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Computer Shopping-

Bograt

Bograt

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My wife and I are in the market for a new computer. We have been to Dell.ca and had a look. Below are the specs. Is it a good price? Would you make any recommendations/ suggestions?

Base Unit / Unité de base:
Dimension 4600 Series,Intel Pentium 4 Processor at 3.0GHz w/HT Technology and 1MB cache (221-4115)

Memory / Mémoire: 
512MB DDR SDRAM at 400MHz (311-9002)

Keyboard / Clavier: 
Dell Enhanced Multimedia PS/2 Keyboard (310-1696)

Monitor / Moniteur: 
15 in (15 in viewable) E153FP Flat Panel Display (320-4065)

Video Card / Carte graphique: 
Integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2 (320-2870)

Hard Drive / Disque dur: 
FREE UPGRADE!160GB PerformanceSerial ATA Hard Drive (463-1707)

Floppy Disk Drive / Lecteur de disquette:
No Floppy Drive Requested (340-8688)

Operating System / Système d'exploitation: 
Dell Application Back-up CD, Factory Install (313-7222)

Operating System / Système d'exploitation: 
Generic Dimension Dell Support (412-0409)

Operating System / Système d'exploitation: 
Image Restore (412-0688)

Operating System / Système d'exploitation: 
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition,Service Pack 2,English (420-4834)

Operating System / Système d'exploitation: 
Windows Media Player 10 (420-4927)

Operating System / Système d'exploitation: 
Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access (463-2282)

Mouse / Souris: 
Dell USB Optical Mouse (310-4037)

NIC / Carte réseau intégrée:
Intel Pro 100M Integrated PCI NIC Card (430-0412)

Modem / Modem: 
56K PCI Telephony Modem (313-2280)

Tape Backup Unit / système de secours sur bande:
Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 (412-0705)

CD-ROM or DVD-ROM Drive / Lecteur CD-ROM ou DVD-ROM:
48x CD-ROM Drive and 16X DVD+RW (313-2746)

CD-ROM or DVD-ROM Drive / Lecteur CD-ROM ou DVD-ROM:
PowerDVD Software Decoding forDVD Drives (420-4919)

Sound Card / Carte de son: 
Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit ADVANCED HD Audio,100dB/Dolby Digital/96KHz/7.1 (313-2868)

Sound Card / Carte de son: 
Factory Installed Audio (313-6010)

Speakers / Haut-parleurs: 
Dell A425 Speakers (313-2134)

Bundled Software / Logiciels empaquetés: 
AOL 9.0 - Canada (412-0674)

Bundled Software / Logiciels empaquetés: 
Word Perfect Productivity Pack (412-0701)

Factory Installed Software / Logiciels installés à l'usine: 
NETWORK ASSOCIATES MCAFEE 5.0,OEM, ENGLISH,90 DAY TRIAL, FACTORY INSTALL (412-0632)

Option 1 / Première option: 
Dell Jukebox powered by Music Match (412-0691)

Option 2 / Deuxième option: 
Dell Photo Album Standard (412-0521)

Service / Garantie: 
Type 3 Contract - Next Business Day Parts and Labor On-Site Response, Initial Year (930-1300)

Service / Garantie: 
No Warranty, Year 2 and 3 (950-9797)

Shipping & Handling / les frais d'expédition et de manutention:
Pay $10 Shipping and Handling (009-9942)

Misc / Divers: 
Dell Media Experience (412-0660)
---------------------
TOTAL QUOTE AMOUNT /
MONTANT TOTAL DE LA SOUMISSION:    $1,615.75                                                       
Subtotal / Sous-total:  $1,405.00     
GST / TPS:  $210.75     
PST / TVQ:  $0.00       
Shipping and Handling / 
Frais d'expédition et de manutention:  $0.00   


Cheers,

Apologies is this is not appropriate.

We essentially want to surf, word proccessing, games, and live video messaging. And we want a relatively trouble free machine. We have experience with the local computer stores, and their machines always seem to wack out. (Not sure if "wack out" is correct term.)


