Price check. Which dell system is better?

[crystal]

System 1 (858 AR)

Dell Dimension 4550 Series: Pentium® 4 Processor at 2.53GHz w/533MHz front side bus/ 512K L2 Cache DN425H [221-1101]
Memory: 512MB DDR SDRAM at 333MHz 128M3 [311-2074]
Keyboard: Dell® Quietkey® Keyboard QK [310-1582]
Monitors: No Monitor N [320-3000]
Video Cards: New 128mb DDR ATI Radeon? 9700 TX Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI 128ATIX [320-0617]
Hard Drive: FREE UPGRADE! 60GB Ultra ATA/100 7200RPM Hard Drive 60P [460-6970]
Floppy Drive and Additional Storage Devices: No Floppy Drive NFD [340-8442]
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition WHXP [313-7222] [412-0306] [420-1921]
Mouse: Dell® 2-button scroll mouse SM [310-1871]
Network Interface: Integrated Intel® PRO 10/100 Ethernet IN [430-0412]
Modem: 56K PCI Telephony Modem 56KWS [313-1583]
CD or DVD Drive: 16 Max DVD-ROM Drive 16DV995 [313-2559] [430-0462]
Sound Card: SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 Digital Sound Card SB1024 [313-1319]
Speakers: New Harman Kardon® HK-206 Speakers HK206 [313-0954]
Software Bundles: WordPerfect® Productivity Pack with Quicken New User Edition COREL [412-0302]
Security Software: Dell SecurityCenter by McAfee, 90-day introductory offer MCAFE90 [412-0326]
Digital Music: Dell Jukebox powered by MUSICMATCH MMBASE [412-0298]
Digital Photography: Dell Picture Studio, Image Expert Standard DPS [412-0271] [412-0273]
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options: SAVE $50 (system price shown before rebate) 3 Yr Ltd Warr plus 3 Yr At-Home SPRO3OS [412-0360] [950-1272] [950-3339] [950-4270] [960-8748]
Internet Access Service: 6 Months of EarthLink Internet Access ERTHLNK [412-0371] [412-0377]
Mail-In Rebate Offer: Save $200 with mail-in rebate! System price shown before rebate. 200ATG [462-0773]
CD or DVD Burner for 2nd bay: FREE UPGRADE! New 48x/24x/48x Max CD-RW Drive 48CDR2P [461-7809]


System 2 (1004 AR)

Dell Dimension 8250 Series: Pentium® 4 Processor at 2.40GHz w/533MHz front side bus/ 512K L2 Cache DN8224H [221-1310]
Memory: 512MB PC1066 RDRAM (2X64 modules) 128M [311-2128]
Keyboard: Dell ® Quietkey ® Keyboard QK [310-1582]
Monitors: Video Ready w/o Monitor N [320-3000]
Video Cards: New 128mb DDR ATI Radeon? 9700 TX Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI 128ATIX [320-0555]
Hard Drives: FREE UPGRADE!120GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive 120GP [461-8842]
Floppy Drive and Additional Storage Devices: No Floppy Drive NFD [340-8442]
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition WHXP [313-7222] [412-0304] [420-1921]
Mouse: Dell® 2-button scroll mouse SM [310-1871]
Network Interface: Integrated Intel® PRO 10/100 Ethernet IN [430-0412]
Modem: 56K Telephony Modem for Windows 56KWS [313-1583]
CD or DVD Drive: 16 Max DVD-ROM Drive 16DV995 [313-2559] [430-0462]
Sound Card: SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 Digital Sound Card SB1024 [313-1319]
Speakers: Harman Kardon® HK-395 Speakers with Subwoofer HK395 [313-7284]
Software Bundles: WordPerfect® Productivity Pack with Quicken New User Edition COREL [412-0302]
Security Software: Dell SecurityCenter by McAfee, 90-day introductory offer MCAFE90 [412-0326]
Digital Music: Dell Jukebox powered by MUSICMATCH MMBASE [412-0298]
Digital Photography: Dell Picture Studio,Image Expert Standard DPS [412-0271] [412-0273]
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options: SAVE $50 (system price shown before rebate) 3 Yr Ltd Warr plus 3 Yr At-Home SPRO3OS [412-0360] [950-1272] [950-3339] [950-4270] [960-8748]
Internet Access Services: 6 Months of EarthLink Internet Access ERTHLNK [412-0371] [412-0377]
Mail-in Rebate Offer: SAVE $350 with mail-in rebate! System price shown before rebate 350ATG [462-0772]
Secondary CD or DVD Drive: FREE UPGRADE! New 48x/24x/48x Max CD-RW Drive 48CDR2P [461-7877]
FREE TaxCut Deluxe Software from H&R Block: FREE TaxCut Deluxe software from H&R Block HRBLCKF [412-0363]

Thanks.

edit. The bolded line tell that system better on that item than the other system. Another thing is the RAM, one uses RAMBUS (expensive) and the other uses PC2700. Update on the Ram as request to 512MB with the new price reflected.

