Which System? - Custom AMD64 3500+ VS Dell XPS 400

[Shadow Conception]

Alright, I'm having a struggle choosing which system I want.

At Dell.com, they have a great price on their base Dell XPS 400 system going. It's $990. However, if I take out the keyboard and speakers, the price shoots down to a low $780. After that, I add in Dual Drives (16x DVD-ROM + 16x DVDRW with double layer capacity), and the price goes up to $900. Now, after if I buy it, after buying it, I am immediately upgrading the video card from a crappy Radeon X300 SE to a GeForce 7600GT.

The Dell specs are of the following:

- Pentium® D Processor 820 with Dual Core Technology (2.80GHz, 800FSB)
- Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005
- 128MB PCI Express? x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) ATI Radeon X300 SE HyperMemory (gonna be upgraded to 7600GT immediately, and later on possibly a 7900GTX)
- 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs (DDR2!)
- Integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet
- 160GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/ 8MB cache
- Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive + 16x DVD+/-RW w/dbl layer write capability
- Sound Blaster® X-Fi? XtremeMusic (D), w/Dolby® Digital 5.1 (I want this)
- Dell Optical USB Mouse
- Windows Vista? Capable


The other option is this:
ASUS A8N-E ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131530
($93.99)

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ 2000MHz HT Socket 939 Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103533
($114.99)

G.SKILL 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM System Memory ? Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231046
($81.99)

eVGA Geforce 7600GT 256-P2-N553-AX Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130283
($169.99)

Western Digital Caviar SE 80GB 3.5" IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive ? OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144122
($45.99)

SONY Black IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model DDU1615/B2s ? OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827101131
($19.99)

Creative Sound Blaster Live! 24bit 70SB041000000 Sound Card ? Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102176
($33.00)

NEC 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE/ATAPI Model ND-3550A - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827152058
($35.49)

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811119068
($49.99)

FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX450-PN, 12cm FAN, version 2.0, 2 SATA, PCI Express, 450W Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104954
($51.50)

BELKIN F5D5000 PCI Desktop Network Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16833314101
($8.99)

Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2 ? OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102059
($89.99)

Grand Total = $795.39 + shipping = $864.89

That is about the millionth time I've posted that rig, but please do not suggest improvements to the custom bundle, that is finalized (except for the network card >_<) and ready to go. This thread's not about the custom. It's about both.

I personally think the Dell is the better buy. It has room for upgrades, and comes with a full warranty, with excellent service (omg, my previous experience with Dell was amazing, they actually came over to my house to fix the thing).

The custom, on the other hand, comes with my drean specs, but if I mess up, the entire system is gone... no warranty. Sure I can overclock it, but no, I'd rather not put my $850+ system at risk. And I'll be able to handle that temptation with a locked BIOS on the Dell.

What do you think?

Edit: 3500+, the NIC will not be included in the final purchase. Obviously, I don't need one

 

[chimpy]

I voted the Dell for dual core goodness, and added niceties like the X-Fi. Can't you order it without the DVD drives, and add them yourself (cheaper)? Either way, both systems are decent.

 

[pkme2]

I picked the custom build.
I like your components over the Dell, for sure.

 

[acegazda]

I picked the dell...but hesitantly. I owned a dell xps3000, 13 years old. Bought for $2400 and the service was excellent untill like 2001. Unfortunatly, my computer started a downward spiral then and I was helpless to stop it, the less-than-minumum-wage foreigners that dell employs just weren't cutting it. I do however think that Dell is a great value, and has the potential to be a great gaming system, especially the xps series. You wont get any help with a prebuilt system b/c all the parts are warrantied separatly. This means the motherboard company blames the cpu company, the cpu company blames the RAM company and so on and so on. A solid warranty from dell SHOULD keep you happy, just upgrade the video card for sure, the x300 is a piece of cr@p.

 

[imported_fx]

Go with custom build but you don't need Network card.. Network card is built-in on that motherboard.

