Dell v. Sanji Build?

[PwrSerge]

I am trying to decide whether to buy a Dell E521 from the Dell outlet, or build my own computer. I want to spend around $325. The computer would be used for Photoshop, Flash and some light gaming -- Rome: Total War in particular. The cheap AMD build Sanji described looked like a good option. (Sanji's Guide to Gaming PCs on a Budget)

The $300 Dell E521 Specs are:

-- AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (2.0GHz)
-- 512 MB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz (1 DIMM)
-- 80 GB EIDE SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
-- 48X CD RW/DVD Combo Drive, and
-- Integrated NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE GPU

Does this seem like a reasonable system for $300, or should I build my own to ensure I get the most bang for my buck?

 

[skyguy]

Sanji's FTW!

Pretty much same CPU, but double the RAM and a better graphics card (compared to Dell's onboard). Plus a DVD burner, not a DVD ROM.

Sanji's suggestion is FAR better.


ON a completely unrelated sidenote, how did that Overclockers Canucks banner get attached to my post(s)? It's not in my sig, that's for sure. Tom's in-forum, in-post advertising? Getting creative for the advert dollars or WHAT? 8O

 

[eckre]

yeah, and uh, you're asking in the wrong areana is you are pro-dell. pretty much everyone here is dedicated to building their own crap. but does the non-dell come with OS? it's amazing how cheap that dell is. .. .

 

[Mondoman]

.... I want to spend around $325. The computer would be used for Photoshop, ...?

Unless I'm missing something, you'll want (1) tons of RAM (2GB minimum, 3GB better) for Photoshop, and (2) a nice big hard disk (you can get 320GB for $80), and (3) a more powerful CPU.
I'd at least double your budget if you really want to use Photoshop.

 

[sanjiwatsuki]

Yay! My build is getting praised.

Be sure to remember the operating system.

Granted, there are a few "pirate" ways to run Windows XP and there is always Linux, but Dell has the OS.

Keep that in mind.

 

[PwrSerge]

I've been checking in Dell's outlet section. I've found e521's for as low as $219. One of the main appeals for me was the OS included.