Would you recommend buying a Dell?

Based on your experience, would you recommend a Dell computer for somebody else?

  • Definitely YES

    Votes: 142 20.3%
  • May be (YES)

    Votes: 80 11.4%
  • May or may not (depends on what is needed)

    Votes: 290 41.4%
  • May be NOT

    Votes: 34 4.9%
  • Definitely NOT

    Votes: 154 22.0%

  • Total voters
    700
magoo said:
You flatter me. BUT.... I dont think you read the whole thing. I dont hate nVidia,ATI AMD or Intel (or anyone else for that matter) I wasnt speaking about the XPS set in specific,yet I was correct in saying there wasnt a high end card in the whole "gaming" section.

They have offered high end cards for a long time now (usually ATI as of late). One of the reasons the X800-850 XT PE was short in AGP trim for a while was because of the Dell contracts with ATI,


You could imagine someone ordering their "gaming" computer from Dell only to find it wont run their favourite game on anything but medium and 800 x 600 res. That, for 1500$ would be a crime (that may be a bit harsh). I DO think Dell markets their BASIC computer to be just that....a web surfer and email device that can store and print pictures or duplicate CDs or DVDs.

Most Dells - even the moderate slightly older 4700 Dimensions with 865G chipsets (mATX) will run slightly older games at 1024x768 with IGP and certainly with a 9800 Pro (which you could configure it with a ways back) will easily do 1024x768+ high settings with a 3.0-3.2C P4. Esentially when you say "800x600" i think you are thinking someone is using only the IGP Intel built in and many people configured these units with an add-in AGP card. Don't you think a 865G/I865G/915 intel with an X800 Pro will do ok? Maybe not as well as an A643000+ with the same cards, but hardly limited to 800x600.


No, Im not "high-end tech" but I think I can sort out what Dell has to offer and what Velocity Micro or some other boutique gaming store has to offer. The problem is that most people dont know what else there is "out there" because they dont do the research. They watch advertising on TV and purchase what their friends have. The word SNOB comes to mind,sir. Im sorry I offended your high endedness. have a good day :D Do you work for Dell or something??? Having a bad day??? :mad:

Snob?.. quite the contrary i'm just clarifying a few things with you. Work for Dell? No - but i have owned and ran my own shop for 3 1/2 years. So i build alot of custom jobs, but i also know that while Dells are certainly proprietary in most regards, most of the 4700-8300-8400-XPS lines are prefectly capable machines. Maybe not as capable as the AMD machines thesedays but the new X2 P4's (Gen 5 XPS) have some zip in them. Also - i very much support AMD and use AMD myself, but it's hard to sit here and read assertations about Dell that just aren't true. If you go with the lower end Dell models with celerons obviously that along with onboard intel IGP you get a less that capable machine for a performance oriented enthusiast type of end user, and that type of machine actually IS for email, spreadsheets grandpas apps...etc...etc... I understand AMD has the edge in just pure framerates and money vs. performance catagories, but do remember that it was not that long ago when the P4C northwood was considered much better than the athlon xp.


Have a nice day :)
 
icehokplyr said:
I think the bottom line is this: We all have above average experience knowledge to build our own machines. If we were like the average person who didn't know any better, we would buy a Dell too.
I dont completly agree with you on your point of view your taking.

You are right. If I didnt know anything about computers, wanted to buy one, and were overwhelmed with dell ads, I would end up with one. Honestly, when was the last time I saw a toshiba, Ibm, or Hp ad for cheap-ass $400.00 computers?

As a person who knows a thing or two about computers, I look at what I can buy online at newegg, and what dell is using. Its really hard to beat their deals.

Sure, their pc's might break and go up in smoke 2 years from now, but comptuers arnt designed to last forever anymore. Buying a $400.00 computer is like buying a $400.00 car with good paint and interior:

Just like the grab-bags at the 2nd hand stores, you will get mixed results. You may get a lemon that breaks and makes you pay out the ass for repairs, or you may get a good one that lasts for a few years.

