Curse

Ardus Shadowmane · Jun 17, 2005, 01:30 AM // 01:30

Heh, nice product placement, Talesin. Looks like popular opinion on this isn't going your way though. But it's ok, we still love you!

Adraeus · Jun 17, 2005, 01:33 AM // 01:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by theclam

BOXX? The only gaming graphics card that they offer is the 6800 Ultra Go. I wouldn't buy a system from them if I was going to be playing games (as opposed to making them). Comparing them to Alienware is just stupid.

Well, then Voodoo. Anything is better than Alienware. Hell, nothing is better than Alienware. As always, however, a custom desktop will always be less expensive than and superior to pre-built desktops.

Temken · Jun 17, 2005, 02:58 AM // 02:58

Here's a detailed list of reasons why Dells, or any big name computers suck in general - problems you'll never see with custom builds:

1. Power supply - The power supply on these PCs are most often too small to run the PC itself, much less any upgrades you plan to add, causing the PC to crash shortly after startup.

2. Motherboard - the motherboard will be a cheap antique model that is simply incapable of running mid - high range cards, whether it be video, sound, modems, or even a simple memory upgrade. The slots are there but you cannot use them.

3. Graphic compatibility - The PC specs might say that the PC has "The latest graphic chipset" or whatever, and may even list it by mem size, whether it be 64, 128, or 256, but unless you are very specific about parts, then what you'll end up with is a integrated graphic card that came with the motherboard and cannot play any game under 5 years old.

4. PC case - The case that is often used for namebrand PCs is roughly the size of a cereal box, with the CD/DVD and floppy drives flipped vertically so that they'll fit. It will also be a heavy, heeeavy steel case, not one of the light aluminum/plexyglass cases that seem to be so popular now. The width of the case does not allow for upgrading or adding parts. Extra ram might fit, but a standard 56k modem or any random graphic or sound card will not. If you wish to use the PC with that case, then you have to shell out hundreds of dollars for abbreviated parts that cost 2-3x as much as the same part in its original size. The power supply is shaped to fit that case, and that case alone. If you wish to replace one or the other, then you're better off replacing both case and power supply.

5. The HD - Again, cheap parts are being used no matter what size the HD is. To be more specific, the RPMs of the HD will be so low that if you try to run memory intensive programs, they will not only load slow but they will also cause the PC to overheat from not being able to load fast enough.

6? I never used one of these POS PCs long enough to catch all of the adware that was included and I obviously didn't ask for. Since the HD was one of the many things getting replaced, I just installed the software myself later. Luckily for me, I only made the mistake of purchasing a name brand PC once.

Nokomis · Jun 17, 2005, 04:11 AM // 04:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Granamyr

Looks like Guild Wars is doing some advertising on the Dell "Extreme Gaming" notebooks.

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/topi...=19&l=en&s=dhs

You have to click on the "View Inspiron XPS" arrow to bring the notebook to the foreground.

My pre-built from Cyberpower has been really decent and it wasn't too pricey. I think build it yourself of buy from a smaller company. I won't EVER buy a computer from a big corporation again. Horrible customer service and you often can't upgrade those PCs from big companies.

If nothing else I hate that the big PC companies advertise that they have 24/7 help and they show a white guy named Bob in a nice spacious office on the commercial. Who you REALLY talk to is an Indian dude named Rajie who CALLS himself Bob and tries to hide his accent. Oh, and he is sitting at a long table with fifty other guys on the phone. And he got lousy training and only knows to tell you to reboot.

Hey I don't care if my help guy is from India, but how come they try to pretend he isn't? :-(

--Nokomis

Lampshade · Jun 17, 2005, 06:16 AM // 06:16

LOL

no sissies allowed

They should take their own advice.
But it also sucks cause I'm poor and have to buy crappy Dell bargin bin computers. ($400)

Eclair · Jun 17, 2005, 06:40 AM // 06:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lampshade

LOL

no sissies allowed

They should take their own advice.
But it also sucks cause I'm poor and have to buy crappy Dell bargin bin computers. ($400)

You do realize that 300 of those 400 dollars are going towards the operating system?

400 dollars can buy you a fairly high end motherboard/CPU and a fairly nice graphics card. Add in another 100 for a RAM upgrade and it'll be way better than buying some 400 dollar junk off of Dell.

Wiredzero · Jun 17, 2005, 06:46 AM // 06:46

Realistically, building your own computer is the only way to go. I've got a computer that I MAYBE paid 500$ for...and would've EASILY cost about $3,200.00 for from Alienware...or comparable from Dell at the time.