 
Well, not a bad computer. But if you plan on playing videogames that are dependant on video card you will be out of luck. Games like newest Call of Duty/Command & Conquer,..etc. Those/newest games are intense on Video card and RAM. I would suggest you upgrade to 1Gb of RAM. As well, for the video card get at least a 128MB video card.

If you are iliterate of PC's then Dell would be the way tyo go. But it is more costly in the long run then making your own PC. Thats where the Dell warranty comes into play. Basically, thats where Dell gets the $$ from your pockets.
 
Not a bad system, but a company like MDG will make you a similar system for at least $400 less.  Dell's only a good deal if you're totaly computer illiterate and require "tech support" on a daily basis.
 
sounds like a good system, but.....
like kaptainkain said, if you want to play new video games you're sol with that integrated video card.  you would definitely have to go and buy something with at least 128mbs of ram which is upwards of $100.
i run games on my machine with 512mb or ram and it runs fine, a game like doom III runs perfectly at 1280X1026 screen resolution (one of the biggest games out there)
you are going to get a lot of conflicting reports on this thread so just beware.
no offence, but i would not suggest mdg. this is based on knowing many people who decided to go the "mdg" way and it didnt turn out well for them.
i would seriously consider checking out ebay if you are not completely computer illiterate. a computer like this would be a hell of a lot less on ebay. brand new, most with 3 years warranty and tech support.  just something to consider.
and if you want to go all out you could build your own, which is by far the cheapest.
i know computers pretty well (doing a degree in software development) so if you have any further questions feel free to pm or email me. i did notice though that you are situated in newfoundland. shipping, especially from ebay companies can, at times be quite expensive. especially to your location (i'm guessing at that).
all in all a good machine by the looks of things :)
 
Just so you know, and don't feel bad about it. Computers are like cars. Even new, by the time you've gotten it home it's already only worth about 1/2 of what you paid for it, and it will be out of date in two months. That's why I build my own. The last two I did are strong machines and I built the pair for around $1000.00.

You'll definitely want a 128 meg video card, that's Direct X 9 capable. Something like the ATI Radeon 9800 series. For the price of a floppy drive ($15.00) put one in, they're still need at times. 1 meg of RAM. I prefer to load my Operating System on a separate hard drive. If it gets glitchy, you don't have to format your data drive to reinstall it. USB 2.0 ports, if you can get 'em. The more the merrier, front and back makes life easier. Don't forget the working parts. The more high end stuff you got going, the bigger the power supply needed. 350 watt minimum (500 better) dual fan unit.

That's just some thoughts (won't get into liquid cooling and overclocking   ;) ). Do lots of research it's all on the internet and all free, comparison shop and read the testimonials before you buy.
 
recceguy knows where its at.
i overclock my athlon... wish i could afford liquid cooling (i sure as hell need it sometimes)
and ya, definately go for floppy drive, i just built a friends computer and we needed the floppy to load the software so we were able to load xp. sounds stupid i know, but its the new sata cables for the hdds, dont have software built into all the motherboards for them. oh well....
definately a good idea to go with 2 hard drives as well.
 
Unless you're buying a laptop I'd say don't buy from Dell.

You can find local computer builders who will charge you less and give you very good tech support too.
 
I wouldnt buy any brand PCs.   Go to your local computer shop where they build them themselves.   You'll save hundreds



i built mine last year for $600


AMD Athlon 2000+
768mb DDR RAM
30 Gig Hard drive
Geforce FX 5600
 
I would recommend going to NCIX.com and check out their deals. They are one of the top distributors in Canada.
 
So, to resume all that had been written here:

Video card: 128 megs (ATI Radeon 9800, GeForce 5600) - Read the specs, read the discussion on the cards.
Hard drive: 2 hard drives or 1 with 2 partitions..  That's the best way to go..  Easier when you have to format
RAM: between 512Megs and 1 Gig...  I think 512Megs is enough for what you want to do, but depends on the price you want to pay..  You also can add it later if you need to.
Floppy drive: ESSENTIAL!!!  you need it about once a year, but for the price, it's worted..  :D
Power Supply: Don't play with that..  take a good one (400W, 2 fans) at least..

