Differnces between ATI 9700 Pro and Dell 9700 Pro?

[minitech]

Recap:

ATI 9700 Pro needs 300 watt power supply to operate efficiently. ATI technical support says a 250 watt power supply may work but don't use many USB devices or have many components (Hard Drives, CDr, etc.) I'm ordering a fully loaded 8200 and attaching 6 USB devices.

Dell power supplies are rated at 250 watts. Board members here and at Dell Forums tell me that that rating is wrong and real world benchmarks would rate it at 300-340 watts. This would make Dell one of the few manufaturers to under rate their product. You can't order a system from Dell with a larger power supply but they will sell you one afterward.

No Dell rep has stated their power supply is better than 250 watt. Dell rep, ChrisM, on the Dell Video Forum says that Dell has done "hardware tweaks" to cause the card to consume less power. The only other information given by Dell on their forum was to assure us that their card does have a fan like the ATI card.

I contacted ATI asking what hardware tweaks could make the card consume less power. Friends who have ordered their card really want this information. ATI rep just responded via e-mail "We are unable to state what type of modifications Dell is doing to enusre these cards consume less power. Only Dell would be able to comment on this." Note: Enusre is their spelling

Question:

What is being done to the cards to consume less power? Is the Dell card able to match the ATI card in performance? What are the differences between the ATI and Dell 9700 pro?

If anyone has recieved a Dell system with this card could you look at the spec sheet that hopefully came with it? This can be compared to the specs on the ATI website. I cannot as my system ship date has been pushed back twice. Unfortunately no other company can match my new one week ship date without paying much, much more.

Quite frankly with free shipping, $200 rebate, 10% off coupon, and one other stackable code the system was cheaper than I could build so I'm kind of locked in. Damn the Anandtech Hot Deals Forum Besides I have thirty days to verify the system is to spec. But, damn the wait is driving me crazy :disgust:

 

[rbV5]

Dell does not manufacter parts, they are a system builder, all their components are simply rebadged.

 

[ScrewFace]

There are no differences between different 9700 PRO cards. ATI's not going the route of their 8500LE fiasco. All RADEON 9700 PRO's are clocked at 310(620) RAM and 325 core.

 

[Mani]

Originally posted by: rbV5
Dell does not manufacter parts, they are a system builder, all their components are simply rebadged.

Dell co-develops and modifies most every part they sell in their systems to meet Dell specs and ensure stability and performance. If all they did was rebadge things and sell them, they would be a company of 3,000 - not 30,000 employees.

 

[rbV5]

Dell co-develops and modifies most every part they sell in their systems to meet Dell specs and ensure stability and performance

Thats not quite how it works, Dell maintains electronic links to its suppliers that tell them exactly when parts are needed. These electronic links help make sure that Dell uses only the most current parts and does not have to store large inventories (11 days of inventory or less!). These SUPPLIERS (not Dell) modify, manufacters and delivers these parts, in fact many times the parts never make it to Dell at all, they simply meet up with the other components in the delivery chain on the way to the system buyer, even Dell's support is not Dell, but a number of contractors who provide support for Dell on a contractual basis. This is why Dell has only 36,000 employees rather than 360,000 or more. They are shipping what ~58,000 PC's a day(5.2 million PCs in the third quarter) add to that components, peripherals and services they sell......... thats quite a load for 36,000 folks I would think.

 

[Mani]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Dell co-develops and modifies most every part they sell in their systems to meet Dell specs and ensure stability and performance

Thats not quite how it works, Dell maintains electronic links to its suppliers that tell them exactly when parts are needed. These electronic links help make sure that Dell uses only the most current parts and does not have to store large inventories (11 days of inventory or less!). These SUPPLIERS (not Dell) modify, manufacters and delivers these parts, in fact many times the parts never make it to Dell at all, they simply meet up with the other components in the delivery chain on the way to the system buyer, even Dell's support is not Dell, but a number of contractors who provide support for Dell on a contractual basis. This is why Dell has only 36,000 employees rather than 360,000 or more. They are shipping what ~58,000 PC's a day(5.2 million PCs in the third quarter) add to that components, peripherals and services they sell......... thats quite a load for 36,000 folks I would think.

Before I set you straight, let me ask you something: do you have any intimate knowledge of Dell through your experience - to qualify the statements you're making? I really doubt it because your facts are WAY off.

 

[EdipisReks]

according to the Dell rep who i've worked with, Dell manufactures nothing they sell. they have some stuff made to their specifications, but most things are bog standard, off the shelf. btw the way, in this universe, the facts that rbV5 presented are completely correct. maybe in your universe Dell runs a circus, or something.

 

[rbV5]

Before I set you straight,

I'm listening...actually, I'm a customer (only peripherals actually) but mostly a shareholder, and thats they way they tell me how their "build-to-order" business model works, they just assemble components into products as the orders come in. What component(s) does Dell manufacture?

 

[Mani]

Ok, first off, I never said Dell physically manufactures the parts - it is true that they don't. But they DO develop them in tandem with their suppliers. That is, when you see a peripheral that is Dell-branded or included in systems, a considerable amount of development went into it from Dell's side as well. Be it improvements in quality, stability, performance, or in the case of brand new products, a joint development effort. It's not as simple as selecting a product, buying from suppliers, and then telling the factory to drop it in systems. Those parts have to be tested, all problems root caused and identified, all customer usability issues hammered out, and improvements made to meet Dell spec. I mentioned the # of employees because among the numerous service, support, marketing, and management folks, there are a very large number of engineers and technicians, whose sole responsibilities are to make their supplier's products as robust as possible.

