[Edit] Is this a good price for a Dell comp and also are Dell comp's good. check plz.

[endlessPRO]

I want to get a Dell Computer since I customized one online and came around 1k but I wanted to know your opinion if dell computers are worth getting.


Dell Dimension E521 AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core 4200+

Operating System Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005

Memory 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs

Keyboard and Mouse Bundles Dell USB Keyboard and Dell 2-button Scroll Mouse

Monitor 19 inch E197FP Analog Flat Panel

Video Card 256MB ATI Radeon X1300 Pro

Hard Drive 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™

Floppy Drive and Media Reader No Floppy Drive Included

Mouse Mouse included in Wireless, Laser or Bluetooth Package

Network Interface Integrated 10/100 Ethernet

Modem 56K PCI Data Fax Modem

Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 7.0

CD ROM/DVD ROM Dual Drives: 16X DVD ROM Drive and 48X CD-RW/DVD Combo

Sound Cards Integrated Sound Blaster®Audigy™ HD Software Edition

Speakers Dell A525 30 Watt 2.1 Stereo Speakers with Subwoofer

Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) Microsoft Works Suite 2006 - Includes MICROSOFT WORD plus much more!

Anti-Virus/Security Suite No Security Subscription

Warranty and Service 1Yr Ltd Warranty and At-Home Service

Internet Access Service 6 Months of America Online Membership Included

Miscellaneous Award Winning Service and Support

Upgrade to Windows Vista Express Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium from XP Media Center Edition

Dell Digital Entertainment Trial pack- Basic and trial products from Corel and Yahoo

Labels Windows Vista™ Capable
TOTAL:$1,023.00

What its used for - Gaming PC , Music , Movies , Anime and Etc.

What do you think and should I add anything else or take anything out.

[Vinny]

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/iBUYPOWER

http://www.epinions.com/Cyberpower_Inc_Online_Stores_Services

For some reason, Reseller Ratings doesn't have CyberPower Inc listed... oh well, Epinions does.

As for BillMeLater, I don't know but I think I remember their APR being 18% or 19% which is murder.

If you're already in debt, I'd highly advise against buying something and deepening your debt. If you really have to, I'd pick up one of those credit cards with 1 year interest free.

[TheOneGod]

I forget this great place where alot of Chinese people buy there computers from. Go there. Also you might want to check what died in your PC first.

You can ebay a nice 1gig Desktop computer for less then $50. I would take that with the proccessor and heat sink and then just pass down what I had in my old PC.

[Jewelz23]

I dont suggest using BillMeLater...it will only bring problems down the road.

If all you care is about the internet, then You can get a PC built for around $200

[endlessPRO]

thanks everyone.

I want a gaming computer :P

the one I had was a gateway...

[endlessPRO]

i edited it so please check it out.

[Vinny]

You're not going to be gaming anything too fancy with that X1300 Pro. Go for at least a X1600...

[Kendro]

You're not going to be gaming anything too fancy with that X1300 Pro. Go for at least a X1600...
QFT. The X1300 is only good for the Solitaire game that comes with XP. Since you only have that and a 7300 as an option on Dell's website, I recommend calling Dell and asking them to put in the 7900 GS as an upgrade. I'm sure the CSR will do it for you since that means more commission for him. Or just pick the cheapest card, and buy a new one off Newegg like a 7800 GTX for $200 which will run any game out there at max. Also spend the extra $30 to get a DVD burner.

[62t]

Get a Core 2 Duo instead of AMD. Cut the modem if you dont need it.

[Vinny]

Does Dell still do those 30% off coupons? I remembering seeing those all the time about half a year ago and now I don't ever see them.

[nonanon]

I was recently pricing Dell, comparing them to HP and looking for coupons. The Dell is substantially cheaper than the HP but I found some troubling posts concerning Dell's recent customer service. I rarely need any but you may want to know about that.

I decided to just upgrade my PC with stuff from TigerDirect. A dual core Intel & mobo ran $200, a Core 2 Duo for $315. Then add 2G DDR2 for $190-280 and a good PCIe video card and you're set. Use your old HD, DVD, mouse/kb etc if you have them.

You could also just consider the Dell a base for building a good system, but the case is very small and you can't add more than one HD as far as I can see. If that's not a problem for you, be sure you can add any standard DDR2 to it, some makers still use proprietary components which may or not be a hindrance to you. You'd almost certainly save money by upgrading the components yourself instead of buying them from Dell. The basic VGA cards they offer are far cheaper at most online retailers.

[naes]

Dell PCs are bad...

[Dijital]

I'd get a better video card the X1300 is very mediocre consider at least a Nvidia GeForce 7600 or higher if you can afford it.

[gunm]

If you're going with Dell, you might as well go Intel Core Duo2 w/nvidia graphics.

[horrido]

I would not buy a Dell because they are difficult to upgrade due to them using propritary connectors (power supplies for example). I once had a dell that had no AGP slot (after AGP had been common for years), and another that only had one ram bank. You should try to get something that will allow you to upgrade.

[Sanosuke Sagara]

xpbargains.com has all the current coupons, but you're better off building your own if gaming is involved. Dells are great for everyday tasks when optioned w/ the lower-end components, but the higher-end ones are ridiculously overpriced.

[endlessPRO]

then what company do you suggest for a gaming desktop?

[gunm]

I would not buy a Dell because they are difficult to upgrade due to them using propritary connectors (power supplies for example). I once had a dell that had no AGP slot (after AGP had been common for years), and another that only had one ram bank. You should try to get something that will allow you to upgrade.

No, the XPS series is more upgradable than that.

[Aberforth]

Dell stopped using proprietary stuff a couple years ago. Anyway back on topic for a pre-built gaming desktop I'd suggest in this order:

1. Voodoo PC
2. Alienware (which is now owned by Dell I think)
3. ABS Computer

[cheapfrag]

My last 2 PCs have been Dell PCs. I think they make a decent PC for the price and for the last one I got (3 years ago) I used a 40% off coupon.

You will have more control over what goes into your PC if you build it, but if you're not going to do that, then I think Dell is a cost effective option and will be cheaper than building it yourself.

I would not buy a Dell because they are difficult to upgrade due to them using propritary connectors (power supplies for example). I once had a dell that had no AGP slot (after AGP had been common for years), and another that only had one ram bank. You should try to get something that will allow you to upgrade.

As far as upgrading, Dell can be upgraded with certain restrictions. You can add a Hard Drive, add more memory (my PC had 2 slots filled and 2 available), change the graphic card. All the "basic" upgrades. My understanding is that Dell does not use standard power supplies so changing that down the road might not be an option. And I'm not sure about whether the motherboard can be upgraded because I don't think they use standard cases.

EDIT - I would wait until MS Windows Vista is released and get the PC then. No point in getting one now and upgrading the OS. IMO upgraded OS doesn't ever work as smoothly as a new install.

[Thongsy]

Dell stopped using proprietary stuff a couple years ago. Anyway back on topic for a pre-built gaming desktop I'd suggest in this order:

1. Voodoo PC
2. Alienware (which is now owned by Dell I think)
3. ABS Computer

Yeah and HP owns Voodoo. All these OEMs are getting bought up by the big PC makers. If you can't upgrade your powersupply, you probably won't fare well in upgrading the rest of your system as it will usually require more power. So that is a big issue.

[tickdude]

Try cyberpowerpc.com. They did get a good review in CGW (Games for Windows), though of course, Voodoo and Falcon got top reviews for their computers (but were expensive). The cyperpower computer was very good for not a lot of moolah.