Guest Guest Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 If you don't want to deal with building your own, buy a Dell. If you don't know the difference between PCI, AGP and SDRAM, buy a Dell. If your budget is very tight, buy a Dell. If your budget is some what generous and you know the answer to question two, consider building your own. You can no longer build your own from scratch for less than buying a Dell, or several other vendors actually. I've purchased several hundred Dell PCs and laptops over the last 2 or 3 years and can count on one hand the number that I have had to call for service on. Dell also has a good warranty. I also have hands on experience with HP, Compaq, and IBM. I wouldn't wish those brands on anyone. The big advantage of build your own over buying brand name is that it easier to upgrade if you build your own. Motherboards and cpu's in brand name pc's can be difficult to replace if not impossible. In a build your own the motherboard and cpu's are standard equipment you can buy anywhere and replace. Just my $.02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fires Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 I own 3 Dell Desktops, and a Laptop. Happy with all of them. I would stay away from the lower end Dell like the Dimension 3000, not because of quality, but because you're limited to future upgrade options. Go with the 4700, or 8400. If you plan on doing gaming make sure you get a good video card, at least 128 mb, and a sound card instead of onboard sound. At least 512mb of Ram helps too. If you plan on doing graphics, the 512 Ram will help with that too. One thing I go by when I get a new machine is Speed. Like a 3.2 vs a 2.8, go withe the 3.2. Almost everything else can be upgraded by you in the future, but the Motherboard/CPU will always be the same, so get as big as you can afford. Heres a good site with some decent Dell deals. Techbargains.com Dell Deals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
udonkey Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Dell all the way... I'm currently typing from my: Dimension 2350 P4 - 2.6ghz 256mb RAM About 3" to my right is my: Latitude D600 (company computer) Pentium M - 1.6ghz 1024mb RAM Love them both... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yankeedawg Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 One thing you need to know about Dell is that they use certain proprietary (Non Standard) components in their machines. If your Power Supply goes out you can't just run down to Radio Shack and buy a replacement plus Dell will not sell you replacement parts, you will have to send the machine back to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark VI Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 I had a virus on my Dell and they were able to walk me through it over the phone, free. For games, buy the 4800 or above. The PC's work great and the price is so cheap. I love mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Info Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 I did a component comparison between Dell and H-P for laptops and you get more bang for your buck with the latter. This is comparing the off-the-shelf systems. For example, the H-P (or Compaqs) came standard with 512 M memory and 60 G hard drives. Those were upgrades with comparable Dell systems. I got a 15" screen, DVD writer, Video is NVIDIA GeForce 4 440 Go with 64MB DDR, AMD Athlon 64 3200 processor, IEEE 1394 port, and it even included an old-timey parallel port for $1267 (parallel and serial ports are non-standard on current systems). You can't get that much for that price at Dell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gross Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 One thing you need to know about Dell is that they use certain proprietary (Non Standard) components in their machines. If your Power Supply goes out you can't just run down to Radio Shack and buy a replacement plus Dell will not sell you replacement parts, you will have to send the machine back to them. 122728[/snapback] That is a downside to any "manufactured" computer (Dell, IBM, HP/Compaq, etc) , and an upside to home-built PC's. Upgradability, though not as big an issue any more with manufactured computers, can be an issue with them as well. You always have to look up compatibility to make sure that whatever you want to buy to add to the systems (sound cards, video cards, etc) will actually work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 One thing you need to know about Dell is that they use certain proprietary (Non Standard) components in their machines. If your Power Supply goes out you can't just run down to Radio Shack and buy a replacement plus Dell will not sell you replacement parts, you will have to send the machine back to them. 122728[/snapback] Nothing could be further from the truth. Dell uses NO proprietary internal components. With the exception of their cases, there is nothing strictly manufactured by Dell. They simply buy industry standard components in bulk at significant discounts and eliminate the middle man from the equation, saving their customers a ton of money. Dell is also more than happy to sell you replacement parts. Dell Support Web Page . If you know your service tag number, you simply put it in and select "parts" from the drop down menu. It comes up with a litany of components. