Build or Buy dont think I can beat this pre built deal?

[dos1986]

Hi guys getting a new pc for my sitting room,its going to be used as a Media Centre to watch dvds,downloading movies,medium gaming,internet etc..

Dell seem to have made a mistake with this pc and have taken it down already from uk site,here it is what do you think...

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E4300 Processor (1.80GHz,1066MHz,2MB cache)
Dell™ 19" Value Flat Panel (SE197FP) - UK/Irish
2048MB 533MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x1024]
250GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive with 8MB DataBurst™ cache
Integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3000
16X DVD+/-RW Drive
Windows Vista™ Home Premium - English
Collect & Return, 1 Year Service only
Dell™ Enhanced USB Multimedia Keyboard - UK/Irish (QWERTY)
Accessories
Integrated Audio with Dolby Digital 7.1 capability
Microsoft® Works 8.0 - English
Save Euro 50 ex VAT
€ 512.53 including shipping....

Dell.ie E Value code 305-D05E02a

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/epp/epp?c=ie&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ieepp1

Looks good to me and includes a 19" monitor and a decent multimedia keyboard Which I can sell on for at least €130 for both as I dont need them as I have a 32" Samsung Lcd Hdtv and bluetooth keyboard and mouse already..So that means the Rig will only cost me €380.

I think I would be hard pushed to get a similar pc on the two best homebuild websites in Ireland http://www.komplett.ie/k/k.aspx and http://www.dabs.ie/homepage.aspx for that price.

Should I go for it?

I will need a graphics card and havent really kept with the scene so what would be best for say €200,I was thinking 8800gts but it wont fit in the case as its a two slot card,so I am stuck between these 3

http://www.dabs.ie/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=49NJ&CategorySelectedId=11137&PageMode=1&NavigationKey=11137,402380000 Ati X1950Pro €147

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=334622 8800GTS €208

http://www.dabs.ie/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4B6Z&CategorySelectedId=11137&PageMode=1&NavigationKey=11137,397750000 7950GT €210

Im looking forward to Tomb Raider Anniversary and lost planet

 

[cutthroat]

I think you better make sure that the motherboard and PSU in that Dell PC can handle a PCI-E graphics card, wouldn't shock me a bit if the PSU is inadequate or didn't have a PCI-E power connector or the motherboard didn't even have a PCI-E slot.

And you are gonna need a good graphics card to power a 32" HDTV in high resolution.

 

[flasher702]

eh, it's really only the monitor that pushes that deal over the top. That's typical for a sale on a Dell system. Retail monitors have large markups on them I think.

As above check the PSU and PCIe slot and also: SPACE. Is there enough room in the case for a GFX card?

 

[dos1986]

Dell community forums have said the psu works fine with the 7900gs,7600gt,8600gt etc but doesnt have the power for bigger hitters like x1950 pro,8600gts etc so I am going to with below 7900gs..for €150

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-042-OK&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=358


It includes a pci slot but doesnt include wifi or a 6 pin pci connector..

So I am getting this pci network card..

http://www.dabs.ie/ProductView.aspx?Quicklinx=3119&CategorySelectedId=11175&PageMode=1&NavigationKey=11175%2c47500000%2c4294960297&InMerch=1

So total cost now €690 is including delivery

Intel Core™ 2 Duo E4300
2048MB 533MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x1024]
250GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive with 8MB DataBurst™ cache
Nvidia 7900GS
16X DVD+/-RW Drive
Windows Vista™ Home Premium
Dell™ 19" Value Flat Panel (SE197FP) - UK/Irish
Dell™ Enhanced USB Multimedia Keyboard - UK/Irish (QWERTY)

Im going to sell the monitor and keyboard for minimum €140 so the pc costs €550

 

[flasher702]

eh, the price went up and I wouldn't trust the "dell community forums". How much 12v amperage does the PSU provide? That's what you need to know.

 

[commanderspockep]

Whether you can beat that deal or not I'm not sure. But what I can tell you there is a sense of comfort knowing what exactly went into your computer if you build it. With a Dell you are taking that chance.

 

[delluser1]

eh, the price went up and I wouldn't trust the "dell community forums". How much 12v amperage does the PSU provide? That's what you need to know.

Why would you not trust the DCF? They are all about Dell.
The psu in question provides 22 amps on the +12 volt rails and the box has been modified by several people, ( who did not care about the warranty), to hold the 8800 GTS which they are powering with the stock psu and a molex adaptor.

 

[goldragon_70]

The point of a dell is not the price (normally), it's the warranty. Moding a dell will make you lose the warranty, or they won't do anything at all if it works in it's original configuration (because that was how it was built). Unless your lucky, you will fair better by building your own system, because you general Wind up with a better PC for about a $100 to $500 less.

 

[flasher702]

You should never trust anyone if you don't have to The amperage info was what you needed. Now you can calculate how much overhead you have left to power a GFX card off of. You don't want to push it too hard though as it is a low-cost PSU. Just because some people crammed an 8800GTS in there and reported back that it didn't catch on fire withing a few hours isn't enough evidence to suggest that it's a good idea. Check the specs for yourself and I would highly suggest not pushing the PSU too hard. Will the case accept a standard ATX PSU if you wanted to add one later?

