOT required for >12gb of RAM. Professional supports up to 192gb RAM, as does Ultimate. Hell, you can use 16gb RAM on HP.

and instead of getting your panties in a bunch, you should read some video card reviews, instead of discount something based on no knowledge. The 5770 is comparible to the GTX 260. But nooooo, you bitch, moan, groan, and complain without no knowledge on the area.
 
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