DELL 4550 Too good to be true?

[Schrott]

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster ...
Anyways, so I'm looking to buy a new PC, and I come across this on Germany's dell site (www.dell.de)

DELL 4550 2.53Ghz
Intell 845 PE MB
512 MB Ram PC2700 Single Channel
4 USB 2.0
network etc etc

Then, this is where it gets unreal..
120 GB 7200 RPM HD
CD/DVD/CD-RW + DVD+RW Burner!
SB 5.1 Live! card
ATI Radeon 9700 128 TV - Out

All this plus OS (XP Home - german language version *sigh*) for 1099? - which is around $1099.00 US.

That's tax included!

Is this possible? I mean, it would easily cost $2000 to build a system with a DVD writer AND a Radeon 9700 (not PRO mind you)

I'm really thinking of picking this up..

 

[HarryK]

Are you in Germany? I'm not sure that this can/will be sent to the US

EditThe details about prices and equipment as well as other contents of these websites have validity only in the Federal Republic of Germany.

 

[huesmann]

If you examine his profile, you will see that he is in Munich, Germany.

 

[RLE]

The 4550 actually has 6 USB ports. 4 on the back and 2 on the front under this little flip-up lid. It's a nice box.

 

[jcrash]

Not sure where youa re getting the $2000 - if you mean homebuilt. With a deal, you can get a DVD writer for about $240 or so, and a 9700 Pro isn't more than $350 (I can't seem to find any non-pro 9700's to quote). Dell should be able to get them for a lot less than that given their buying power. Add another hundred for the hard drive upgrade to the prices that people were getting a couple weeks ago for the box with the flatscreen from dell, and this price sounds doable.

 

[HarryK]

Originally posted by: huesmann
If you examine his profile, you will see that he is in Munich, Germany.

Then I guess I don't understand what his question means

Is this possible?

I thought the question was: Hey, I found this great deal by buying a PC from a different country. When you convert the cost into US funds, then it's a real bargain. Do you think this is possible?

People do this all the time when purchsing DVDs. Buy from Canada (or wherever) because when the currency is converted into US dollars, it makes a normal-foreign-priced-DVD into a bargain for people who live in the States.


So I guess I don't understand why the deal was translated into dollars.

If you're in Germany, then you should be able to look at the price in ? and compare it to how much it would cost you in Germany to build a similar system. If the Dell deal is cheaper, then it's a deal.... in Germany.

If it's something that's only available in a certain area/region/country, then it's only a hot deal if it beats the cost of similar items in that area/region/country. If it's not available in the US (and this deal is not) then it doesn't matter if it's half the price of a similar system in the US or ten-times the cost in US dollars.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: Schrott
Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster ...

Lurking for less than a month isn't that long

 

[Bink]

I checked the Hot Deals posting rules and did not see any restriction to US deals only. Some of us, especially East Coasters, travel to Europe often and if you have friends that travel (NY is still a popular destination), if an item is smaller (laptop, component) it is pretty easy to have a friend bring it over or have it shipped. In fact I have a couple of friends in Australia and Spain who will sometimes bug me to pick up a Hot Deal for them - then the global friend network sends it on its merry way.

I actually bought a new USA edition of a book in the UK for less than half the Amazon.com price. So I think posting genuine hot overseas deals is valid.

Having said that, I tried pricing one out, and my price was 2270.80 Euro including tax. USA pricing is $1388 in Small Business, + tax (less any coupons). IF the pricing in Germany checked out, it would be a smoking hot deal (for Europeans), particularly since computer and related pricing is typically much higher over there.

PS I once jammed my desktop into the overhead luggage compartment (was in a sturdy nylon open shopping style bag)..... did get some strange looks.....

 

[kimagurealex]

maybe he has been checking out the hot deal forum for quite some time already and just make up his mind of become one of the anandtechers. This seems possible.
Alex

 

[SearchMaster]

That's what I did. I was a non-registered lurker for a year and a half.

 

[Miramonti]

Do you have a link?

The 4550 I'm configuring on www.dell.de comes out to over $2,300 euro ($1.00 usd = $1.01 euro) with these specs. With a base price of $699 euro (and a $100 rebate),

2.53ghz p4 - add $130
512mb pc2700 - add $225
120gb 7200rpm drive - add $180
Radeon 9700 - add $420
DVD/cdrw burner combo - add $450
Soundblaster - add $40
no monitor

link

 

[Schrott]

Hi,

here's a link to the system (actually the deal ends today)

4550 deal

If you click on the link, the price will show as 1199, but there is a 100 euro rebate available.

I ordered one yesterday (couldn't help myself!)

btw I do live in Germany, and my 'Is it possible' question was meant to be with reference to 'is this deal too good to be real?' I'm really not interested in shipping to the U.S. Sorry for the confusion....

 

[LoneShadow]

Originally posted by: iamme

Originally posted by: Schrott
Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster ...

Lurking for less than a month isn't that long

I didnt know u had to register to lurk around

 

[Tokar]

if you changed the warranty from 3yrs to 1yr you could have slashed off another 111 Euros...making the system 1033.62 euros.

Where did you find this deal?

 

[Schrott]

Originally posted by: Tokar
if you changed the warranty from 3yrs to 1yr you could have slashed off another 111 Euros...making the system 1033.62 euros.

Where did you find this deal?

a friend of mine knew I was looking and turned me on to it.
EDIT: sorry, if you mean how did I find it on the dell web site, then it just happened that when I went to www.dell.de, clicked on 'Privatenwender', and it was right there on display in the example system that was pictured...


I did change the warranty from 3 years to 1, and yes the price is 1033.62, but once you add tax (V.A.T) at 16%, it's 1199,00. Subtract the 100,00 refund and you get the final price of 1099,00.

 

[huesmann]

Seemed pretty clear to me that he was looking at the Kraut Dell site since he mentioned Eurobux.

 

[Wei2Cool]

You can save a whole bag of euros if you cut everything to minimum. Pick a slow CPU, take minimum RAM Dell allows you to have, no support, cut hard drive size in half(law permits)... reject anything that adds your cost, but take options that are free to you even if you really don't need them(6 mo AOL here for example, is Dell throwing in GOL or EOL over there?).

This is how we save our dallors here in US.