Alienware - MOSTLY namebrand parts used...albeit outdated, Combined with other parts that aren't optimized to work together, overloaded with THEIR crap, improperly loaded software and OS, ultimately resulting in what would be a halfway decent machine...if they hadn't built it. Worst service department turnaround time of the bunch. (My roomie has one, and my homebuilt comp runs circles around it. (3.4 p4EE vs my AthlonXP 3200+)

Dell - "The best of the prefab" (I call B.S.) Total crap parts, and almost always if not impossible to upgrade easily. IMHO...A waste of time, and money. On the upside...their service department IS good. (and I'm sure they get a lot of practice.)

HP/Compaq - HP makes ONE good thing...and one thing only. They make a ROCK SOLID printer. (well...theirs typically lasts longer than the others anyway...) As for the rest of their stuff...like compaq...it makes a good paperweight. Guaranteed to break. Service department is marginal at best.

Gateway - ....Gateway...there's a reason it had a cowskin looking box. It'd be the B.S. inside the box.

And btw...unless your LCD monitor has a 16ns refresh time...CRT owns you. It's that whole blurry dragging image thing that most 'true' gamers don't care for.

CRT = LCD 16ns with less space taken.

-Wired

Sarus · Jun 17, 2005, 06:50 AM // 06:50

Quote:

400 dollars can buy you a fairly high end motherboard/CPU and a fairly nice graphics card. Add in another 100 for a RAM upgrade and it'll be way better than buying some 400 dollar junk off of Dell.

Not exactly. A fairly nice graphics card will run you ~$200 (Nvidia 6600GT). That only leaves $200 for the motherboard and processor which isn't gonna get you anything high end.

Beleive it or not you can get computers from Dell for a price you'd never be able to do yourself. This doesn't apply to the normal Dell prices but if you wait around for the stackable coupons you can get some pretty amazing deals.

Quote:

Realistically, building your own computer is the only way to go. I've got a computer that I MAYBE paid 500$ for...and would've EASILY cost about $3,200.00 for from Alienware...or comparable from Dell at the time.

I find that a little hard to beleive. Building your own saves money over Dell's normal prices but not $2700. There's no way you could build a $3,200 Dell computer for $500. The graphics card alone in a $3,200 computer would cost you $500.

Wiredzero · Jun 17, 2005, 06:54 AM // 06:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarus

Beleive it or not you can get computers from Dell for a price you'd never be able to do yourself. This doesn't apply to the normal Dell prices but if you wait around for the stackable coupons you can get some pretty amazing deals.

If you don't mind getting a power supply that's substandard and will pop at a moment's notice...or a generic motherboard that's not up to par...or maybe a BIOS locked bios that you can't flash to upgrade for better performance...

Edit:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarus

I find that a little hard to beleive. Building your own saves money over Dell's normal prices but not $2700. There's no way you could build a $3,200 Dell computer for $500. The graphics card alone in a $3,200 computer would cost you $500.

Sony Trinitron 21"
ATi Radeon X800Pro (256MB)
Shuttle AN35/N 400 Ultra Motherboard
AthlonXP 3200+ (400FSB) Processor
Antec "True Power" Power Supply (420w)
Logitech Mx1000 Laser Mouse
Sony DRU700A (DVDRW+-/CDRW)
Sony CDBurner (52x32x52x)
Logitech 5.1 Surround Speaker set
1 GB Mushkin PC3200 DDR (512 X2 for Dual Threading DDR function)
Western Digital 80GB EIDE Harddrive (8mb cache)
Western Digital 40GB EIDE Harddrive (8mb cache)
APC 1000w UPS.
And a partridge in a pair tree.

All bought on deals a year ago. (except for the X800Pro...got that one as a tester.)

Eclair · Jun 17, 2005, 07:05 AM // 07:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarus

Not exactly. A fairly nice graphics card will run you ~$200 (Nvidia 6600GT). That only leaves $200 for the motherboard and processor which isn't gonna get you anything high end.

Beleive it or not you can get computers from Dell for a price you'd never be able to do yourself. This doesn't apply to the normal Dell prices but if you wait around for the stackable coupons you can get some pretty amazing deals.

