To Buy -or- Build!

w00p

August 24, 2006 5:13:06 PM

<---- New to the forums. I am getting a lot of great and useful information from the various posts, I definitely appreciate it.

I do have a question though.

I am in the market for a new PC. I have around $4k to drop and wanted to get some ideas. My initial thought was to buy a Dell since I get 12% discount. The PC I build (XPS 700 - Black) had the 2.4 Core 2 processor, 2 GB Ram, 2 x 7900 GTX cards and the 24" Widescreen.

I was reading a few articles as well as the posts on these forums about DX10 and Vista and thought, maybe I should wait and not buy anything for a few months to see what happens! Problem is, I'm impatient. It's never a good trait to have with technology.

So, should I buy a Dell, build my own system (through like newegg or something like that), or wait and see what happens.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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joefriday

August 24, 2006 5:35:16 PM

Good question. Since you were thinking about the XPS 700, I would assume you're looking into a high end rig. If so, you can also check out the other "boutique" builders, such as Falcon Northwest, Alienware, Cyber Power PC, etc. When you're considering buying a high end PC from an OEM, it pays to shop around, as markups fluctuate a lot in this sector.

If you're well accustomed to building your own computer, you can save a lot of cash by building one yourself. The added bonus is that you get to choose exactly what it is you want in your computer, and nothing you don't want. Building your own is really the most economical choice for a high end rig. The only drawback is the lack of customer support when you build your own --- you are your own tech support team. If that's a big worry for you, then the boutique builders are the best way to go.

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towely

August 24, 2006 5:55:50 PM

I would most definately NOT drop 4k on a DELL. They are notorious for using second-rate proprietary components and filling your PC with bloatware.

I was also considering the xps700 but when I spoke to a sales rep who was unable to tell me ANY of the specifications regarding the components (i.e. the specs and brands of their HDDs, RAM, Mobo etc...) I realized that a high performance PC from Dell is an oxymoron of the highest order.

If you really dont want to build your own and are intent on dropping 4k on a computer thats gonna be obsolete in 18 months, any of the builders listed by joefriday are decent choices.

Just be aware that you can build one with the exact same components, or better, for around $1500 less.

Also, I don't reccoment 2x7900gtx, especially if youre only gaming on a 24" screen. A 7950 will be more that sufficient at almost half the price.

Hope this helps.

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