 

[Mani]

Originally posted by: EdipisReks
according to the Dell rep who i've worked with, Dell manufactures nothing they sell. they have some stuff made to their specifications, but most things are bog standard, off the shelf. btw the way, in this universe, the facts that rbV5 presented are completely correct. maybe in your universe Dell runs a circus, or something.

Actually every single component is tested extensively and rarely (if ever) does a component go through without having some kind of improvement made to it - be it in a rev to the hardware itself or the firmware. Many of these changes are completely transparent to customers because they may be introduced before the product ever hits shelves (even in retail) or may be a running change.

And just FYI, my universe is Dell - I work there as an engineer. So I'd advise you to do some research before making yourself look foolish again.

 

[John]

even Dell's support is not Dell, but a number of contractors who provide support for Dell on a contractual basis.

rbV5, as a former MACSD Optiplex senior tech in the RR2 building, you are only partially correct. Dell does outsource some of the tech support, but not all of it.

 

[EdipisReks]

yeah, now your an engineer at Dell, and i look foolish

in my experience, someone who is an engineer at Dell would have been like "that's not true, i'm an engineer at Dell so i should know" from the beginning. even if you were an engineer at Dell, it still doesn't change the fact that most components that Dell uses are bog standard. you can look up most of the parts by number in catalogs. i should know, i've done it before with a Dell. almost eveything from the LED's to CD-RW drives to the screws can be found as standard parts in the respective companies catalogs. sure, the motherboards, powersupplies, and things like audio/modem cards are often times either proprietary or modified, but most stuff isn't. some engineer to not know what parts you use

and by the way, slightly modifying firmwares to prevent compatibility with non Dell systems or silkscreening the Dell logo onto something doesn't really count as "improvements".

 

[EdipisReks]

Originally posted by: Mani
And just FYI, my universe is Dell .

wow, that's a pretty small universe. my universe emcompasses billions of galaxies, and yours just encompases a few million mediocre computers and a couple handfuls of industrial lots. must be fun to be you.

 

[Mani]

Originally posted by: EdipisReks
yeah, now your an engineer at Dell, and i look foolish

in my experience, someone who is an engineer at Dell would have been like "that's not true, i'm an engineer at Dell so i should know" from the beginning. even if you were an engineer at Dell, it still doesn't change the fact that most components that Dell uses are bog standard. you can look up most of the parts by number in catalogs. i should know, i've done it before with a Dell. almost eveything from the LED's to CD-RW drives to the screws can be found as standard parts in the respective companies catalogs. sure, the motherboards, powersupplies, and things like audio/modem cards are often times either proprietary or modified, but most stuff isn't. some engineer to not know what parts you use

and by the way, slightly modifying firmwares to prevent compatibility with non Dell systems or silkscreening the Dell logo onto something doesn't really count as "improvements".

I don't have anything to prove to some random scrub on the internet that doesn't do his homework before flapping his mouth, if you don't believe I work at Dell, don't.

Noone's disputing that Dell uses standard parts - it's a part of Dell's business strategy to accept and drive standards - but what differs from what people here were saying is that they don't just take these parts off the shelves and throw them in a system. Every part has to go through extensive testing and development by Dell engineers before it gets put into a system. More often than not, engineers find ways to improve them before they go into a system and the part is better for it.

wow, that's a pretty small universe. my universe emcompasses billions of galaxies, and yours just encompases a few million mediocre computers and a couple handfuls of industrial lots. must be fun to be you.

You must be proud, this wins the prize for the single most idiotic post I have seen on AT, trolls' included. Congrats.

 

[EdipisReks]

so now it's

Every part has to go through extensive testing and development by Dell engineers before it gets put into a system

instead of

Dell co-develops and modifies most every part they sell in their systems

, eh? . "more often than not" and "almost every" are very, very, very different things.

in response to your last statement (which shows a signifigant level of intellectual and emotional insecurity, not to mention that you must be a n00b if that is the dumbest thing you've seen on AT) all i have to say is that apparently your right brain isn't developed enough to rocognize things that are facetious. if nothing else, that shows that you have the potential to be an engineer, chief. keep up the good work.

 

[Mani]

Originally posted by: EdipisReks
so now it's

Every part has to go through extensive testing and development by Dell engineers before it gets put into a system

instead of

Dell co-develops and modifies most every part they sell in their systems

, eh? . "more often than not" and "almost every" are very, very, very different things.

Arguing semantics, the sign of a losing argument. If it means that much to you, then "almost every" would be the one to go with.

in response to your last statement (which shows a signifigant level of intellectual and emotional insecurity, not to mention that you must be a n00b if that is the dumbest thing you've seen on AT) all i have to say is that apparently your right brain isn't developed enough to rocognize things that are facetious. if nothing else, that shows that you have the potential to be an engineer, chief. keep up the good work.

Ah, an assessment physical and emotional insecurity - coming from a dork who tried to burn me with "wow, you're universe is only Dell" and who then tried to pass it off as being facetious. Here's a tip: don't go into psychology.