New Computer Specs - Opinions Please

cianr

Hi All,

Im planning to buy a new desktop from Dell. In the past Ive only ever had laptops and none have had the option of being configured before sale so now that Im faced with all these options im very confused! :rolleyes:

Im looking for a nice spec'd desktop,decent for playing games(im not a hardcore gamer but I'd want something that could comfortably be able to play any game that might come out in the next couple of years) and something that is fairly "future proof". I find the Dell site can be quite confusing - i.e. if I pick a basic package I might be able to add a 3ghz cpu but then the option for graphics card is limited to 256mb and I have to start again...

Anyway, I'd really appreciate any input you might have. This is what Im looking at right now:

Components
PROCESSOR	Intel® Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600 (2.40GHz, 1066MHz, 8MB cache)	edit
OPERATING SYSTEM	Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 - English	edit
MICROSOFT APPLICATION SOFTWARE	Microsoft® Works 9 - English	edit
HARDWARE SUPPORT	1Yr XPS Premium Warranty Support - Priority Call In and Onsite Support	edit
MONITOR	23in S2309W WIDESCREEN UK Black (1920 x 1080)	edit
HARD DRIVE	640 GB Serial ATA non Raid (7200 Rpm)	edit
MEMORY	4096MB 1067 MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [4x1024]	edit
GRAPHICS CARD	512MB ATI® Radeon™ 4850 Graphics card	edit
OPTICAL DRIVE	16X DVD+/-RW (Read/Write DVD, CD)	edit
KEYBOARD	Dell Multimedia USB Keyboard Black - UK	edit
MOUSE	Dell Laser Mouse USB (6 buttons scroll) Black	edit
Accessories
SOUND SOFTWARE	Integrated HDA 7.1 Dolby Digital Audio	edit
SPEAKERS	Dell™ A525 Speakers with Subwoofer	edit
FLOPPY/MEDIA DRIVES	19-in-1 Media Card Reader	edit
WIRELESS NETWORKING 	Internal Enhanced Wireless 802.11n PCIe Card 

Some questions:

• 64 Bit Vista - How do i ensure this is what I end up getting?
• Expansion Slots/Bays - Is it easily upgradeable?
• Tv Card - is it worth getting one of these?
• Bluetooth - I saw it mentioned on the first page you could add bluetooth but I didnt see anywhere to add it to the system.

As I said I really have no clue about these kinds of things so I really appreciate any input!
Thanks!

cianr

After reading this article on Wikipedia about Windows Media Centre I think I might get a TV Card with it. Does anyone have any experience of using these two together? According to the Wikipedia reference you can record tv etc. etc. Does it work well?

Ubaroo

Woa nice pc, but i'd say it might set you back quite a bit

Installing stuff in expansion slots is as easy as, well easy, just open the up case pop in what ever you want to put in (make sure its in the right slot) close the case, done

I'm not sure about the bluetooth thing but i know you can get usb ones for about a 10er in any pc shop... think you can get em in argos too

And I don't know about the tv card as I have never used one.

I didnt know there was such a thing as ddr3 1067mhz ram?

That pc is defo future proofed

kaizersoze

cianr wrote:

64 Bit Vista - How do i ensure this is what I end up getting?

You can't afaik. Dell won't install it for you especially when the system isn't in the business catagory. For retail versions of Vista (Business and Ultimate at least), you can order the 64 bit disc from Microsoft for a nominal fee and install it yourself. I'm not sure if you can for the OEM version that Dell will install. I may be wrong on that and wait to be corrected.:)
Why do you think you'll need it? It can often be more trouble than it's worth when it comes to driver and software compatability. Other than being able to use more than 3.5 gig of RAM I can't see any advantage to it for home use.

Expansion Slots/Bays - Is it easily upgradeable?

The XPS range is very well set up for future expansion. I haven't come accross the 430 yet but they usually have plenty of free slots and bays and are usually pre-cabled for adding drives and the like.

Tv Card - is it worth getting one of these?

Personal choice really but from what I've seen with customers I've gotten them for, the novelty soon wears off.

Bluetooth - I saw it mentioned on the first page you could add bluetooth but I didnt see anywhere to add it to the system.

There's an option th replace the standard 19-in-1 card reader to one with bluetooth built in.

Those speakers (A525) are ok but not worth €80 imho.

Ubaroo wrote:

but i'd say it might set you back quite a bit

Around €1,360 I'd say.;)

cianr

Ubaroo wrote: »

That pc is defo future proofed

Thats what I wanted to hear! hehe! As I say my experience up to now has been with laptops which pretty much lack the ability to be upgraded reasonably. Want this machine to last a good few years!

Other than being able to use more than 3.5 gig of RAM I can't see any advantage to it for home use.

Ok Ill need to do my homework on this! But if its not 64bit then is there any point in getting more than 3.5GB of RAM?

The XPS range is very well set up for future expansion. I haven't come accross the 430 yet but they usually have plenty of free slots and bays and are usually pre-cabled for adding drives and the like.

Perfect! Thanks for that!

There's an option th replace the standard 19-in-1 card reader to one with bluetooth built in.

Those speakers (A525) are ok but not worth €80 imho.

I didnt notice that about the bluetooth - cheers! As for the speakers - Ill have a google and see what else it out there. And as for the tv card, I was worried it might be a gimmick - ill google the ones they offer and see if its worth getting. It'd be nice to be able to watch tv on it but Ill see what other peoples' experience of them are.

Many thanks for both your replies!

cianr

I hit the order button yesterday! Went for the specs above but decided to go for the Logitech speakers instead. Also I decided to leave the TV card 'til a future date - I like the potential of it but Ill need to do a bit more investigation first.

Many thanks for both your comments!

cianr

Got this at the start of the week - very happy with it!

Thanks to both of you for your help!:)

kaizersoze

Enjoy.:)