Edit:

I just thought. My school I go to, uses dells only. We used to have macs. Those things lasted and took a beating. These dells, they fall apart very fast. Most of them last a few years, but there is always 2 or 3 pcs out of each classroom that end up in the corner, and eventually into salvage, after less than 1 semester.
 
bob said:
Sure, their pc's might break and go up in smoke 2 years from now, but comptuers arnt designed to last forever anymore. Buying a $400.00 computer is like buying a $400.00 car with good paint and interior:

For a business environment, this may be true, but not for ALL the personal purchases. I know somebody who is using his old computer (Win 95) for more than 7 years and his computer is still working well for his work. Recently, I assembled a computer for another person, and she was telling me that she might use it as long as it works. People do not intend to trash their computers after 2-3 years use, although companies and govt. institutions do so (there are very good reasons for them to do so). So, regular people, who purchase computers for home use, think of using it for a long time without a problem.

There is a HUGE difference between buying a $400 computer and a $400 car - in terms of unreliability. Although it would be slow, a $400 computer would still work for day-to-day computer work (such as e-mail, internet, and word processing). They are not supposed to crash or die within the warranty period. Afterall, who is going to give a warranty for a $400 car?
 
maybe yes... lappys and everything cept desktops = great for price... desktops = pos that should burn in hell along with their customer service reps (f'ing get the run around every two minutes)

Me- hi i need help with my laptop
softwarlady- ok let me patch u to the hardware section
me-k

hardware arab-how can i help u
me-um im having troubles with my dell latitude
hadware arab- ok let me send u to laptop specialists

lappy specialist-how may i be of service
me- im having a problem with my laptop (pissed)
lappy specialist- what model
me- latitude
lappy specialist- let me send you to my manager he is more aware of the latitude model
me- look im tird of getting the runaround
specialist- im sorry sir were doing all we can to help
me- well this is what i can do... i hung up

(bastards)
 
I work for school systems and here's my take.

The Macs tend to hold their value IMO, better then the PC's, up until the death of OS 9 and the switch for ten steepened the system requirements. Macs have gone down a bit in quality but I still believe they will hold their value better then a cheaper Dell.

The Dell Optiplex units have shitty cooling, especially the desktop models which seem to be the majority of the units most k-12 schools purchase anyway. Combine this with lack of AC in school districts and ad-hoc power arangements (I've seen surge protector's daisy chained in order to get all the computers in one spot)

Should you buy a Dell? I think the old adage applies: you get what you pay for. Now, the lower end models I would consider "disposable" at best. The higher priced models are a good deal if you get one of those retarded 35% off coupons, I don't see how you can go wrong. My personal opinion is make sure there is enough ventilation for them and they SHOULD last you awhile. But I would still build my own unless the deal was too good to be true. I'm actually looking at a Dell server at the moment because they are running free upgrade deals on a second processor and a second HD. But its not a game rig...I can't see paying the kind of money Dell charges (w/o discounts, which I think is kind of a scam to get you to check them out and what not...the list prices of some of them are off the chart) for 'premium' set up when I can fully customize a box that would be cheaper and look cooler and probably last longer.

For a gaming rig, you're going to dump some money into it anyway over the years, so unless you are bad at building computers, I just do not see the point of buying from the top shelf with Dell. JMO :)
 
i agree with building your own in most cases. as far as lower end dells being 'disposable at best' i would take issue with that - they can educate a child, and check email. as far as better looking with DIY i agree with that. if you make alot of money typically you can afford ot easily configure a higher end XPS and get a new one each year to two years (and sell the older one), one thing i really don't like about teh XPS is all of the cabling and how the case is literally overstuffed. the design needs to change to look clean and lean instead of loaded and bloated.
 
One reason that Dell is 90 some percent of that guys fix-it runs is becuase they are by far the most popular. I'd go with Dell for laptops and monitors (2405 gooom). Build my own for desktops tho.
 
I think by disposable he means not easily upgradable. You could of course use an old one to FOLD. I still feel that the advertising Dell does drives their lower end sales, which are the more difficult models to upgrade if at all. Look inside a Dimension or XPS sometime. One cannot even upgrade powersupplies, MOBOs or other components (for the most part) due to proprietary components. This may also lend to disposable computers which is a shame, but a way to sell more computers. :D
 
magoo said:
I think by disposable he means not easily upgradable. You could of course use an old one to FOLD. I still feel that the advertising Dell does drives their lower end sales, which are the more difficult models to upgrade if at all. Look inside a Dimension or XPS sometime. One cannot even upgrade powersupplies, MOBOs or other components (for the most part) due to proprietary components. This may also lend to disposable computers which is a shame, but a way to sell more computers. :D