You don't NEED a 6600 GT. I mean, sure there are some games that require that kind of power, but in the end, aren't you playing Guild Wars, the super low requirement but still fantastically fun and addicting online game? XD

Dralon · Jun 17, 2005, 01:47 PM // 13:47

If you aren't computer savvy, or have a buddy who is, building your own system is not an option. I did this with my first computer as my brother in law is a "computer guy" and it is true you can get more bang for your buck that way. But it involves knowing a fair amount about computers, being comfortable with operating system software, and not afraid of reformatting from time to time. After getting tired of bothering him repeatedly for tips, 2 yrs ago I purchase a Dell, with enough knowledge I knew what I was getting and have not been disappointed. You can custom build those to some degree, so that if you know what you want onboard you can pretty much get it (don't buy just their stock systems ) I have since been able to upgrade both my video card and have gone to 1.5 on the RAM and have not had problems.
So if you are not a "computer guy" this is a realistic and good option.

Zombie · Jun 17, 2005, 02:08 PM // 14:08

Well, actually, building a new computer on your own is very simple as long as you know enough about the parts to know what you're buying. Once you've gotten the parts, it's just a matter of screwing/plugging/slotting (and other Freudian words) the parts into the case and each other. If you're really interested in learning about what you're doing, there are a ton of websites our there that offer beginner tutorials and information.

The difficult part, and the part where the "computer guy" comes in, is when you have to trouble-shoot a problem. This usually occurs after you have the PC up and something decides to break... unless you forgot to place a jumper on a hard drive (yes, that took me a while to figure out on my first PC build

). Trouble-shooting does require you to know a bit about what you're doing.

Take it from a "computer guy"

.

Grivious Maximus · Jun 17, 2005, 03:28 PM // 15:28

Pre-Build is the way to go if you know what you doing. If not get some advice from some one who knows what they doing heck you can get the parts from a nice website most computer nerds go to

.
I am a computer consultant by trade and the worst machines in the world are Apples over priced pieces of dung

. I support them and all but if you want to upgrade good luck.

Kuku Monk · Jun 17, 2005, 03:37 PM // 15:37

My biggest cost when I build a new computer is usually the freakin case. I'm sick of buying those things (Antec Soho-II Server Tower ~$115). The rest of the stuff I can get good deals on.

clairvoyance · Jun 17, 2005, 03:44 PM // 15:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Borealis

I crap on all pre-built systems.....no.....wait, I crap INSIDE them.

I could build a system that would destroy an alienware and save a ton doing it, have the parts shipped to me, assembled and into the game before the alienware even gets out of the factory.

The system I'm running now plays anything and everything it touches at max details, and I'll bet I didn't even pay 1/2 of what the alienware people have.....what do you have that a custom build comp. doesn't? Warranty.....aaaannnd? Oh yeah, thats it. I forgot.

Don't you get warranties of the individual parts you bought?

Morat · Jun 17, 2005, 03:50 PM // 15:50

I have a dell 9300 with 6800 Go graphics. Its one step down from the XPS mobile gaming (which has the 6800 Ultra Go) but doesn't have the stupid teenagers case.

It plays GW in 1920x1200 and full detail with no sweat at all, it gives a steady 60 FPS in EVE at the same res and everything on, and it even plays Lo-Mac with decent results (and thats the ultimate system killer).

If you want to build your own PC fine, more power to you. If you want to slag off Dells, you're wasting your time. They are superb systems and the top end ones are faaaaaaast.

Incognito · Jun 17, 2005, 04:09 PM // 16:09

I'd have to disagree with everyone who says Dell is crap, as I think they're quite good. If you can't build your own, I'm quite comfortable with recommending Dell to someone.

That being said, however, I personally build my own computers

. You can easily get a much "better" computer for less money that way. I think Alienware is great and all, but they're just overly expensive. Sure, when I built my current computer I didn't get a neato shiny alien green case, but I did get this awesome black 100% aluminum tower, with plenty of interior room and excellent airflow

.

Luggage · Jun 17, 2005, 04:34 PM // 16:34

I recommend DELL to every computer illiterater person ever asking me about what to get so they dont come bugging me if things flip.

Not having to service peoples computers for "free" is NICE.

For myself I would never buy one.

Divinitys Creature · Jun 17, 2005, 05:30 PM // 17:30

Can't wait until they modularise the components in laptops and make a few standards so you can build upgradeable laptops. PSU fine, mobo fine, screen fine, keyboard fine, graphics suxxor. Well at least some new laptops have the PCI express graphics card separate that offers a chance at upgrading, but I dunno how easy that is going to be to perform.

BrandonIT · Jun 17, 2005, 05:50 PM // 17:50

Yes, standardized component laptops will be nice if they ever get here.

As an I.T. professional, I recommend Dell to co-workers and family. After 5 years of supporting a Dell-only shop here, I will say their warranties and support can't be beat. Their prices aren't great, but if you're not building for the fastest PC, it doesn't matter.

As for myself, I've always built my PC's from scratch. And I've been doing that for 15+ years.