Time for a new computer..

Django606 · Dec 1, 2006

How does this sound to you guys?

Pentium® D Processor 805 with Dual Core Technology (2.66GHz, 533FSB)
Genuine Windows® XP Media Center 2005 Edition
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs
160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache
16X DVD ROM Drive
256MB nVidia Geforce 7300LE TurboCache
Dell A525 30 Watt 2.1 Stereo Speakers with Subwoofer
Dell USB Keyboard and Dell 2-button Scroll Mouse
3.5 in Floppy Drive
56K PCI Data Fax Modem

For $815. Yes, no? Good graphics card? How will it run current games?

Also, would I be better off with a single processor of 3.06 GHz, or this dual processor with 2.66 GHz? That means I'm getting 5.2 GHz in all with the duo, right? Or is that not how it works?

Thanks in advance.

rebeltf · Dec 1, 2006

Cant answer the dual processor question but IMO I would nix that and go with an Nforce board with SLI capabilities , then get two of those Geforce cards and hook 'em up , you will SMOKE.
I think if you're going for a gaming box then skip the dual processor's , those dont matter as much as your GPU and sys ram does.

Just my 1.3 cents....

phatch · Dec 1, 2006

At this moment, Dual core means very little. Windows and the software for it aren't mulit core aware. Some few apps are. That will change SOON, games included. For the life of the computer, it's worth dual core now. Quad core will be out by end of 2007.

Video card is adequate. If you want to game, it's worth getting an SLI board. You don't have to buy the extra video card now, but getting one that uses the same architecture as Dell uses might be hard in the future so that your SLI will work. If you want SLI from a Dell box, I think you should buy both video cards at purchase.

Your speakers are wimpy and the onboard audio probably is too. That's pretty easy to upgrade over time. I'm using onboard audio. I bought a new wireless mouse and it intereferes with the onboard audio making a scratchy sound through the speakers when I move the mouse. Thre's lots of noise on the motherboard so good sound usually comes best through a dedicated sound card.

You absolutely must buy a DVD burner. They're cheap. And backing up your big drive on CD will drive you insane.

J. MacDonald · Dec 1, 2006

Also, don't forget that Windows Vista is scheduled to launch in a bit over 30 days. Make sure all your parts are Vista compliant as that will be the OS of choice in the Windows world for the next five years. Many better vendors are offering a free, or greatly discounted Vista upgrade for systems purchased now.

Django606 · Dec 1, 2006

Thanks for the responses. Could any of you make a list of suggested components from a website like www.newegg.com? That would be really, really helpful. I wouldn't be sure if everything was compatible, if I was missing something, and you guys seem to know a lot more about GFX cards etc. than I do. Would anyone be willing to do this for me? I want to try and spend <$1000, preferably less than $900.

Thanks.

fulloflead · Dec 1, 2006

Sounds awesome.

Now-a-days I recommend laptops for everyone. There's hardly a reason to buy a desktop anymore.

I just bought a SUPER nice ThinkPad with lots extras all the 3-year Warranties for $1600 that's upgradable and will last me more than 5 years.

Wireless internet in your home and a nice laptop for everyone living there is the only way to go now-a-days IMHO.

.

Django606 · Dec 1, 2006

I've posted this on another board, and have gotten very negative responses. They claim that processor is no good, that the LE in the GFX card stands for "le suck", and that the TurboCache is a really, really bad feature.

Are they just biased against Dell, or is this really not the greatest machine for the money?

PerformanceFirst · Dec 2, 2006

I think the E521 here is better:

http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/hot_offers_dt?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

If you want something high end though, definitely get a Core 2 Duo. The 7300 is at the low end of Nvidia's current lineup. Nvidia is about to release a DX10 video card with Vista coming so that might be something to think about.

Django606 · Dec 2, 2006

I checked out the 521, and I came up with this:

AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core 4200+
Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs
250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
16x DVD+/-RW Drive
256MB ATI Radeon X1300 Pro
Integrated Sound Blaster®Audigy™ HD Software Edition
3.5 in Floppy Drive
Dell A225 Speakers

For only fifteen dollars more.