Quite correct, the $299 computers they sell aren't really worth upgrading. When they get to the pint where they are choking then pitch it and buy a new one. For instance, lets say the specs for Longhorn out date the current 299 dollar Dell. Do you upgrade the Ram, card and processor to handle the new OS or do you "heave it" and buy a new 299 computer with it pre-installed? Guess where my vote goes ;) That's what I mean by disposable :)
 
All OEM computer manufacturers sell their computers with a warranty. So, when we buy them, we pay for the computer + warranty. If somebody who cannot repair a computer without expert help would definitely think about the warranty that comes with the computer. For example let's say manufacturer X sells a computer with 3 year at-home warranty, and manufacturer Y selles a similar computer (I mean similar specs.) with 2 year "send-in" warranty. What would a rational person buy? .. Definitely X's computer. But when the computer is malfunctioning after 3-4 months (or before warranty expires) then only the customer would have a chance to realize the exact quality of X's warranty. If it something like what Dell has in store for thier home users - the customer, pretty much, has purchased a "disposable" computer with warranty. Is this fair? Company X is not only taking their customers for a ride with an "unusable" warranty, but also "succesfully" competing against their rivals in the same business.

Some here say Dell is not good for home use because home user warranty/customer service is not as good as that of small business/govt. users . I think, in reality, Dell knows it is easier to give a run around for a single home user, but it would be difficult to get away from business or govt. users (they have money and other resources to stand against Dell). Therefore, unsuspecting home users are getting trapped in Dell's cheap computers those come with fairly good warranties (at least on paper).
 
TheGamerZ said:
please don't buy a dell... i hate to see people shoot themselves in the foot...

96% of my repair calls are for dell machines (the other 4% consist of other premades)

Man, I'm not even gonna bother to read the rest of this thread. Did you ever think this is because 96% of all PC's sold to people (who can't fix them themselves) are Dell's?

All Dell haters are simply retarded. For anyone that can't build their own PC, Dell is the only option as far as I'm concerned.
 
I agree Jooecool. I also ran a business but i saw the reverse. Dells were usually rock solid. Most of my tech support call were to get spyware off of OEM machines of any kind, because lay people many times don't keep up with what spyware is and how it can affect a system. It has zero to do with the system being a Dell or Gateway or HP.... I also got alot of calls and walk in's form overclocking experiments gone bad from teenagers with DFI's that didn't know the first thing about tweakage. not just DFI but MSI and trying to set up SLI. I charged like a MF to young guys that came in talking a big game trying to pick my head and telling me i might not know what i'm doing only to bring in their own box unbootable. Guys under 20 are the worst type of customers to get in and most of them are DIY'ers that got in over their heads or are just too stupid to do research on how to set up SATA or RAID arrays properly. Yeah- i charge those guys HEAVILY but only after i show them the machine booted- up and running great. Older people with Dells are a pleasure to deal with. No egos and stupid build config's and attemping 2.8 Ghz on a 3000 venice6800 Ultrax2/DFI ultra-d (with parents money) with a cheap 350W PSU 20 pin connector with 15A listed on the +12v and can't get SATA RAID running..... THOSE are the worst customers, and the ones you can make a living on. It's irony at it's best, because you would think supposed enthusiast types would know more, but sometimes having a little knowledge and not choosing to do research and look for memory compatibilies and RTFM makes very young enthisiasts the very worst customers overall. Dells are EASY to maintain and run flawlessly for the most part with an extremely low failure rate. Because people that own them are not trying to be a trunk-monkey/overlocking king posting CPU-Z screenies all over the web to be cool.


/end rant
 
For other people I recommend Macs.

"What? You're having problems with your computer? Sorry dude, can't help you, I don't know anything about Macs."
 
One thing to think about is that many people gunk up the software side of computers long before any hardware has a chance to go bad. To make matters worse, these people don’t realize that something as simple as a reformat will solve all of their problems.

Guess that explains the whole throw away PC trend story [H] posted Saturday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/t...&en=178b2edcf06c6a45&ei=5094&partner=homepage

For them, a cheap dell makes a great throwaway machine.
 
