Guys is there a BETTER System right now than this DEAL?

[DarkFudge2000]

ok ok guys I get it....I have no chance of overclocking...I'll accept that


Now, in regards to perhaps buying this DELL now with the 5770 and enjoying the huge performance boost I'll see in all my current games (and new ones) in comparison to what I am USED to with my P4 2.8ghz system and old AT3850 card, will I have the luxury of actually upgrading to a 5850 card later on OR add a second 5770 card to crossfire them?

What do you think...I really want to try and stick with the DELL because of the eas of purchase and plug and play it offers

thanks

 

[alyarb]

the dell probably won't have crossfire capability but you'll definitely be able to upgrade the GPU.

 

[billyb0b]

that looks like a good deal but expect the power supply to be absolute crap. i would spend an extra $60 or so and replace the PS with a good one.

 

[billyb0b]

ok ok guys I get it....I have no chance of overclocking...I'll accept that


Now, in regards to perhaps buying this DELL now with the 5770 and enjoying the huge performance boost I'll see in all my current games (and new ones) in comparison to what I am USED to with my P4 2.8ghz system and old AT3850 card, will I have the luxury of actually upgrading to a 5850 card later on OR add a second 5770 card to crossfire them?

What do you think...I really want to try and stick with the DELL because of the eas of purchase and plug and play it offers

thanks

the 5850 and 5870 and 5970 are longer cards than the 5770. who knows if it will fit in the dell case.

 

[alyarb]

oh god thats true. you'd better just go to the store and tell them you want to look inside the case.

edit: search google images for studio XPS case. you'll see the hard disk mounts are on a column that goes all the way down the front. stupid assholes do not know how to build a case. I'm not even sure you could fit a 4890 in there.

 

[faxon]

Yes thanks or all the links....

Once I add the WIN 7 OS, the Case, the extra things like Keyboard , Mouse... etc, thats another approx $280 which actually puts me over the DELL price with less RAM in the system but a little more flexability to upgrade...and overclock?....hmmm

and then I have to put the whole thing together......I still think the DELL system is the better deal then building one when you weigh the factors I mentioned above, perhaps Im wrong.

Its funny, every time I build a system, I always say to myself, I would never ever buy a prebuilt system from a Retail store because I love the upgradeability factor that a custom built system offers me.....but you know what?? I all my years of building systems, I never really upgraded anything. And when it was finally time for an upgrade, it was time for a new system because the motherboard and chipset was already obsolete anyways!

I no longer hold stock in the expandability factor of a custom built system anymore. As long as a system has a few slots and USB ports....Im good!

dont forget warranty support. what kind of warranty does the dell box come with at that price. how much would buying the 3 year warranty for it be? most of the parts you will need to buy come with 3-5 year manufacturers warranties, but most OEMs dont even offer anything longer than 3 years usually AND you have to pay good money to get it. without factoring in warranty value you arent comparing apples to apples

 

[DarkFudge2000]

guys...thanks for all the info. I want to just clarify, I am pretty well aware that you are gonna be able to build a uber kick ass system that will always be better than any prebuilt commercial store.

My main goal here is to drop down some quick cash at retail chain and get the 'best' prebuilt gaming system for the dollar value and go home, unpack it and just start installin stuff.

I dont want to charge anything on a credit card (my wife cannot see any new charges)
I dont want to order something and wait for parts to be delivered in a few days then have to build it.

My main goal here is to almost treat it like a console purchase

So far, Best Buy's deal above seems like the best bang for buck prebuilt system out there that I can just go in and drop cash and walk out.....unless I am missing some other opportunities or places to look?


What do you think?

 

[DarkFudge2000]

Guys...help me out here. I just found this Gateway system on their website and it is sold at a local J&R Electronics near me ....my question is, in comparison to the DELL machine fro $1049 I posted earlier, is it worth the $1299 price for the ATI 5850 video?....This seems to be the only difference except for the fact that Gateway claims the system has TurboBoost technology that enables the system to run at 3.4Ghz!?

