Suspicious power supply in this PC? Need second opinion please!

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EricTheRed

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Hi all,

http://

Was looking at this PC in my local store and it seems like a very good price for these specs. (keep in mind this is in Canada, so the prices will be higher than US). I want to purchase it for my son who wants a new PC for gaming, and I don't feel comfortable building somethng for him since it is a gift.

The only concern I have is that the power supply seems a bit weak for these specs (especially considering the video card and processor). When I went in store and spoke with the tech guy there, he said it is a silver certified PSU and it shouldn't be a problem at all. He said that it should be able to run 99% of games (including heavy stuff like Arma 3) on high/ultra settings. What do you guys think? is 300W too weak for these specs?

Link again incase top link doesn't work: http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/dell-dell-x8700-pc-intel-core-i7-4790-2tb-hdd-16gb-ram-nvidia-geforce-gtx-745-ddr3-graphics-windows-8-1-x8700-3131blk/10298741.aspx
 
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They are definitely wrong about about the performance of the video card.

Overall it is not too bad if you can find an alternate use for the included graphics card and power supply if it is not adequate.

It includes wireless functionality and all the necessary components of a computer and buying a comparable processor isn't cheap and it comes all pre-assembled.

Main thing is that future upgrades would require a new case to fit a powerful graphics card and to make installing new power supply easier since it will be bottom mounted.

I am used to buying complete system at USD $100 to $162 then popping in a $100 video card and a $30 power supply as well as switching it out to a $20 case. It is not bad for a system if you need it now but...
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EricTheRed

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Hmm OK. I didn't realize that. Can you give me an exmple of a card that is comparable to the GTX 745? From the research I did on it, it seemed like it was pretty good (good speeds and nice memory). What makes it "low power"?

Will it be able to run graphic-intensive games on high settings? (i.e. Arma 3, Skyrim, Far Cry 3, Battlefield 4)
 
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vagrancyx

vagrancyx

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You might find that building your own is more cost effective. Even if its a gift, what's the harm? It shows you put a lot of time and effort into it and it gives it a personal touch. I'd be stoked if my dad had built me a computer when I was younger.
 
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mrsweet1991

mrsweet1991

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I'd agree with the above, not only should it be cheaper but you could get a much better price/performance. Just let the guys know what you want to do on the PC and plenty of people will fly out recommendations for you and possibly links to the parts.
 
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vagrancyx

vagrancyx

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Here's one I threw together, its a bit higher over budget, but you could even scale it back to bring it in line with the cost of that setup.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KnfH7P
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KnfH7P/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.97 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($84.98 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 270X 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card ($249.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($55.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($94.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1027.34
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

This setup gives you a much better card as well as and SSD. While the processor drops from an i7 to an i5, you're not really losing that much unless your son does video editing/graphic design. The GPU is the biggest selling point in this build.
 
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Pondering

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I misread the 8 GB of RAM as 16 GB of RAM so I am not sure about my opinion anymore but the price is not bad if it will be more convenient for you but considering the price you can do better if you build it yourself due to the graphics card and power supply

here is a comparable mock up that has a better motherboard and graphics card:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790S 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($331.62 @ DirectCanada)
Motherboard: ASRock H81M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($56.00 @ Vuugo)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport XT 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($81.03 @ Amazon Canada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ Canada Computers)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 750 1GB Video Card ($99.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Zalman ZM-T1 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($24.99 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Cooler Master Elite Power 460W ATX Power Supply ($38.00 @ Vuugo)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Memory Express)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($104.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $836.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
 
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EricTheRed

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Thanks for your reply. So do you think the tech was incorrect when he said that it can play 99% of games on high/ultra settings 1080p? If the gaming performance is bad, I may consider another PC, or build my own.
 
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Pondering

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They are definitely wrong about about the performance of the video card.

Overall it is not too bad if you can find an alternate use for the included graphics card and power supply if it is not adequate.

It includes wireless functionality and all the necessary components of a computer and buying a comparable processor isn't cheap and it comes all pre-assembled.

Main thing is that future upgrades would require a new case to fit a powerful graphics card and to make installing new power supply easier since it will be bottom mounted.

I am used to buying complete system at USD $100 to $162 then popping in a $100 video card and a $30 power supply as well as switching it out to a $20 case. It is not bad for a system if you need it now but the graphics card is bad but the system would cost more if you were to customize on the dell website.
 
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EricTheRed

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Thanks all for your replies!

Just one last question then: I really appreciate all the help with getting me started to build a rig, but I just don't think I will have the time or know-how... My son is moving away soon back to school and I want to get him this PC ASAP.

Can you guys recommend a PC that I can buy (prebuilt) that will have similar specs to what is listed here in your recommendations? Any links to prebult PC's I can buy are appreciated (don't really care too much about the company, as long as it is reliable)
 
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vagrancyx

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You can take a look @

http://www.ncix.com/

their based in Canada, but like any custom PC shop, you're paying a premium for them to build it vs making it your own..so you'd probably have less performance than some of the builds that were posted here..although they'd still probably be better than the dell.
 
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Pondering

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http://pc.ncix.com/ncixpc_new/pcbuilderreconfig_new.cfm?id=10067 <-- hopefully the link works - it is the basic configuration - but you can customize it - this would be cheaper than buying the dell and upgrading necessary components

click on '+ Advanced Options' and select the proper vendor then click Search

This seems to be the best configuration for the price $1,052.76 includes $50 building fee but I have no idea about taxes. I went with no case lighting to save about $20 but I am not sure if the OS should be in French or English.

$1,052.76

1 x AMD FX-8320 8 Core Processor Socket AM3+ 3.5GHZ 16MB 125W Retail Box
1 x Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro REV.2 CPU Heatsink Cooler LGA1366 LGA1155 LGA1156 AM2 AM3 w/ 92MM Fan
1 x ASRock 960GM/U3S3 FX Micro ATX AM3+ Dual Channel DDR3 1xPCIe16 1xPCIe1 1XPCI 2XSATA3 *IR-$5.00*
1 x Kingston HyperX Fury Memory Black 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL10 Dual Channel Memory Kit
1 x ASUS Radeon R9 270X 1120MHZ 2GB 5.6GHZ GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Video Card
1 x Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 Tower Computer Case 2X5.25 6X3.5INT No PS Fan Controller & Front USB3
1 x XFX 550W PRO550W Core Edition Single Rail ATX 12V 44A 24PIN ATX Power Supply 80PLUS B *IR-$3.00*
1 x Microsoft Windows 8.1 64Bit English DVD OEM for NCIX PC
1 x Seagate ST1000DX001 SSHD 1TB 3.5in SATA3 64MB Cache Internal Solid State Hybrid Drive OEM
1 x ASUS DRW-24F1ST 24X SATA DVD Writer Black
 
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bignastyid

bignastyid

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The PSU in this build is a very poor choice. It's a tier 5 unit.
Tier five - Replace immediately. These units are NOT recommended for any system, no matter the purpose. Reference to higher tiered models for a better and potentially money-saving unit


A-TOP technology
Apevia
Apex (SUPERCASE/ALLIED)
Artic / Ace (They're the same company)
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Just PC
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MSi (just stick to their GPUs and motherboards)
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