I'm an on-site warranty technician for Dell as well as IBM. And when broken down proportionally. I work on as many IBM Thinkcentres and Netvistas as I do Optiplex and Dimension systems. So you're looking at about the normal 1% failure rate. HOWEVER, Dell's only the biggest freakin PC Maker so obviously you're going to see more of their systems go down. The key thing is to look at the proportions how many failed vs how many were sold. I would reccomend Dell to someone looking for a notebook or low-end PC. But some of the characteristics of their "high end" bother me a bit (particularly with the lack of hard drive cooling) in addition to the inflated price.

Hyper_Psycho said:
buying a dell is like buying a hummer to save on gas money
"If you don't understand analogies, just don't use them....It's like a pig on a tightrope."
-Penn Gillette
 
threeclaws said:

I go to a non technical school and so I end up being that 'computer guy' for most of my friends and their friends. I would say that most of them have Dells. Over the past two years I did my fair share of listening to what dell technicians had to say and how most of the time the problem was not solved.


Mr_Evil said:
...blah blah blah ... snip


"If you don't understand analogies, just don't use them....It's like a pig on a tightrope."
-Penn Gillette


haha I was too tired from being oustide (mountain biking) to make a proper one
 
I was given a Dell Dimension 8200 about 5 years ago, 2.4 ghz p4 geforce 4600ti, etc. Since then I have upgraded the processor (3.06ghz), hard drive, video card (x800xtpe), power supply, and memory (twice, to 2gb). I work the thing pretty hard, and I haven't experienced any of the quality issues mentioned elsewhere in this thread.

If you are going to upgrade your computer on a regular basis, don't buy a Dell - they use proprietary parts to a great extent and that often limits what you can fit in your case, on your mb, etc. For example, I had to mod my case just to fit an Antec power supply because the opening on the back of the case wouldn't allow for the power switch. The mb that came with the system is incomptable with standard ATX cases because of its size - Dell made thier own board. There is no intake fan, nor room to add one on the front of the case, so cooling is limited, especially around the hard drives. In addition, though this isn't Dell's fault and shouldn't be an issue today, the RDRAM in the system is hard to find for reasonable prices and is a dead format.

If you just want a decent computer to do every day tasks on, Dell has good deals and decent service and they make it easy for the novice to shop and buy. When it comes down to it, that is who a Dell is for: the novice, who will not be building his or her own system and will care little about the aforementioned limitations.
 
I've built my own and own Dell as well.

From the T500, 8250, 400SC and now Precision 380.

I would not hesitate to recommend Dell as long as you know how to fix your own problems. Anytime something went wrong, I don't call. I just e-mail them and they send me the parts. I replace them, pack the old stuff in the box and call UPS to pick it up. Costs me $0 since it was included in the warranty.

The only reason I wouldn't go with Dell is if you need something really custom, like 2 x Dual-core Opteron with hot-swap SCSI RAID. Otherwise with the coupons and deals Dells are a good choice and worry free. Just upgrade certain stuff on your own and they make good systems.
 
My dad recently bought a new Dell Dimension 9100. Overall I say its pretty nice. He bought it with that Small Business deal where it comes with a 2005fpw.

The case is really easy to work with IMHO (installed a DVDRW that I bought off of Newegg. The price on Dell is ridiculous). The computer is extremely quiet also. Only thing I can hear is the faint HD seeking. Maybe its the BTX design?

Only thing I would really gripe about is all the crap software they install. A quick reformat does the trick :)

So yea... I would only recommend someone a Dell if

1) Killer deal available
2) Only use is web browsing, listening to music, word processing, etcetera.
 
it wasn't too long ago i said i would recommend dell.

however i have changed my mind.

we are having lots of problems at work that started a couple of months ago and have gotten really bad in the past few weeks (school just started back so the problems are really adding up)

10 dead PSUs in 18 month old 260s

13 270s that are having a checkerboard pattern that locks up the system. dell has been zero help on this.

two new labs came in (65 computers) 3 are dead (havne't had time to call dell yet) and 2 dead LCDs. straight from the factory.

1 poweredge (cant remember the model# but it cost 5,000$; its only a month old) that we had to re-install server2k3 the first day after geting it because it wouldn't boot to windows.

13 dead PSUs in 5 year old GX1s in one of our labs. we can't knock dell for this because they're 5 years old. pretty good that they lasted this long. it just sucks they worked at the beginning of the summer now they dont.