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Laptops are a completely different animal than desktops, but just my $.02. Run as fast as possible from the HP/Compaq two headed giant. Company I work for switched from Dell to HP/Compaq laptops 9 months ago. Nothing but problems, almost a 50% failure rate on nearly 100 machines in the 6 months they were the standard. 2 months ago they standardized on IBM laptops. Having used Dell, compaq and IBM laptops over the last 6 months, IBM is the best. Very little case flex, metal hinges, screens are brighter, laptop is quieter, cool little light on top of the screen. However, it also costs several hundred dollars more for a comparable system. Ok so the cool little light adds no value, but it is still cool. I did a component comparison between Dell and H-P for laptops and you get more bang for your buck with the latter. This is comparing the off-the-shelf systems.For example, the H-P (or Compaqs) came standard with 512 M memory and 60 G hard drives. Those were upgrades with comparable Dell systems. I got a 15" screen, DVD writer, Video is NVIDIA GeForce 4 440 Go with 64MB DDR, AMD Athlon 64 3200 processor, IEEE 1394 port, and it even included an old-timey parallel port for $1267 (parallel and serial ports are non-standard on current systems). You can't get that much for that price at Dell. 122814[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 I did a component comparison between Dell and H-P for laptops and you get more bang for your buck with the latter. This is comparing the off-the-shelf systems.For example, the H-P (or Compaqs) came standard with 512 M memory and 60 G hard drives. Those were upgrades with comparable Dell systems. I got a 15" screen, DVD writer, Video is NVIDIA GeForce 4 440 Go with 64MB DDR, AMD Athlon 64 3200 processor, IEEE 1394 port, and it even included an old-timey parallel port for $1267 (parallel and serial ports are non-standard on current systems). You can't get that much for that price at Dell. 122814[/snapback] Wanna bet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Info Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Wanna bet? 123329[/snapback] Sure, I did the research to prove it. Find me a Dell laptop with 512 M, 60 G drive, a 1394 port, a DVD +R/W, and a processor equivalent to the Athlon 64 3200 for less than $1300. I'll even forget about the parallel port and the superior video. Actually, I don't believe you'll be able to find a new Dell laptop with all of that for less than $1500. And I got free shipping, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Sure, I did the research to prove it. Find me a Dell laptop with 512 M, 60 G drive, a 1394 port, a DVD +R/W, and a processor equivalent to the Athlon 64 3200 for less than $1300. I'll even forget about the parallel port and the superior video. Actually, I don't believe you'll be able to find a new Dell laptop with all of that for less than $1500. And I got free shipping, too. 124212[/snapback] Just last week they had the 9200 (17.1" wide screen/128 MB Radeon 9700/DVI/1394/S-Video) in a similiar configuration for $1274 with free shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Info Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Just last week they had the 9200 (17.1" wide screen/128 MB Radeon 9700/DVI/1394/S-Video) in a similiar configuration for $1274 with free shipping. 124222[/snapback] Not that similar - That 9200 configuration/price you are quoting has half the RAM (256), a smaller disk (40 vs 60 M), the DVD was read only, & the Athlon 64 3200, by all specs, is superior to the Intel 4 that is in the 9200. Especially, when considering present and future 64-bit enhancements. The screen is bigger on the 9200 but the DVD writer, not even considering the additional RAM, larger disk, and better processor, is the big difference when comparing value at similar cost. I am willing to bet that the majority of people would pick more RAM, a larger disk, a better processor, and a writeable DVD over having a 17" screen vs. 15.1". That's the difference. More bang for the buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mead107 Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 wish i had more RAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Info Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 wish i had more RAM 124990[/snapback] Exactly!