22amps is a bit low and an e4300@stock isn't all that fast for gaming and they raised the price. :?

 

[brick88]

i wonder how long that computer would last under that stress. i work with dells all the time at my job and most only come with a 300watt psu. so basically every single time an app require hardware acceleration ur pushing an unknown brand psu to its limits. awesome investment.

 

[flasher702]

The point of a dell is not the price (normally), it's the warranty.

That and the fact that when you first get it you can set it up in <10minutes and it just *works*. After my last two builds I'm about ready to buy a Dell myself

 

[goldragon_70]

The point of a dell is not the price (normally), it's the warranty.

That and the fact that when you first get it you can set it up in <10minutes and it just *works*. After my last two builds I'm about ready to buy a Dell myself

Double that and that's how long it took for my last two builds to be ready for the OS.

 

[flasher702]

The point of a dell is not the price (normally), it's the warranty.

That and the fact that when you first get it you can set it up in <10minutes and it just *works*. After my last two builds I'm about ready to buy a Dell myself

Double that and that's how long it took for my last two builds to be ready for the OS.

..and then installing the OS. And if the OS was windows then installing drivers, then installing many many updates. And then you can think about actually using your PC. I love building PCs about as much as anyone but you don't need to exaggerate how little time it takes to do. When my relatives ask for PCs unless I have the hardware already on hand, and hopefully already put together I have a two-word response: "buy OEM". Saves me soooo much trouble. Unless you're OCing or customizing it's usually best to buy OEM. Dell doesn't seem to bother to make their systems un-upgradeable anymore (they used to do things like custom order motherboards with the AGP slot missing).

 

[goldragon_70]

The point of a dell is not the price (normally), it's the warranty.

That and the fact that when you first get it you can set it up in <10minutes and it just *works*. After my last two builds I'm about ready to buy a Dell myself

Double that and that's how long it took for my last two builds to be ready for the OS.

..and then installing the OS. And if the OS was windows then installing drivers, then installing many many updates. And then you can think about actually using your PC. I love building PCs about as much as anyone but you don't need to exaggerate how little time it takes to do. When my relatives ask for PCs unless I have the hardware already on hand, and hopefully already put together I have a two-word response: "buy OEM". Saves me soooo much trouble. Unless you're OCing or customizing it's usually best to buy OEM. Dell doesn't seem to bother to make their systems un-upgradeable anymore (they used to do things like custom order motherboards with the AGP slot missing).

With Dell you still have many many updates, plus with a home built you don't have all the crap that dell puts on there computers as trails. With me no matter what I would still be customizing the look and fell of the os and software.

With the Options lost, Dell is using fewer and fewer parts so they can save more money on the parts, buy buying larger bulk, plus they can keep some of the same hardware as technology changes.

With the Shipping, there is noway to know if your going to have to open your dell up when you get it, just to reset parts, and a few other parts. Or call in and get the bezels replaced.

 

[commanderspockep]

The point of a dell is not the price (normally), it's the warranty.

That and the fact that when you first get it you can set it up in <10minutes and it just *works*. After my last two builds I'm about ready to buy a Dell myself

My last build took 2 hours and then 10 minutes to "set up." I think that extra 2 hours was more than worth the hours and hours of troubleshooting a Dell in the long run.

 

[delluser1]

You should never trust anyone if you don't have to The amperage info was what you needed. Now you can calculate how much overhead you have left to power a GFX card off of. You don't want to push it too hard though as it is a low-cost PSU. Just because some people crammed an 8800GTS in there and reported back that it didn't catch on fire withing a few hours isn't enough evidence to suggest that it's a good idea. Check the specs for yourself and I would highly suggest not pushing the PSU too hard. Will the case accept a standard ATX PSU if you wanted to add one later?

22amps is a bit low and an e4300@stock isn't all that fast for gaming and they raised the price. :?

It was trust in the people here that led me to build my own.
I wouldn't advise using the GTS with the low power psu in the machine in question, but it is being done.
And, yes a standard ATX psu will fit, there will be a gap because Dell's psu is taller than normal.

 

[tm84p]

I wouldn't be surprised if it took 20 minutes to put a new computer together. It is pretty simple and straight forward, this goes here, that goes there, and voila! a new computer. Now the second part of the equation is getting the operating system installed. Since the Dell system isn't OC'ed, in a fair comparison we wouldn't OC a custom build. Sot he main difference then is installing Windows as opposed to going through whatever crap they have for you to "setup" your computer. Once you are up and running on both machines you are going to be installing the same stuff, i.e. Office, security programs, system monitoring programs etc. But the difference is with the custom build not only do you get exactly the specs you wanted but you also get the satisfaction of having a computer you really like and you don't have to deal with all the crapware that all computer companies put on prebuilds. I have had prebuilds all my life and I have gotten so sick of them I am finally building one from scratch, just so I can get exactly the specs I want, and nothing I don't want!

