Curse

Harah Shadowstorm · Nov 21, 2006, 11:42 PM // 23:42

Yeah well im wondering if it would be worth it to upgrade this computer, or should i just buy a new one it currently has

Dell Dimension 2400
Intel pentium 4 CPU 2.39 GHz
504 MB RAM
RADEON 9250 PCI graphic card
80 gb hard drive 5400

I want to upgrade it with

Dell Dimension 2400
Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.20 GHz
2gb RAM
same graphic card
120gb 7200 RPM hard drive
KILLER network card

Total Cost: $823.94

Otherwise i want to buy this computer:

My Components

Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6400 (2MB L2 Cache,2.13GHz,1066 FSB)

Genuine Windows® XP Media Center 2005 Edition with re-installation CD

No Express Upgrade to Windows Vista Selected

2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs

250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™

Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability

No Monitor

256MB nVidia GeForce 7900 GS

Integrated Sound Blaster®Audigy™ HD Software Edition

My Accessories

No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system)

LOGITECH Precision PC Gaming Headset

Dell USB Keyboard

Dell Optical USB Mouse

No Floppy Drive Included

56K PCI Data Fax Modem

My Software

No productivity suite- Includes Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD

Norton Internet Security™ 2006 Edition 15-months

Trial pack- Basic and trial products from Corel and Yahoo

My Service

1Yr Ltd Warranty and At-Home Service

6 Months of America Online Membership Included

Also Includes

Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 7.0

Windows Vista™ Capable

Vista Capable Sticker

Total Cost: $1,276

Vaedritol · Nov 21, 2006, 11:52 PM // 23:52

If you have the money... get the new system.

MegaMouse · Nov 22, 2006, 12:25 AM // 00:25

Dont bother with the "Killer Nic", the small improvement in your ping is not worth the large investment in cash. If you truly want more from what you have upgrade your ram and processor, but make sure the processor that you want to get is supported by the motherboard as there have been some changes in their specs. Doing just those 2 things will give you a rather nice boost in speed. Another item if you have the cash is to get a newer graphics card ,but with the cpu and ram upgrade you might not neeed to.There are a rathjer god number of igh end graphics cards available that are reasonabley cheep. The money you woul hav spent on the nic is btter spent on a new graphics card. As far as the hard drive goes just add it to your exsisting computer and use it for storage.

Mega Mouse

Kern Wolf · Nov 22, 2006, 01:05 AM // 01:05

I'm curious; were you planning to do the upgrades yourself? I know that Dell PCs, in general, are a major pain to upgrade; I would suggest getting a new PC before trying to uograde a Dell.
If you're purchasing a new Dell, spring for the best graphics card you can get with the components you listed above. as far as the Killer NIC, I'm not sure that gives you an added benefit; you're still at the mercy of your ISP, be it DSL or cable...

Mushroom · Nov 22, 2006, 05:51 PM // 17:51

I urge people to always avoid the Dell Dimension computers. In fact, I urge them to avoid Dell in general (along with all of the name brand systems). They are pros at selling junk that you don't need at inflated prices.

And as for the Killer NIC, they are just not worth it. The few miliseconds of improvement simply do not justify the price tag. I know somebody who bought one, and he says that he has seen no difference between the Killer NIC, and the 1gb NIC that was built into his motherboard. Maybe it will be usefull in 5-10 years when we all have a fibreoptic link directly into our houses, but not until then (unless you are sitting on a T-1 line in your house).

The biggest problem with "Name Brand" computers is the poor quality power supplies, insufficient cooling, and the inability to upgrade at a future date. And they are designed that way. This is just good business, because they do not want you to upgrade your system, they want you to buy a new system when you need an upgrade.

Spend a few hundred dollars extra, and get a good quality "clone" system. The money is well worth it, and most of those components have 2-3 year warranties, not the "1 year" that Dell and the others want to give you. I built my system in 2004, and my motherboard and CPU are still under warranty. You won't find that with a Dell or HP.