Is this marketing gumbo??.....Is that just a feature of the I7 chip that I will also get with the Dell or is it exclusive to just this Gateway system?......can you help out here guys?


Heres Link:

http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668417.php#prodBar


Intel® Core™ i7-860 Processor1 2.8GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 3.46GHz (8MB L3 Cache) 6
Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit)7
Memory 8192MB DDR3 Dual-Channel 1333MHz Memory8
Hard Drive 1.5TB 7200RPM SATA hard drive3
Chassis High performance, black glossy design with trendy red accents and lighting effects
Video ATI Radeon™ HD5850 Graphics card with 1GB of Discrete Video Memory8
Application Software Microsoft® Works & Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007 (60-day complimentary trial period)2
Audio High Definition Audio with 7.1 Audio Support
Available Expansion Slots Available: 0 - PCI-E x16, 1 - PCI-E x4, 2 - PCI-E x1
Dimensions (Box) 12" (H) x 20" (W) x 24" (D) or 304.8mm (H) x 508mm (W) x 609.6mm (D)
Dimensions (System) 17.7" (H) x 7.5" (W) x 19" (D) or 449mm (H) x 191mm (W) x 482mm (D)
External Ports (10) USB 2.0 (4 Front, 6 Rear), HDMI™, (2) eSATA, IEEE 1394a, (2) PS/2, (2) DVI, (5) Audio, (1) High Definition Headphone Jack, (1) Microphone Jack
Keyboard Multimedia Keyboard
Media Card Reader Multi-in-One Digital Media Card Reader with PhotoFrame Button4
Memory Capacity 4 DDR3 Slots Total (0 Slots Available)
Motherboard Systemboard with Intel® H57 Express Chipset
Mouse Optical Mouse
Network 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port)
Optical Drive 16X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti Drive
Power Supply 750W Power Supply
Security Software Norton™ Intenet Security 2009 (60-day trial)5
Warranty 1 Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty with Toll-Free Tech Support9
Weight 31 lbs. (14.1 kg) system unit only / Approximately 38 lbs. (17.2 kg.) b

 

[M0RPH]

Turboboost is a feature of the i7-860, it's almost like built-in overclocking. You'll get this in the Dell as well and because of that I wouldn't be so worried about not being able to overclock manually.

If the only difference with the Gateway is the video card, it's not worth $250 more, although I do like those Gateway gaming systems.

 

[Markfw]

really mark? Honestly that 2% figure is absurdly high. Dell has never in its history released a BIOS that will adjust the system bus (except a couple of their XPS line pre-Alienware acquisition), let alone the numerous voltage params that are nice to have access to. There is a funny sticky at forums.extremeoverclocking.com about dell overclocking. been there for 5 years and yet people still ask.

I just threw that number out, since I remember a couple people that posted like a 100-200 mhz OC. And others did it in software and got something.

I sure won;t stand by that number, but I think the OP gets the idea.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I wouldn't own another gateway. I've had nothing but bad luck with prebuilt systems. I prefer to build my own rigs with parts I trust from quality manufacturers. I also don't like a bunch of bloatware on my rig I have to uninstall before I can even use it. If my build comes out more expensive than a Dell then I'm okay with that. I'll at least have the case and power supply needed to fit my next CPU platform in it. I'm also a big fan of overclocking. I took my i7 920 up to 3.6 ghz and it is plenty fast. It smokes the 2.6 ghz stock speed and it was a "free" upgrade.

 

[DarkFudge2000]

Ok actually the difference for the $250 is that the Gateway comes with a 750w PSU, a 1.5 TB HD and the ATI 5850 video

The Dell comes with 1TB HD, ATI 5770 video, wireless NIC B/G/N and I dunno about the PSU

So does that now make it more tough to decide?