Any comments on the processor or graphics card? What Intel processor is the AMD comparable to? How about the gfx card? Notice that for only $15 more I'm getting a 250 GB HDD instead of a 160 GB, and better sound, and a DVD RW drive. DVD-RW drives can play CDs, burn CDs, play DVDs, and burn DVDs, right? So I only need that one drive?

Bob W · Dec 2, 2006

Now-a-days I recommend laptops for everyone. There's hardly a reason to buy a desktop anymore.

I disagree. The "integrated" componts (sound card, graphics card, etc.) found on laptops are poor substitutes for the real thing. Of course there are high-end laptops that offer reasonable performance, but the prices are astronomical compared to a similarly-performing desktop. Additionally, upgrades and replacement parts for laptops are very expensive and/or not available.

DVD-RW drives can play CDs, burn CDs, play DVDs, and burn DVDs, right? So I only need that one drive?

Correct. Many users do prefer multiple drives though, one that's read only and one for recording.

Are they just biased against Dell, or is this really not the greatest machine for the money?

Hard to say. Many (most?) online computer forums are build-your-own centric, and generally frown upon storebought computers. Buying a bargain-priced machine, it would be very difficult to compete with Dell's advertised bottom-end specials. But for high-end machines, Dell charges a huge premium. The computer I just built cost just over $2,000; Dell wanted $3,800 for a computer with the same specs.

-Bob

Bob W · Dec 2, 2006

Could any of you make a list of suggested components...

Just for kicks:
Case, $35 after rebate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119077
Power supply, $100: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817371002
Motherboard, $155 after rebate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130051
Processor, $218: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115004
Memory, $210: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820144157
Hard Drive, $57: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148103
DVD-RW drive, $30: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106013
Sound card, $50: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102011
Graphics card, $110 after rebate: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130062

Total, $965. I just threw that together in five minutes - there are cheaper alternatives for almost everything listed, and every one of these items can be upgraded, now or in the future.

Of course I've missed a few things too - speakers, monitor, mouse, keyboard, and floppy drive. And I can't promise that each and every one those components is compatible - I didn't research each item.

-Bob

Django606 · Dec 2, 2006

Thanks Bob. I currently have a wireless keyboard and mouse, so I would just use those, as well as a monitor.

So how does that machine compare to the dell, for about $150 more?

Bob W · Dec 2, 2006

So how does that machine compare to the dell, for about $150 more?

The primary difference is probably the processor. Even the low-end Duo Core 2 (E6400) spanks either of the processors you've listed above. Here are some CPU charts that compare nearly every processor on the market today:
http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html

I currently have a wireless keyboard and mouse, so I would just use those, as well as a monitor.

Excellent. That'll save you big bucks, and allow you to spend your full budget on the important parts. You can also use the sound card (if equipped) and floppy drive from your current computer.

Here's a great article on building a $1000 computer. It was written in October, so the component discussions and pricing should be fairly accurate and up-to-date.
http://www.anandtech.com/guides/showdoc.aspx?i=2861

It helps to plan the build with a logical and organized approach. First, figure out what exactly you need the computer for (gaming, office and internet, video editing, etc.), then figure out your budget (you're done that), then shop for components that will best match your needs while staying in your budget.

Here's the order that I used to select components:
1) Processor that best matched my needs
2) Motherboard, best one compatible with selected processor
3) RAM, selecting the brand and type known to work well with selected motherboard
4) Graphic card - compatible with selected motherboard that best utilizes the overall system capability
5) Hard drives (size, number, SATA or IDE) to connect to selected motherboard
5) The 'toys'. DVD drive, sound card, floppy, etc.
6) case and power supply. Case must be same "form factor" as the motherboard, and power supply must be sufficient for all of the planned components.

Best Wishes,
-Bob

rebeltf · Dec 2, 2006

A note.

If you're going to buy a Dell , see if it still uses propietary RAM , if so I would heartily recommend against that. There are few things worse in the world of PC's than propietary components, IMO.