 

[Twsmit]

I voted that you should get a custom because its the better gaming rig by a long shot (thatbeing said, your particular custom build is only mediocre). However you do not sound like you are ready to build your own, you are way too frightened and anyone who actually is looking forward to dell technical probably cant be convinced otherwise at this point (I hate talking to the guys in India for the tech support). There isnt a significant speed difference between the two after you upgrade the graphics card. The A64 is the faster system, but in games you probably wont notice much of a difference.

However I will just point out that it appears you cherrypicked some of the "cheapest parts" off newegg, such as that 80GB IDE drive.... FFS for $10-15 more you can get a top end modern SATA drive with double the capacity.... cheapest DVD drive, and the cheapest network card, which incidentally you do not need, because your mobo has onboard networking..... I would go for a custom, but not the parts you picked out... if i personally were to build a computer with that budget.

One last comment, the X-Fi is an analog soundcard, the fact it support Dolby Digital sound is not that big of a deal (meaning I dont think you need to jump up and down), all that means is that it can decode a DVD's sound track and play it out your 5.1 speakers if you have 5.1 speakers. It is NOT dolby digital live, and will not transcode anything for use over a digital connection.



EDIT: Just to clarify, I think that YOU should get the Dell because you dont seem ready for a custom computer, and some of the peripherals are a pretty good deal. But I'm not a big fan of that dell.

One thing to keep in mind, as my last comment is upgradability. Conroe is coming in August, and wont work on your motherboard. Your locking yourself into a netburst only platform, which in 3 months will make you want to cry when the performance of conroe blows your system away. Not sure if I have a solution for you, but just something to keep in mind.

 

[dexvx]

You can do much better from Dell.

 

[fire400]

if you want an Intel based system that bad.. just build one yourself. It seems as if you can't find a better deal than Dell?

I'd go with an 805 over an 820 anyday, 820's are overpriced, personally. 930's are better though.

An AMD single core does not impress me, if you're going AMD, try an single core Opteron at the least or just get the X2.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I always say custom Besides, you wouldn't be out any warranty with the custom build, each individual part has its own warranty ya know
That Dell isn't bad tho, and their service is pretty good - I had complete care on my inspiron 9300 and I dropped the battery. It still worked but didn't look pretty, the plastic was all busted. I told dell "hey I dropped it" and I had a new battery in 2 days. Sweet!

If you did go custom tho get a faster CPU, the 3200 isn't really that fast. A faster single core or a X2 3800+ would be better. (yes I know you said don't suggest improvements on the custom one but I did anyway )

 

[imported_rod]

Well, the Dell looks pretty good for cheap dual-core system. But for pure gaming, the custom system may look better.
The custom rig has much more room to upgrade than a Dell.

Also, just a suggestion, but if I were you I would drop the souncard and put the money saved into 2GB RAM.

RoD

 

[Shadow Conception]

Originally posted by: Twsmit
I voted that you should get a custom because its the better gaming rig by a long shot (thatbeing said, your particular custom build is only mediocre). However you do not sound like you are ready to build your own, you are way too frightened and anyone who actually is looking forward to dell technical probably cant be convinced otherwise at this point (I hate talking to the guys in India for the tech support). There isnt a significant speed difference between the two after you upgrade the graphics card. The A64 is the faster system, but in games you probably wont notice much of a difference.

However I will just point out that it appears you cherrypicked some of the "cheapest parts" off newegg, such as that 80GB IDE drive.... FFS for $10-15 more you can get a top end modern SATA drive with double the capacity.... cheapest DVD drive, and the cheapest network card, which incidentally you do not need, because your mobo has onboard networking..... I would go for a custom, but not the parts you picked out... if i personally were to build a computer with that budget.

I didn't really pick out the cheapest parts, I just rushed through the list and looked for prices set below a specific line. I'm not very into SATA yet, I'd rather keep myself with IDE until SATA becomes an absolute must in the future. Now, with networking, I've no clue, so I picked it out just in case. It won't be in the final buy, since obviously I don't need it. I just needed to be sure on that.