3 gx280s that had bad ram. one had bad ram and a bad mobo.

there's more, but that's all i can think of right now.

this post was pretty whiny, but really theraputic :D
 
synergyo1 said:
2) Only use is web browsing, listening to music, word processing, etcetera.

think that is the first time i have ever in my life seen the word etcetera spelled out, is that how its really spelled?
:p
 
SnackDaddy said:
I've used dozens of dell servers and hundreds of dell desktops and laptops. Same with IBM, Compaq, Gateway, HP.

They all have problems. They all work well most of the time. All of them have crappy tech support from time to time. They have really good support much of the time too. They ALL use proprietary hardware in some systems and less proprietary in others. (this is the argument I hate the most)

It's up to you to be 100% informed about what you are buying. After that you just have to hope you aren't one of the unlucky ones.

I have been most satisfied with dell. But not unsatisfied with the others Still have a 7 year old Dell server running 24x7 with no problems at one place. We will be replacing it next month though, just in case. Got a couple 5-6 yr old Compaqs and IBMs too.

I've personally used homebuilt/overclocked for years but this last time I didn't have the time or the ambition to mess with configuring, building and tweaking a system of my own design. I chose a Dell 8400 desktop. The XPS was way overpriced for basicaly the same system and the lower end just didn't meet my needs. I'm completely happy with it after almost 1 year. Got a good deal. Couldn't have built the same machine with legal software cheaper.Have had no problems at all. Plays HL2, Doom 3 and WoW just fine. I did wipe the drive and reinstall windows, but I would have had to install it on a homebew too so no big deal there. Probably can't overclock it, haven't looked, but I don't care anymore. 3GHz and a gig of DDR2 is pretty fast.

Just like the undying Chevy vs. Ford debate, depends on the individual and their experience.

I would buy or recommend Dell any time.


I agree. An extended service plan will go well witht them as well for my family who I don't feel like supporting all of their little tech problems anymore. I got them $350 dells and they couldn't be happier and I couldn't be happier knowing that if anything happens in the next two years, it's not my problem.
 
t00thless said:
it wasn't too long ago i said i would recommend dell.

however i have changed my mind.

we are having lots of problems at work that started a couple of months ago and have gotten really bad in the past few weeks (school just started back so the problems are really adding up)

10 dead PSUs in 18 month old 260s

13 270s that are having a checkerboard pattern that locks up the system. dell has been zero help on this.

two new labs came in (65 computers) 3 are dead (havne't had time to call dell yet) and 2 dead LCDs. straight from the factory.

1 poweredge (cant remember the model# but it cost 5,000$; its only a month old) that we had to re-install server2k3 the first day after geting it because it wouldn't boot to windows.

13 dead PSUs in 5 year old GX1s in one of our labs. we can't knock dell for this because they're 5 years old. pretty good that they lasted this long. it just sucks they worked at the beginning of the summer now they dont.

3 gx280s that had bad ram. one had bad ram and a bad mobo.

there's more, but that's all i can think of right now.

this post was pretty whiny, but really theraputic :D


Wow, this sounds really similar to our network where I work (~70 systems or so) and we've had NOTHING like that happen. We had a bad PSU in one of our poweredges a while back. Are you in a humidity and temperature controlled environment? I can't imagine that failure rate.

I've had a couple of bad hard drives here and there but that's par for the course. So I have to reghost a machine, dell sends me a new drive in a day or two and I have the user back online in no time.
 
i'd recommend a dell. i've owned two dells so far, dimension xps (don't know which one it was, but it was a 2.8p4 with ht, 9800pro back when it was new) and the only problem i have with it is the loudness of it (makes me think it's gen 2 because that's when the xps was at it's loudest). i currently own a dimension 9100 and it runs great. it's pretty amazing how quiet the computer runs. i just put a eVGA 7800gtx in it, though the idle temps aren't great (65C, but that's probably due to the ambient temps being around 75-80F), the load temps are around 69-73C after 2 hours of gaming. considering it's btx and the gtx's fan blows the air below the btx air flow, the temps seem pretty good.

i sometimes regret not building my own. god knows the performance would be better with an Athlon64, but i'm a pretty lazy guy. :rolleyes: so far so good though. if all goes accordingly, the 9100 should be off my hands and i'll be builing something most likely with a 3800 X2 which will house my current gtx..
 
