Dell XPS 8500 desktop build, help needed please

[cookiecrumbles]

I know that buying a Dell is probably akin to heresy, but my old PC died and right now I'm using an ancient one with a 1.1ghz processor...basically, I just need to get a decent PC asap, and worry about building my first computer at a later date.

So, I am looking at Dell's website, and debating myself about what to get. Although in recent times, my activities are confined to general computer/internet use, including video streaming, I do enjoy a limited selection of games, particularly MS Flight Sim... I will admit that there is a possibility of my gaming interests expanding in the near future, but it's very unlikely to be anything of a hardcore nature whatsoever.

BOTTOM LINE? I just want a computer that will be Ultra-fast and smooth for general use, and will also reasonably impress me for the limited gaming interests outlined above.

For the processor, I can choose between the i5 3450 (up to 3.5) or the I7 3770 (up to 3.9).

And here are the graphics options:

NVIDIA GeForce GT 620 1GB DDR3 for Win 8 [Included in Price]

AMD Radeon™ HD 7570 1GB GDDR5 for Win 8 [add $50.00]

NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 640 1GB GDDR5 [add $125.00]

AMD Radeon HD 7770 [add $200.00]


Right now I'm leaning towards the I7 and the Radeon HD 7570... I suppose it is possible for me to shell out an extra $150 for the 7770 but only if the difference will be *extreme*

Also, how much RAM should I get? the choices are 8, 12, and 16 gb.


Let's say you compare the low end of everything above, to the high end of everything above....with general computer use, will you even notice a difference at all? And how much of a diff. will you notice when gaming?

Thanks in advance for the input

 

[iceclock]

whats ur budget for a new pc, a custom build would be better and faster for ur money

 

[budkow]

I'm sending this reply from my XPS 8500. I got the i7-3770, 12GB RAM and the GT 640.

The i7 is awesome, but the i5 is no slouch. It's sort of mixed for which way to go, but I figured I would just get the i7 and not worry about upgrading it anytime soon.

The GT 640 is garbage. I don't do any gaming, so it works for me, but really you're probably best with getting the cheapest one you can get from Dell and replacing it with something else at home. It also comes down to connections, I needed dual high-res monitor support, so the 640 works fine for that.

Get 12GB of RAM IMHO.

Personally I've owned a number of Dell computers and a number of home built, and have never had a problem with a Dell that wasn't OS related.

Whether you should get the lower end vs higher end is up to your budget. You'll be absolutely fine with the i5-3450, but if you can swing it now, you'll be happier getting the better stuff.