One last comment, the X-Fi is an analog soundcard, the fact it support Dolby Digital sound is not that big of a deal (meaning I dont think you need to jump up and down), all that means is that it can decode a DVD's sound track and play it out your 5.1 speakers if you have 5.1 speakers. It is NOT dolby digital live, and will not transcode anything for use over a digital connection.

I mainly want to get it because I play a lot of games and music, and I want the best possible quality my speakers can handle. The latter stuff you said, I've no clue what you said o_o

EDIT: Just to clarify, I think that YOU should get the Dell because you dont seem ready for a custom computer, and some of the peripherals are a pretty good deal. But I'm not a big fan of that dell.

Yeah, I agree. I'm just scared. What am I supposed to do if I open the package and the thing I put in isn't compatible? I'm not familiar with RMA processes, so I'd have no idea.

One thing to keep in mind, as my last comment is upgradability. Conroe is coming in August, and wont work on your motherboard. Your locking yourself into a netburst only platform, which in 3 months will make you want to cry when the performance of conroe blows your system away. Not sure if I have a solution for you, but just something to keep in mind.

Wouldn't really matter. Both my custom rig and XPS 400 don't support Conroe, and Conroe is supposed to be priced at $500+ per chip, so I'm definitely not interested in that until prices go down a bit more.

The AMD Athlon 64 3200+ is a solid chip, it won't bottleneck until I upgrade to a 7950 GX2+. But I'm planning on a 7600GT at the moment.

Alright, I'm switching the sound card in for the memory (2GB, that's definitely Vista ready). I guess I could probably get a new sound card for around $30-$40.

 

[Job]

'Vista Ready' is a load of bollocks really (like 'HD ready' on TVs). All you really need to run Vista is what you've got! The X-Fi may underwhelm the audio professionals among us, but is such a MASSIVE step up from onboard audio (which, incidently, will be just as good/bad as a $30-40 card).

Unless you are a hardcore gamer or photoshop buff you will notice the upgrade in the X-fi's sound more than jumping to 2GB ram. You sound like you really want the card and you should go for it - Go for 2GB when Vista finally comes out. TBH with a 3200 and a 7600GT an extra gig of ram ain't gonna impact you much in games either ('cept maybe BF2) as the 7600GT will start to struggle with brand new games anyway. I think you've got the right idea with waiting for a 7950GX2 - why not wait untill you actually NEED 2gb ram?

Anyway, I ramble. I just love the X-fi.

 

[secretanchitman]

i'd say custom unless you want a warranty and someone to help you (aka dell and hopefully not the indian people - *is an indian himself* haha) and you really are scared/afraid of screwing up building your own computer. though my thing is "you'll only learn if you do it the first time."

on the custom build, your setup doesnt need an extra network card...the mobo already has one built in! and swap out the sb live for an x-fi. and if you want, you can get 2GBs of ram...it isnt that expensive. i got my 2GBs of PC4000 ram for $179 off newegg. but that is only if you feel like you need 2GBs. any reason on not going SATA for your hard drives? for $100 you can get a nice 300GB sata drive! only take these into consideration if you want to spend the money. i dont want to force you into buying things that you dont want!

good luck!

 

[Shadow Conception]

That brings the cost up considerably. I'll look into these higher priced parts a few months after initially buying my computer. But one question, if I face any compatibility errors, will I be able to return the part for a refund?

I'm specifically talking about Newegg, because I'm not entirely sure about the compatibility between all these parts. And I'm not too sure on how to install an OEM OS. What's the difference?

I'm not thinking much of the Dell anymore, custom is the way to go imo. I upgraded the CPU, btw, to a Athlon 64 3500+, since it's pretty cheap now.

 

[alimoalem]

1. u should wait til conroe releases. that day intel will have huge cuts and the day after AMD will have huge cuts. plus, you can see if conroe really is good. (it doesn't come in august like someone else said..comes out july 23rd and AMD price drop july 24th)

2. you seem not too comfortable with the whole building thing. for that reason go dell.

3. don't let dell upgrade your dvd drives. buy your own and add them. it's cheaper

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

What do you mean by no warranty? Almost all your parts have at least a 1 year RMA lifeline.