For the rest (CPU, motherboard), read discussions, compare, it always depends on what you need and the price you want to pay..  I'm a big fan of Intel, but have 2 AMDs..

I think you will find the best place to buy your things while shopping..  Don't look just at one place, get estimates, and negociate!!
 
I would disagree with the "essential floppy drive".. I would consider using a compact flash drive instead (or an external usb flash drive).. They are just as cheap, hold alot more data and can be used with digital cameras, mp3 players etc.. Alot more interchangable. Floppy's are obsolete.
 
Floppy drives take no room and they're cheap. No sense in NOT having one right now. They are on their way out, but are still being used. For example, I have a 5 slot multi card reader on my computer. Easy to install, reads just about all types of memory cards, etc. It's driver came on a floppy. $15.00 is not worth the inconvenience, especially if your paying $600 - 1000.
 
Got a laptop from Dell last June.  It's a machine for my business and it works great.  The service is excellent and the price was high for what we got.  It's an inspiron 5100.  2.4 gig processor.  Paid about 1800.00 CDN.  It's fast and clean and light.  If you are looking for a laptop go for a Dell.  Desktop I would stay with a local company because they will be able to provide upgrades and repairs more readily.  Good luck and happy computing.

Cheers!! :cdn:

The Army Guy
 
Bograt said:
...
We essentially want to surf, word proccessing, games, and live video messaging. And we want a relatively trouble free machine. We have experience with the local computer stores, and their machines always seem to wack out. (Not sure if "wack out" is correct term.)
Click to expand...

I think alot of you who posted suggestions have missed this. He would like a realiable machine (needs warranty), surf net, word proccessing (only need a 386 for that) play games and do live video messaging (a Geforce FX 5200 or Radion 9200 would be minimum, I recommend Radion 9600 pro/XT, and broadband internet)

I would recommend you purchase a Dell system. You stated you wanted a relatively trouble free machine, if you get a Dell, thats what you will get. I also recommend the 3 year parts and service warranty. That way, if your monitor fades to black 2 years down the road, you can get a new one at no charge, you won't even have to pay shipping. Dell will ship you the new part, you put the old in the box, and call FedEX or Purolator to come pick it up, charged to Dell.

I used to work for Dell in Nova Scotia, very reliable machines, and if something does break, they replace it no problem. I've installed over 200 Dell PCs in customers homes, and I've only had 1 on site support call, which was due to a power surge.

You only need 512 megs of RAM to do what you have stated you want the computer to do. No need for a gig yet. And down the road, if you feel you need a gig, then you can easily buy another stick of RAM.

The floppy drive is not needed. The only reason floppy drives were needed before, was to recover from a system crash, or if your operating system won't boot. Now that most PCs use Windows XP and NTFS (New Technology File System) the 3 1/2 floppy boot disks you would use to recover your system won't be able to help you much as they can't read NTFS. You can make recovery disks, but why, when you can just use your Recovery CD. With Dell, I prefer to buy a 64 or 128 meg memory key instead of a floppy, they usually charge the same price or a few bucks more, but the memory key (thumb drive) has a much larger capacity, and its USB, so you can take it to any PC with a USB port to copy or transfer files.

Definatly get a video card, the standard now is 128 megs, yet there are hardly any games out that will take advantage of the 128 megs of RAM, as games have to be coded specifically for that size (the most common texture sets are 32 and 64 meg). But they are cheap, you can pick up a Geforce FX 5200 or Radion 9200 for less than $100, just use the Dell custom builder to select a card, they are not overpriced at Dell, plus you get support.