 

[Ameesh]

i would get 4x more memoery on either system and go with the one with the second drive

 

[hdeck]

you won't be able to do too much with either system only having 128 mb ram.

 

[bunker]

They are both seriously weak on memory especially for running winXP. They need at least 256mb, preferably 512mb.

I would probably go with number 2 though because the harddrive is twice the size. Processor speed isn't that far off.

 

[UNCjigga]

RossMAN?

 

[Electric Amish]

Personally, I wouldn't have anything to do with RDRAM.

I'd get XP Pro and a floppy as well.

amish

 

[bunker]

I'm changing my vote to the first one after noticing the prices. You can save yourself around $150 on the machine and pick up a second 60gb harddrive and still come out on top.

 

[WA261]

Neither... buld your own.

 

[crystal]

The reason I put in only 128MB of RAM in the first post because I think I could get them from outside vendors, such as crucial, which have 512MB PC2700 for 79+taxes right now, unlike dell, which will cost me $138 for that upgrade. As for RAMBUS, the price is pretty much the same as the outside vendors.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: crystal
The reason I put in only 128MB of RAM in the first post because I think I could get them from outside vendors, such as crucial, which have 512MB PC2700 for 79+taxes right now, unlike dell, which will cost me $138 for that upgrade. As for RAMBUS, the price is pretty much the same as the outside vendors.

yep, dell makes tons of money on ram. i guess the people in this thread didn't know that.

i'd go with the first, use the extra $$ to get another drive, and still come out $100 ahead.

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Electric Amish
Personally, I wouldn't have anything to do with RDRAM.

I'd get XP Pro and a floppy as well.

amish

Bingo.

I'd go with the 4550 without a doubt.

If there's a rebate, go for that. RAM is cheap and easy to install.

Don't forget to buy through eBates.com to save another 2% off.

Make sure to pay for your PC using a major cc such as a VISA, MasterCard or Amex.

 

[Spac3d]

Originally posted by: RossMAN

Originally posted by: Electric Amish
Personally, I wouldn't have anything to do with RDRAM.

I'd get XP Pro and a floppy as well.

amish

Bingo.

I'd go with the 4550 without a doubt.

If there's a rebate, go for that. RAM is cheap and easy to install.

Don't forget to buy through eBates.com to save another 2% off.

Make sure to pay for your PC using a major cc such as a VISA, MasterCard or Amex.

Why go through eBates when you can go through FatCash for 3% off?

 

[yllus]

No reason to go with XP Pro over Home if it's costing you additional $$$. There's very few differences, the major one that I can remember being Pro has Remote Desktop and Home doesn't. (Both versions have Remote Assistance.)

A RAMBUS system will have a performance edge but not one large enough in regular tasks and games to justify any significantly larger outlay of dollars. Probably worth sticking to DDR.

Best bet? Be more patient and buy in to a P4 system with a 800MHz FSB instead of 533MHz.

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: WA261
Neither... buld your own.

You can get 256mb of 2100 for free AR right now at office max, an ECS board and 1700+ tbed off newegg for 120 total. You can beat Dell's price and build a better system yourself, good luck with whatever route you choose though..

 

[crystal]

Originally posted by: WA261
Neither... buld your own.

I got a dual set up at home, but the MB dies on me (a few day before that one of the memory module died on me). Just got an approval for RMA from MSI. Yesterday, I went out and brought a MSI K7N2-L, spend over an hour putting everything together and when I turn it on, nothing happen (read the four light on the back it seems like memory problem). Read the tech and MB forum this morning and it seems like K7N2 very picky about memory and it doesn't like crucial in general (PC2100 256MB Reg/ECC in my case). The reason I was thinking of pre-build is because all of this troubleshooting, which drives me nut.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Alistar7

Originally posted by: WA261
Neither... buld your own.

You can get 256mb of 2100 for free AR right now at office max, an ECS board and 1700+ tbed off newegg for 120 total. You can beat Dell's price and build a better system yourself, good luck with whatever route you choose though..

1700+ != 2.53

 

[Tom]

I have an 8250 and a 4550. They are both very nice computers. The 8250 is slightly faster in some benchmarks but I wouldn't pay much extra for it and upgrading the ram will be more expensive as others have said.

In the configurations you have above the 8250 has better speakers. I don't know how much this affects the price but assuming it's not that much I'd probably go with the 4550.

I agree with your idea to just get 128mb ram from Dell and get additional ram elsewhere. That's what I did. You can get 512mb pc2700 at Best Buy this week for $40 after rebate, for example.

I also opted for the Radeon 9700TX, its a great video card for the money so good choice there.

 

[newbiepcuser]

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Originally posted by: WA261
Neither... buld your own.
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You can get 256mb of 2100 for free AR right now at office max, an ECS board and 1700+ tbed off newegg for 120 total. You can beat Dell's price and build a better system yourself, good luck with whatever route you choose though..

You are comparing two different systems. Price out an Intel System with the same specs, including a licensed XP OS. Then see if its cheaper than Dell.