 

[UsandThem]

If you do not "need" the XPS system (overpriced) you can get a E510 or 5150 system with the same specs (or better) and a 19" LCD for under $700.00.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: UsandThem
If you do not "need" the XPS system (overpriced) you can get a E510 or 5150 system with the same specs (or better) and a 19" LCD for under $700.00.

For gaming, the XPS 400 is much better designed compared to the E510. The E510 comes with only one 4pin molex power connector, nothing else is free. The XPS 400 has a few free power connectors, including a PCIe 6pin connector. Also, a dual slot video card will not fit in the E510, and this is not a limitation with the XPS 400.

 

[bamacre]

I voted for the Dell. But I would vote for custom if you replaced the applicable parts with these...

Asus P5ND2-SLI nForce4 SLI Intel Edition P4/Pentium D/Celeron 1066FSB LGA775 DDR2 ATX Motherboard
$92.99
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=247012

Intel® Pentium® Processor 930 3.0GHz, 800MHz FSB, Socket 775, 2x2MB Cache, Dual Core Retail
$177.00
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80851

GeIL GX21GB4300DC 1GB Kit DDR2-533 PC4300 DDR 2 Series Dual Channel Memory w/Heat Spreader Retail
$78.00
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=85002-16

 

[Shadow Conception]

Supports all Intel Dual-Core processors EXCEPT Pentium D 920/930/940.

That mobo wouldn't work. And is there any specific reason I should go Intel besides of SLI and DDR2? I don't plan on either until I see it as a need.

Well, I guess the question is, why should I get DDR2? Does it increase performance significantly? Same with SLI. I'm not going SLI until I see at least a 70% increase of performance in games, and that's a few years off. Hell, in a few years, I bet we'll be having multiple GPU cores on one thin card.

If I were to go Intel at all, I'd go with Conroe, but seeing as the cheapest CPU is $530, I'll leave that off until prices hit rock bottom.

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

If you don't need it too soon, I suggest you wait for Conroe. The most EXPENSIVE Conroe (non extreme) is priced at $530. The cheapest is around $200 and should overclock very well.

 

[bamacre]

That motherboard will work fine with a 930, I have used it in a few builds, with Pentium 930's and 940's. I don't know why they have that information on there, must be old.

Finding motherboards that will work with 900 series cpu's is a little tough, that's one of the cheapest ones, even though it is a good motherboard.

 

[Operandi]

You said you didn't advice on your custom build but you getting it anyway. You can choose to ignore it if you want but generally it's a good idea to listen to those that have more experanice.

Drop the X-Fi and go with a board with intergraded HD-audio, you'll be getting a better motherboard and you'll never be able to tell the difference in quality between a good HD codec and the X-Fi. Besides the X-Fi isn't worth the ridiculous cost of it's minor performance increase, use the money for a faste CPU and/or GPU.

The A8R32-MVP gives you much better expansion. Is completely passive so you don't have to worry about an annoyingly loud northbridge fan driving you crazy or worse deing a premature death (these forums are full of examples of this). For audio you get the very good Realtek ALC882.

This is personal preference but I think it's worth the extra $50 to move up to nice AL Lian Li.

 

[Shadow Conception]

Is Conroe supposed to utililize the same socket as a 930, or is it going to be totally different?

Man, maybe I should wait a month.

I'm trying to keep the budget as low as I possibly can, while still keeping a good gaming rig.

So, according to benchmarks, Pentium D 930 > 3500+? I'm looking for the best performance at the cheapest price, one of the main reasons I want to do custom instead of Dell, and I want to keep the budget less than $900. The price it's at right now looks nice, if I'm able to sell my current computer at a price of at least $500.

Also, is it worth the wait for the DX10 cards? What's really the use of a DX10 native card?

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

Conroe will be LGA775, but the only current chipset that will support it is the Intel 975X chipset. When Conroe is released, the Broadwater series of chipsets will also be be released to support Conroe. Conroe will stomp on any CPU out right now, so just wait for it.