For what you want the computer to do, I suggest Dell because of the support. You'll never have to worry about your computer. Like for most people I'm sure price is a huge factor in what computer you want, so thats why you don't have to go overkill on the RAM or the powerful Radion 9800 vid card, you can save hundreds of dollars and still run every game out there if you stay in the Low to Medium range on RAM and Vid cards. You don't need 2 harddrives as the performance increase would only be noticed by an enthusiast with money to burn, besides unless you have RAID 0 (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) the only performance increase would be when big programs load, and the RAM is dumped to the swap file, which would be loaded on harddrive 2 (while the OS is on harddrive 1) however if you have a large amount of RAM, like 512 megs, and a fast harddrive (7200 RPM) then the performance increase would be messured in milliseconds.

The PC you listed in your first post is a good PC for $1400 especially considering you are getting a 15 inch flat panel display. (Which is the size of a 17 inch CRT conventional monitor)

Feel free to PM me if you like, computers are my thing untill I join the infantry :)
 
My 2 cents, FWIW.

I can report nothing but good experience with Dell (1 PC & 1 laptop), but you do pay a little extra upfront.

I've also found TigerDirect.ca to be really good (watch for sales) and I've been told (no first-person experience, though) that NCIX.com is reputable, too.
 
I know this thread is a bit old, but instead of starting a new one I thought I'd just as here.

Does anyone here use Mac? I'm in the market for a new computer and I am considering 'Making the Switch'
I"ve been using only PC for the last...well forever I guess and I've been messing around with my buddies Mac that he has.

I like the operating system and it seems to be a lot less problematic than any PC i've ever used. Basicly I'm tired of Reinstalling windows every few months to make my machine run well again and I feel Windows XP even with all it's bells and whistles, leaves a lot to be desired.

Any thoughts?
 
GerryCan

As someone that actually own a runs a Computer store in Cornwall maybe I can help

Mac's are damn good system for specific things High end graphics design is one of them (most Special effects people use Mac to do there stuff) but the problem with Mac is that there is a limited software applications for them, Often product manufactures don;t even consider Mac when the design things. I'm no Mac expert by anymeans but for general everyday use (internet, games, programs) PC's are just easier to maintain and upgrade and in then long run probably cheaper. Now I'm not saying that PC's are better in fact your right about one thing the Windows operating system is well not the best but a PC's is just easier in the long run.

in the end you'll have to decide what you want to do with your system and how much you dislike Windows.

My oppinion for what it's worth stay with a a PC but don't buy from Dell or Compact or any of places that sell them like Staples, sure sometimes you'll get a good deal but the big thing they don;t tell you is that all the parts in those said machines are Proprietary and as such you want a new video card? good luck you want a new mother board have fun.

Best bet my friend go to the Stores that do computers only tell them what you want to do with the system and what you can afford and trust me you will be much happier. course you could always come find me in Bn and I can hook you up....Hey gotta plug my store right  ;D
 
I've been thinking about the same, based on the experiences of a number of friends and family members ... OS X is a fantastic operating system, has way less problems with viruses and the like, and there are hundreds of free software programs for it (check out http://osx.freshmeat.net/browse/18/ ).  As it is based on Darwin (BSD) it will run craploads of *nix stuff as well (running X Windows and Mac simulataneously).

If you are looking purely at high-end gaming Windows is a batter choice, but OS X looks pretty good for just about everything else ... some Pros and Cons here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system_advocacy#Desktop_systems
 
http://www.alienware.com/ High Powered PCs  ;D
All i can say is Asus makes the best motherboards.
ATI vs Nvidia not too sure anymore but I like ATI  :)
Custom made is the way to go. Dont let them give you some intergrated crap.
 
Asus is by far the the best mother board manufacturer currently, their new PCI Express mother boards are industry leading.

the Current benchmark leaders for grahic cards are the Nvidea series 6800 ultras in both the PCIX and AGP format though at nearly $800 for the card few can afford them, heck I got my 6800 ultra at cost and it still ran 600$. do your research or better yet PM me and I'll give you a run down at what is the best and what they cost to the store vs what the store is charging you so you can do an effective cost comparasion
 
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