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Not that similar - That 9200 configuration/price you are quoting has half the RAM (256), a smaller disk (40 vs 60 M), the DVD was read only, & the Athlon 64 3200, by all specs, is superior to the Intel 4 that is in the 9200. Especially, when considering present and future 64-bit enhancements. The screen is bigger on the 9200 but the DVD writer, not even considering the additional RAM, larger disk, and better processor, is the big difference when comparing value at similar cost. I am willing to bet that the majority of people would pick more RAM, a larger disk, a better processor, and a writeable DVD over having a 17" screen vs. 15.1". That's the difference. More bang for the buck. 124987[/snapback] I'd disagree -- the 17" is MUCH more valuable; RAM is cheap to upgrade, nobody'll notice the speed difference in the processor despite what the benchmarks will say, and the larger disk on a laptop isn't that big a deal unless you're using it as a desktop replacement (in which case you'd DEFINATELY want the 17" monitor portion...). I'm vendor-agnostic, but given the specs I'd rather take the Dell and spend $75 to upgrade the RAM to 512M. For the record, I have a Dell server (400SC running my webserver, backup server, etc), a Compaq workstation (SP750; dual Xeon 1Ghz, plus other goodies, was an awesome box at the time), and a Dell laptop. No problems with any of the three. I find the post stating that there was a 50% failure rate on HP laptops to be extremely misleading if not outright untrue. Most PCs nowadays are robust. That said, I'm looking at building my own in the next few months. However, that's because I'm looking at a dual-Opteron setup and that type of box is marked up quite a bit by the vendors. CW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Info Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 I'd disagree -- the 17" is MUCH more valuable; RAM is cheap to upgrade, nobody'll notice the speed difference in the processor despite what the benchmarks will say, and the larger disk on a laptop isn't that big a deal unless you're using it as a desktop replacement (in which case you'd DEFINATELY want the 17" monitor portion...). I'm vendor-agnostic, but given the specs I'd rather take the Dell and spend $75 to upgrade the RAM to 512M. CW 125018[/snapback] You do not mention of the DVD writer. There is still a good difference in price between DVD R and DVD WR devices. We'll ignore the fact that you may have a desktop with a DVD writer or that I may have a 21" monitor to connect to the laptop. My point is that you get more bang for the $. Nothing against Dell - I know lots of people that are happy with them. But they're not the price leader among the big guys as a lot of people believe. Depends which apps you run regarding the processor. However, within the next 1-2 years you'll notice the difference if you plan on using any 64-bit apps. I expect the laptop to be productive for 2-3 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Not that similar - That 9200 configuration/price you are quoting has half the RAM (256), a smaller disk (40 vs 60 M), the DVD was read only, & the Athlon 64 3200, by all specs, is superior to the Intel 4 that is in the 9200. Especially, when considering present and future 64-bit enhancements. The screen is bigger on the 9200 but the DVD writer, not even considering the additional RAM, larger disk, and better processor, is the big difference when comparing value at similar cost. I am willing to bet that the majority of people would pick more RAM, a larger disk, a better processor, and a writeable DVD over having a 17" screen vs. 15.1". That's the difference. More bang for the buck. 124987[/snapback] Except it didn't have half the RAM, it had 512MB. The upgrade to 60GB is $20. As for the AMD being a better processor, that's nothing more than opinion. The market certainly doesn't agree with you. Buying a computer based on possible future enhancements is a recipe for disaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Except it didn't have half the RAM, it had 512MB. The upgrade to 60GB is $20. As for the AMD being a better processor, that's nothing more than opinion. The market certainly doesn't agree with you. Buying a computer based on possible future enhancements is a recipe for disaster. 125145[/snapback] I agree on the CPU thing; while I generally do prefer AMD (because I like supporting the "little guy,") they both have different strengths and weaknesses. For example, the Intel chip generally scores better on video rendering benchmarks. I personally doubt that there will be many 64-bit Windows apps in the 2-3 year timeframe. I could be wrong (and hope that I am), but until MS releases 64-bit Windows (mainstream), you can't run 64-bit apps. So who's going to rush to recompile their apps until the OS becomes mainstream? Now if you're running Linux/BSD/Solaris, that's a different story. CW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Info Posted November 19, 2004 Share Posted November 19, 2004 Except it didn't have half the RAM, it had 512MB. The upgrade to 60GB is $20. As for the AMD being a better processor, that's nothing more than opinion. The market certainly doesn't agree with you. Buying a computer based on possible future enhancements is a recipe for disaster. 125145[/snapback] Wrong again - Below are the links - current as of 1:45 pm on 11/19. List - no rebates, shipping, etc. (both vendors have those specials). These are stock systems - non-customized to provide with a fair comparison. Dell Inspiron 9200 $1,569 (256m RAM) HP Compaq Presario R3320 $1,479 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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