 

[jitpublisher]

I agree with you. It doesn't take long to put a PC together from scratch. From boxes of new parts to up and running with new OS, connect to the internet, download and install all the latest drivers for your hardware, about 2-3 hours is probably a normal time. Yeah, yeah people say they can do it faster, but to get everything installed/running and tweaked, it'll take you that long for a complete build.
For me as well, the thing I hate most is the tons of bloatware that prebuilt systems have on them. And no retail OS system disc! If you need to format or reinstall the OS, you have to use that restore disc they come with which puts everything back the way it was new, bloatware and all. I would a least go out and buy a retail version of Windows if I ever purchased a prebuilt, format the thing, and reinstall the OS from scratch anyway.
So, there goes another $200.

 

[Gneisenau]

Jeeze, it take me longer than 20 min just to unpack all the parts, then I have to check they are all there, then i can start assembling the computer. I've built 3 of my last 4 desktop computers. I have to say it has never taken me less then several hours to get the thing together, all the cables tied back, and the hardrive preped and the OS loaded. I figure if I start on a Saturday morning, I will have the machine sitting at it's desktop sometime late Saturday afternoon or evening. Keep in mind, I only build my own machines so I get little practice. I'm sure those of you who build them often can do it much faster, but I have to think about it as I build it, make sure everything fits, double check everything, then check everything again one last time before I flip on the power. Even then I worry that maybe I have chosen a couple of components that don't want to play nice together.

 

[goldragon_70]

Jeeze, it take me longer than 20 min just to unpack all the parts, then I have to check they are all there, then i can start assembling the computer. I've built 3 of my last 4 desktop computers. I have to say it has never taken me less then several hours to get the thing together, all the cables tied back, and the hardrive preped and the OS loaded. I figure if I start on a Saturday morning, I will have the machine sitting at it's desktop sometime late Saturday afternoon or evening. Keep in mind, I only build my own machines so I get little practice. I'm sure those of you who build them often can do it much faster, but I have to think about it as I build it, make sure everything fits, double check everything, then check everything again one last time before I flip on the power. Even then I worry that maybe I have chosen a couple of components that don't want to play nice together.

I would like to point out that with the unpacking and check you need to do that with a dell anyways, there is not telling what shipping will do to your system, and if you are missing things. And you would be better off managing the cables, because Dell ties back the cables to get them out of the way, not for airflow. With a prebuilt You will have the problems of building the system, usually taken up by something else.

 

[shadowmaster625]

You can beat that prebuilt deal. And you wont have to deal with Vista!

x2 3600 60
mobo 55 link
2G ram 85 link
X1950Pro 150
PSU 50
Case 50
HDD 70
DVDRW 30

$550, which is about 400 euros, which is what you'd be paying after you subtract the monitor. BUT you'd be getting a video card! All you'd need to do is pull a copy of WinXP MCE out of your wazoo and you'll be set. Ok so you wont be saving very much money, but a $50 case and a $50 PSU are much better than what Dell is going to give you! (Good luck installing a 8800 in a Dell!) And dealing with an oem Vista? blech!

 

[commanderspockep]

For me as well, the thing I hate most is the tons of bloatware that prebuilt systems have on them. And no retail OS system disc! If you need to format or reinstall the OS, you have to use that restore disc they come with which puts everything back the way it was new, bloatware and all.

Yeah uninstalling that bloatware may take 1 or 2 hours by itself. Unless you like bloatware. I would say unless you really really hate dealing with computer parts, go with the home build.

 

[piratepast40]

Keep in mind that part of the reason people build their own is for the fun and mental stimulation it provides. If it isn't fun anymore, if you can't justify the time expendature, or don't feel the performance difference is worth the effort then it may be time for a prebuilt. You're going to have the time involved in loading and customizing your software and updates if it's a homebuilt or prebuilt.

Let's face it, customizing and building is fun but like a custom built or self modified car, it's no fun if it breaks down on the way to work in the rain!

 

[Gary_Busey]

In general, it's cheaper to buy a premade computer from Dell or Gateway once you consider the cost of the screen, keyboard/mouse, speakers and OS/software packages that are included with prebuilt computers. Whenever someone asks me which would be cheapers, I usually say prebuilt. I don't build my own computers because it's cheaper though, I do it because it's fun, upgrading is easier, and I like customizing.

 

[Gneisenau]

Oh, you are right there. I was just pointing out that 20 min for building a computer was a wee bit on the light side for a lot of us. I usually reserve buying prebuilts to times when there are major shifts and there seems to be a lot of confusion and compatibility issues like there were when C2D came out. I remember all the posts where people had to install an older CPU to flash the BIOSs up to work with C2D. I wasn't able to do that kind of stuff and didn't want to mess with it. Time was not on my side then.

And there are people who just don't have a lot of time for research, assemble, or troubleshooting, or figure their time is worth a lot of money, just don't know what they are doing. For these people pre-builts make a lot of sense.

On my last one, I didn't feel I understood all the issues enough, nor did I have time to do the necessary research myself to get a computer in place and working before my existing one shot craps. (As it turned out, it went kaput just under 4 hours after I set up my new system. I guess some days you just get lucky.)