^ we have over 800 dells at work spread among five schools. we think it may have to do with temp/humidity but it happens all accross the county.

oh thought of some more gripes :D, we pay for next day service but i have never received a part next day; also we've never had a tech show up the next day. most of the time it takes 3 days. twice i requested imaged drives and was told ok by the phone tech, but recieved clean drives. one phone tech admitted to me they usually screw that up.
 
Laxx said:
i sometimes regret not building my own. god knows the performance would be better with an Athlon64, but i'm a pretty lazy guy. :rolleyes: so far so good though. if all goes accordingly, the 9100 should be off my hands and i'll be builing something most likely with a 3800 X2 which will house my current gtx..

Have no regrets. The A64 would have given you a few fps more in gaming, which you probably wouldn't have noticed anyway, and it would have been worse than a P4 in normal use with multi-tasking, a difference even my father have noticed.
 
To answer the topic question, it depends. In general, I have a very negative opinion of Dell. Their customer service for the consumer market (as distinguished from their business support) is horrible. The people who process incoming orders are also complete idiots, go to the Dell forums and you will see that they CONSTANTLY give bad advice (or outright lie) to customers who ask them questions. "Sure, our integrated graphics will run Far Cry in HDR mode just fine. You'll have no problem gaming with a Dimension 2400..." :rolleyes:

Funny thing is, the reason I decided to build my own system was that Dell kept screwing up an order I placed online, and lying about the status of the order, and changing things without telling me, over the course of maybe 6 weeks, to the point where I just couldn't stand to deal with the idiots anymore and cancelled it. They were literally too stupid to deliver me a computer I spec'ed out on their web site. Dell's SALES DEPARTMENT convinced me to never buy a Dell again.

Of course, their desktop hardware often stinks. They are full of off-brand and/or proprietary junk. They lard up the system with junk software and their PCs under-perform for the hardware installed. Upgradability for the most part is horrible to non-existent. Their dedicated gaming systems are built with P4's, which makes them a poor value for their intended purpose.

But you know what? To most Dell customers, none of that matters, because none of them will stress their systems enoguh to notice any of that. And most of them won't need Dell's awful customer support anyway, in part precisely because they won't push their system hard enough to reveal its inherent crappiness... even a cheap Dell can run Word or Internet Explorer with 1,000,000 of its transistors tied behind its back. So that leaves them with getting what they need from Dell for a cheap price, or getting what they need from somebody else for more money and with no apparent advantage to them.
 
jon67 said:
Have no regrets. The A64 would have given you a few fps more in gaming, which you probably wouldn't have noticed anyway, and it would have been worse than a P4 in normal use with multi-tasking, a difference even my father have noticed.

I dunno, $1,000 Intel processors being matched in performance by $350 AMD processors in games seems non-trivial to me. ;)
 
CastleBravo said:
Of course, their desktop hardware often stinks. They are full of off-brand and/or proprietary junk. They lard up the system with junk software and their PCs under-perform for the hardware installed. Upgradability for the most part is horrible to non-existent. Their dedicated gaming systems are built with P4's, which makes them a poor value for their intended purpose.

Lying about proprietary parts and upgradability only makes you look stupid. You're obviously not very familiar with Dells. Dell use standard connectors and slots, and you can upgrade/replace basically anything: Vid cards, CPUs, HDDs, RAM etc.

The P4s w/HT are much more suitable for allround and multi-tasking use than an A64, you can run CPU-demanding services in the background (virus scan, folding etc) with minor impact (as perceived) on the active application(s). With A64s you'd have to shut down such services in order to experience smooth gameplay, regardless of framerates.
 
jon67 said:
Lying about proprietary parts and upgradability only makes you look stupid. You're obviously not very familiar with Dells. Dell use standard connectors and slots, and you can upgrade/replace basically anything: Vid cards, CPUs, HDDs, RAM etc.

LOL, here is a hint: I actually took one apart and looked at it. Had a friend who wanted to upgrade their Dell, oops. A big ol' tower with no extra internal drive bays, no graphics card slot, some crappy proprietary heatsink/fan, and a non-standard PSU rated for some ridiculously low wattage (another hint: PCP&C sell Dell-specific PSU upgrades because Dells don't all comply with ATX standards, oops). But yeah, I'm a liar. :rolleyes:

The P4s w/HT are much more suitable for allround and multi-tasking use than an A64, you can run CPU-demanding services in the background (virus scan, folding etc) with minor impact (as perceived) on the active application(s). With A64s you'd have to shut down such services in order to experience smooth gameplay, regardless of framerates.