I checked out the 521, and I came up with this:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4200+
Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs
250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache
16x DVD+/-RW Drive
256MB ATI Radeon X1300 Pro
Integrated Sound Blaster®Audigy HD Software Edition
3.5 in Floppy Drive
Dell A225 Speakers

For only fifteen dollars more.

Any comments on the processor or graphics card? What Intel processor is the AMD comparable to? How about the gfx card? Notice that for only $15 more I'm getting a 250 GB HDD instead of a 160 GB, and better sound, and a DVD RW drive. DVD-RW drives can play CDs, burn CDs, play DVDs, and burn DVDs, right? So I only need that one drive?

Not a bad system but I'm a nvidia fan. The Intel vs AMD arguement is subjective to who you talk to or what forum you visit , both make fine product.
Onboard sound is okay for now , nearly all onboard sound is 4.1 or better these days not to mention dolby or EAX compliant , however my onboard sound took a crap after about 6 months and I went to a nice Creative card with some Logitech 5.1's , the sound is excellent IMO.
Also IMO it is silly to spend high dollar on sound for your PC , unless you are upgrading from a 16 bit card and unpowered speakers , you just not going to tell that much of a difference. Sound depends on so many factors , if it's music , what bitrate was it recorded at ? and so on and so forth.... So IMO sound is relative , don't overspend.
If I was going to overspend it would be on the vid card , the Geforce 8800 is a smoking card !! but it aint cheap

and you best have at least a 400 watt power supply and adequet cooling.

Like BobW showed , shopping online in places like Tiger Direct can save you big big bucks !

the only drawback is , if something is an out of box failure or takes a shit in a few weeks then you have to send it back and wait for your replacement to arrive , if the failure is something like a vid card then you're SOL until you get your replacement , unless of course you choose the "CompUSA rental route"

PerformanceFirst · Dec 2, 2006

If you are going to buy from Dell, don't buy stuff like RAM or video cards from them. It kills the deal. I wasn't aware that you don't want a monitor. That's also one of the perks of that E521 deal.

So, I'd really just pass and build your own. Hard Drives can be had very cheap (I just got a 100 GB from Office Depot for $20) in stores. For video cards, you can get an Nvidia 7600 or 7800 of some sort for around $150. Most computer speakers are crap so I wouldn't sweat onboard sound. If you decide to build, definitely go with a Core 2 Duo. Like BobW said, they're awesome, and you can't really get them cheap in store bought computers as they are new.

Django606 · Dec 2, 2006

rebeltf · Dec 2, 2006

Looks good so far , I would switch to a Seagate HD though.
And consider a Nforce mainboard , although the one you have is not bad.
Also , I'm a amatuer sound nut , I would go for a SB live and some decent speakers , if that matters to you.

ErikD · Dec 2, 2006

Why two optical drives? Could save a bit there unless there is a real need for them. You could also use one from your current PC if you want.

The case isn't the best, but should be fine. My biggest problem with the cheaper cases has been they can be a bit of a pain to get all assembled. That one looks pretty good though.

Also I would opt for a Seagate drive, they offer a similiar one at the same price with Perpendicular recording. Generally the hard drive is the slowest link in a computer, and the Seagate drives perform just a bit better than the WD. WD is a good company too though, haven't had any major problems from either maker.

Why did you pick an Intel board? There is no problem with them, but if I am building a PC myself I will usually go with an aftermarket compnay as they offer more options.

Django606 · Dec 2, 2006

I'm not really sure about the motherboard, but I'll check out the Seagate hard drives. Could you reccommend a good mobo that is compatible with my case, processor, etc.?

Ok, I switched out that HD for this one:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822148140

$20 more, but apparentally the Seagate version of the same HD I had before loads slowly for some reason.

UnknownVT · Dec 2, 2006

Django606 said:
For $815. Yes, no? Good graphics card? How will it run current games?

UnknownVT said:
For a great overview of the current processors all the way from budget to some of the top of the line - please take a look at --

The Mother of All CPU Charts 2005/2006 at Tom's Hardware

This looks like a pretty comprehensive comparison with numerous benchmarks.

This is out of date -
for a current comparison of the top CPUs also at Tom's Hardware -

http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html

--
Vincent
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