BFG · Nov 23, 2006, 01:06 AM // 01:06

I'd have to agree with Mushroom in saying that "box" systems are great for starter computers or for those that don't expect much out of a machine. You can build a system with the same amount or slightly higher amount of money that you would have invested in a package machine and have better quality and more reliable components.

If building a system is your desire, I would say that you doing a bit of homework will help you find components that match well. Having a top-of-the-line graphics card coupled with a crappy CPU just defeats the purpose of having high-dollar components if you can't get their full potential in performance. When building systems, budget often plays a role into which avenue you take to choose parts. Compromise will be a big factor but you will find that the give-and-take balances out in the end.

Match your CPU, RAM, and MB for better performance. You'll find that reading reviews from those that have purchased items that you have your eye on will help you see any trouble you may encounter with the product long before you shell out your hard-earned dough, although this can be the most tedious (more accurately: boring) part of your research, yet it can save you headaches in the future. Oh, and for the love of whatever it is you cherish, don't skimp on the PSU, for you've got to feed all of those shiny new parts!

jesh · Nov 23, 2006, 01:32 AM // 01:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mushroom

I urge people to always avoid the Dell Dimension computers. In fact, I urge them to avoid Dell in general (along with all of the name brand systems). They are pros at selling junk that you don't need at inflated prices.

Prebuilt brand name computers are most of the time cheaper than what you can build yourself, unless you really have some wholesale hookups.

Of course the components they use aren't that great of quality if it's a cheap computer.

Def Ecrof · Nov 23, 2006, 02:46 AM // 02:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mushroom

I urge people to always avoid the Dell Dimension computers. In fact, I urge them to avoid Dell in general (along with all of the name brand systems). They are pros at selling junk that you don't need at inflated prices.

And as for the Killer NIC, they are just not worth it. The few miliseconds of improvement simply do not justify the price tag. I know somebody who bought one, and he says that he has seen no difference between the Killer NIC, and the 1gb NIC that was built into his motherboard. Maybe it will be usefull in 5-10 years when we all have a fibreoptic link directly into our houses, but not until then (unless you are sitting on a T-1 line in your house).

The biggest problem with "Name Brand" computers is the poor quality power supplies, insufficient cooling, and the inability to upgrade at a future date. And they are designed that way. This is just good business, because they do not want you to upgrade your system, they want you to buy a new system when you need an upgrade.

Spend a few hundred dollars extra, and get a good quality "clone" system. The money is well worth it, and most of those components have 2-3 year warranties, not the "1 year" that Dell and the others want to give you. I built my system in 2004, and my motherboard and CPU are still under warranty. You won't find that with a Dell or HP.

If u wait for dell to have specials its good to buy. I got my xps m1710 with a free 3 year warranty and a free upgrade to a 7950 gtx video card , so its all not that bad. Plus it owns most desktops.

Edge Of Malan · Nov 23, 2006, 03:21 AM // 03:21

I would just say, if you're going to upgrade, plan on upgrading your motherboard also. And that 9250 video card sucks. I had the same one and it caused nothing but problems. At the very minimum, I would buy a better video card, more ram (even 1 GB would be a great improvement, especially dual channel memory), and a processor/motherboard combo. I would check out a site like newegg.com for hardware reviews before I bought, as newer and bigger is not always better. You can get a good idea about the product from user reviews before purchasing to save yourself some headaches later on.

My recommendation is to get a motherboard that supports SLI or at least PCI-Express, AMD 64 processor, SATA controller, and dual channel memory. I've used Giga-byte motherboards and they are good low end motherboards, but I've read a lot of reviews and Asus seems to be the top choice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jesh

Prebuilt brand name computers are most of the time cheaper than what you can build yourself, unless you really have some wholesale hookups.

Of course the components they use aren't that great of quality if it's a cheap computer.

I'd have to disagree. I built my own system, and I can build a system for around $450 dollars that tops anything Dell has to offer for the same price range. And since I build it myself from carefully selected and reviewed, quality components, I have a product that will last at least as long as a Dell or other such brand name computer. Besides, everybody knows, when you buy a brand, you're buying the name, and every company has to minimize expenses and maximize profits to stay alive.