Reading is fundamental, I was talking about Dell's self-proclaimed GAMING SYSTEMS, which by defintion don't have "allaround [sic] and multi-tasking use" as a priority. Otherwise, they'd be called something else, now wouldn't they? ;)

Dollar-for-dollar, A64 performance in games is better than the P4, period, end of discussion. If it makes you feel better to live in denial of that objective fact, then go on ahead.

43 FPS slower... perfect choice for a gaming rig. :D

Oh noes, HardOCP is part of an anti-Intel conspiracy! :p
 
Who cares if you dissected an "big ol tower", new Dell systems use standard connections and branded parts, and basically everything can be upgraded. I will go on repeating this until the myth dies.

I cannot see that you mentioned Dell's gaming systems in specific anywhere in your ranting post, so yeah, reading really is fundamental. Writing too. And understanding.

Also, I have never denied that A64s generally achieve higher scores than P4s in gaming benchmarks (if the vid card allows), but hyperthreading can still give smoother gameplay on a P4 than on a A64 when other processes are running in the background. This is just as, or even more, important as the overhead in framerates.

btw I'm talking about single-cores, which are what is normally associated with the terms "P4" and "A64", not top-of-the-line dual-cores like you show in your link.
 
The new 9100 has standard parts. The only thing proprietary I would imagine is the PSU.
 
I've had no problems with my 4700. I just reformated it to get rid of all the crap they install, but pretty much all oem systems have crap installed so I can't really blame Dell for that. The cooling is not the best, the hd and northbridge get very hot but it's been completely stable. I do miss building my own pc though, but the Dell was a couple hundred less than a comparable system.
 
If you know how to take care of a computer, 99.9% of the time, it doesn't matter what kind of computer you use.
 
jon67 said:
I cannot see that you mentioned Dell's gaming systems in specific anywhere in your ranting post, so yeah, reading really is fundamental. Writing too. And understanding.

Boy, are you about to look silly... :p

CastleBravo said:
Their dedicated gaming systems are built with P4's, which makes them a poor value for their intended purpose.

Emphasis added, in case you can't read well because of bad eyesight.

Who cares if you dissected an "big ol tower", new Dell systems use standard connections and branded parts, and basically everything can be upgraded. I will go on repeating this until the myth dies.

Translation: "Who cares what reality is, I'll just repeat what I like to believe. LALALALALA..."

This was a Dell all of 1 years old, incidentally. :rolleyes:

Note that there is constant complaining about this ON THE DELL OWNERS' FORUMS!!! Guess they are making it up, too? Sort of a self-effacing conspiracy?

Also, I have never denied that A64s generally achieve higher scores than P4s in gaming benchmarks (if the vid card allows), but hyperthreading can still give smoother gameplay on a P4 than on a A64 when other processes are running in the background. This is just as, or even more, important as the overhead in framerates.

Except, of course, that this ISN'T TRUE. Unless you are encoding MP3s while playing Doom 3 or something. I know because I've played games on both (P4 3.2E & A64 3500+), run FRAPS timedemos on both, and the P4 still loses, in both actual gameplay and in benchmarks, quite badly in fact. Lower minimum and maximum frames per second, lower average frames per second... and yes, that's with my anti-virus and anti-spyware and firewall programs running on both. So much for the magic hyper-threading benefit for games. :rolleyes:

btw I'm talking about single-cores, which are what is normally associated with the terms "P4" and "A64", not top-of-the-line dual-cores like you show in your link.

The performance gap is across the board. I just linked to one example. If I provided a link to every review that showed the P4's inferior gaming performance to the A64, I would exceed the limit on # of characters per post. :D

Like this

And this

And looky here

(Note my emphasis on gaming, yet again, because I'm not saying the P4 sucks across the board... as my quote of myself indicated, I was talking about Dell's use of P4 processors in self-proclamed "super amazing GAMING systems" )

To reiterate yet again, because reading is still fundamental:

CastleBravo said:
Their DEDICATED GAMING SYSTEMS are built with P4's, which makes them a poor value FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE.

Anyway, I'm done playing here, welcome to the killfile.
 
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