Im still leaning toward the DELL because I like the option of having the extra Wireless mobility to set up anywhere without restrictions. And its a cheaper system

btw guys...Im still using a CRT!! Im using a 21" Viewsonic Professional Series P225 monitor and Im tempted to go to a 24" Widescreen LCD but Im a bit nervous of the transistion of the better color range and lower input lag that a CRT offers

 

[alyarb]

i would probably do the gateway. you're going to get similar customer service and similar quality build. just put a fresh copy of windows on it and dont use any "try this shit" software that comes with it. or any customer support management apps that run in the background.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

So the gateway is a $1300 system? Let me or some of these guys configure you a rig for $1300 and it will smoke the gateway and Dell. My best advice is order the parts yourself wait a week at the most for parts and the next day you have off put it together. I recently built a rig for my friend. He ordered all the parts I told him to, brought it to my job, and I took it home and had it together in a hour and a half with a aftermarket heatsink installed. Not near as much trouble as you're making it seem.

 

[alyarb]

he can't order online because his woman runs his life and will see the invoice.

 

[DarkFudge2000]

yes alyarb is right...I have to pay cash. No online ordering, no credit card charges


btw guys, will these 64bit systems run slower or faster than the native 32bit systems of yesterday?.....All I hear is how 64bit isnt optimized or games dont utilize it....blah blah blah

 

[alyarb]

plenty of games use 64-bit. It is indeed faster and 32-bit emulation doesn't "cost" anything.

 

[Eddie313]

Here is some parts
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119193
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148445
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150455
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153104
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148325
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130246
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115214
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116754

1,180 shipped NO TAX unless your in your state shipping
With the dell system its not just no OC option its the quality parts.

 

[ranmao]

I understand your predicament darkfudge, but most people here are going to point to building your own system and for good reason. Personally I prefer building not just for the price or quality control but also for longevity. For instance my friend order a XPS system two years ago and in less than six months he had to update his graphics card and consequently also the power supply. Now he's looking at getting a new one altogether(flight simulator addiction). On the other hand I built my current system at the same time (for less money)and will only have to replace my CPU and maybe the graphics card to stay current(for my usage) for the next two years. But like I said I understand your need to buy with cash and I helped a few friends in the past like yourself so here are a few suggestions:
1: go to your bank and using the cash get a prepaid credit card(like travelers checks but in the form of a credit card).
2: Fund a paypal account. You can do this directly from your bank, with a prepaid card, or with the help of a friend.
3: If you don't want boxes showing up at home then have a friend order using his card and pay him back.

And assembly these days is so easy and straight forward that it really shouldn't take you more than a hour(even for a novice).

 

[ehume]

Actually, building it yourself is part of the pleasure involved in a new system. I know I'm willing to pay extra for components so I can put things together . . . then take them apart and put them together again . . . and again . . .

 

[f4phantom2500]

you may want to hold off until you can get a system with usb 3.0, or look for that if you build it yourself, especially if you intend to keep this rig for a few years.

 

[kyp275]

I have to say I would go with ranmao's suggestion if possible. If not, I'd go for the gateway

 

[Eddie313]

Sorry didnt see that it has to be cash part. If i had to go with a Prebuilt system higher end no way i would go with dell that's just my opinion.

I just seen the review on youtube about that gateway looks good, and has good hardware and it has front hot-swap hard drives thats nice to have. I would go with the gateway myself nice power supply sweet video card.

Here is the review http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpeMxk99TMk

 

[Kantastic]

Meh, the time it takes you to remove all the bloatware, longer if you're buying it in-store, you could've put the system together and be halfway finished installing windows.

 

[Eddie313]

yes alyarb is right...I have to pay cash. No online ordering, no credit card charges

Kantastic Meh, the time it takes you to remove all the bloatware, longer if you're buying it in-store, you could've put the system together and be halfway finished installing windows.

I know custom builts a lot better I build then all the time but he wants cash only deal from what i understand. As for the bloatware i can remove it in about 30 mins to hour. There are many free programs that will do this.