Is it a good Idea to buy a Computer system from Alienware and with the Nvidia nforce?

[tecumseh]

I'm looking for a new system and I still might put together my first system, but I also might buy from Alienware. Yea yea I know there a little expensive, but they do make quality computers and everything is covered under warranty. Anyway, they have a system based on the nforce. The specs are:

AMD Athlon XP processor 1600+
Nvidia nforce 420-D chipset motherboard
256 mb DDR Sdram (PC-2100)
floppy drive 1.44mb
40gb 7200rpm ata 100 hd
Nvidia nForce Integrated geforce 2 w/ 256-bit graphics core
Nvidia nForce media and communications processor w/ dolby digital 5.1 encoder
16X40X dvd-rom drive
White Dragon tower atx case 340-watt ps
MS keyboard w/ 2 usb ports
10/100 base-T integrated network card
MS Win. XP Home Edition
1-year tec support
Personalized Owners Manual
Optimized and Config. for High Performance

Total= $1,000.00 (with $100 off rebate)
Plus free shipping!

Questions:

Is this a good deal?
Can I disable the integrated graphics card if I want to, and put in a G3?
Can I disable the integrated sound card and put a creative Audigy card in if I want to?
I've read that the integrated sound is very good. Is it? Just as good as the Creative Audigy?
Anyone play with the nforce yet? Impressions?

I think $1,000 is kinda cheap. What does everyone else think?
Thxs for your time!!

 

[Odoacer]

Wow. That's a pretty good price, especially with Alienware.

And yes, you can put in a geforce 3 or an Audigy and i think it will change the sound/video automatically...

I have heard that the nforce sound is as good as a Soundblaster Live! but not quite up to the levels of the audigy. I cant say anymore, since i dont have firsthand experience.

If your planning on putting a gf3 in there though, i think the nforce is gonna be overkill.

 

[tecumseh]

Yea, I think it's a great deal.

Question:

What is the integrated geforce 2 w/256 core equal to? A geforce 256, geforce gts, or a geforce mx?

thxs.



P.S. I think Alienware has the lower prices between the Voodoo and NW falcon.\
I was configuring a voodoo system last night and I was up to $2,000 and the system had no modem, 256 ddr rdam, 40 gig hd, no keyboard or mouse, no speakers. There systems are Expensive!

 

[mboy]

NOt that bad for a prebuilt machine.
Check out my BIg Dawg rig in my Sig. WHOLE thing cost me less then $650 to build and I have G3 ti200!

 

[Demonicon]

If you built your own, you could get a GeForce3 Ti200 and it would be cheaper.

 

[kindlr]

I agree with Demonicron, and it would be a waste of money to get an Audigy to replace the nForce MCP-D's sound. Do a little research and you'll see why, unless of course you need EAX support right now.

 

[Raspewtin]

great deal

 

[LoneWolf1]

you might want to check resellerratings.com first.

 

[ElFenix]

the integrated video performs slightly worse than an mx or mx 400.

as far as sound quality the creative is probably better.

theres a lot of people that have hard-ons for the dolby digital output of the nforce southbridge, if you're hooking up you computer to a dolby digital receiver/integrated amp then its a worthwhile feature, its mainly for xbox owners to get 3d sound from their home theater system.

 

[jcmkk]

You might want to get two sticks of DDR so you can take advantage of the NForce's dual channel memory interface.

 

[TimeKeeper]

But seriously...............you can add all these up yourself say...newegg.com.
Then you will realized the cute little alien sticker doesn't really worth that extra hundreds?

especially, you going to "disable" the onboard video and go w/ G3

 

[tecumseh]

bump

 

[S0me1X]

Thats a decent "starter system."
You can always upgrade the graphics card to a Radeon8500 or Geforce3, since both are faster than the integrated nForce graphics.

I am not a big fan of the old alienware cases, though. (the newer antec-like ones are good)