Need Help Choosing Comp

senordingdong

I need the advice of someone who knows these things.

Considering getting a new family machine for both work and play but I'm not sure which of these options to pursue....

Dell:

Processor:Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 630 with HT Technology (3.00 GHz, 2MB L2
cache, 800MHz FSB)

Memory:512MB Dual Channel DDR2 RAM

Harddrive:160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)

Graphic Card:256MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 6800 with DVI

Sound Card:Sound Blaster® Audigy 2T (Dell) Sound Card

Optical Drive:16x DVD+/-RW Drive#

Service:1 Year Collect and Return (CAR) service

€1369

Custom:

AMD 64 3000+ processor

1024mb ram

6600gt graphics

Pretty cool custom case

16x +/- dvd recorder

200 gig hard disk

€1050 including all software and games

or...
Komplett:

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ci.asp?sku=10091

€987.40

Reccomendations?

Ciaran500

The custom one is better in every way. Except the graphics card, but since its cheaper than the dell you can upgrade that.

EDIT: Did you include a screen in the custom one?

Loobz

Custom one, definitely.

senordingdong

Thanks for the replies but do you think it would bear much signifigance to inclide the fact that I'm not a comp wiz, so if I went with the custom one and it broke, I'd be lost, but Dell have that aftercare service thing.

Ciaran500

Its not worth getting an inferior machine for Dells shite support.

Beside you have all the help you need on the forums should anything break.

vigos

how about the new up and coming pc from Aldi?

http://www.hofer.at/

should be available on the 17th March

airetam_storm

The komplett option is completly ruled out if you want decent gaming

Dell really dont help out at all unles the computer is on fire/trashed :rolleyes:

senordingdong

Hairy muff.

Thanks again

gamer

go to http:/ireland.aldi.com for full pc specs ,its a more powerfull pc than the dell has multimedia remote control 340gig hard disk,with ms works suite 2005 word money autoroute 2005 etc ,with tv tuner 8channel sound card i presume it has a dvd drive in it at least.and its cheaper than the dell pc.according to other computer thread re aldi pc 17th,translated from german it has dvd drive and dvd burner and its a good all round fast pc with loads a software included.

Atlas_IRL

airetam_storm

The komplett option is completly ruled out if you want decent gaming


y is that?

condra

When you say family Im thinking wife and 2 kids.
When you say work and play Im thinking excel and internet and DVDS.

If you were considering spending up to 1300 or 1400 for that dell wouldnt you consider getting a laptop for say, 1500?

I recently got a laptop and find the benefits of portability are worth every penny.

When many people talk about PCs for gaming they are referrng to some of the top spec graphics cards needed to play the most advanced new 3d games. There is plenty of gaming options for computers/laptops without special graphics cards.

Your whole family can watch DVDs and all that on a laptop, only they can do it in the dining room or the bedroom or beside the fire in the sitting room or in the garden on a warm day. You can bring your laptop to work or to your friends house. Why have a big lump of equipment and wires when you can have a beautifull laptop? buy a laptop and it will become your second wife.. you will kiss it and stroke it and it will love you back.

jayneemac

I love the way Aldi wack on an extra 150 EURO to the price of the PC just because we're Irish :mad:

it is very nice spec all the same...

shinobi

jayneemac wrote:

I love the way Aldi wack on an extra 150 EURO to the price of the PC just because we're Irish :mad:

it is very nice spec all the same...

A hateful little word like TAX wouldn't have any thing to do wit it?

condra

Aldi rock- when i was livin it ruff in Bristol, bumming around, using bins as bathrooms, Aldi gave me orange juice for 14p and beans for 18p. you could get serious diarrhoea for less than a quid thanks to Aldi.

condra

ooops that was Asda.
Aldi suck.

WE WANT AS-DA .. WE WANT AS-DA...

chippo

Custom def. Dell's after sales care shur as hell isnt great anyway
As for a laptop its great if ya need if but if not, not shur its worth it
once the problems start and the will start!

gamer

laptops are very expensive too fix easy too break desktop pc more reliable more suitable for family use,ie u cudnt trust a kid not too drop or break a laptop i havent seen a proper laptop display yet screen is way too dim ,go for pc with 17inch or 19inch crts ,laptops are 4 yuppies execs or engineers not much use for gaming or dvds ,u can always upgrade a pc easy.god help u if u try and open a laptop unless ur a professional engineer ,its trouble and gaurantee is revoked.

gamer

laptop screens are too delicate not suitable for family use display is mediocre at best.

senordingdong

Yeah I'm not interested in laptops.

When I say family I mean everybody in the family will use it.
When I say work I mean a machine that isn't built solely for gaming.
When I say gaming I mean a machine that will play modern games and continue to do so for at least two years. With up-to-date multi-media abilities.

Wertz

@ Gamer:

While I agree laptops aren't the best choice for young family, I strongly disagree that they are no good for dvd viewing,or gaming (within reason) I have a dell 8600 and the screen (wsxga+) is one of the clearest, fastest and brightest(adjustable) displays I've ever seen on all but maybe the most expenive large CRTs. Sure they're fragile but then again so is any screen; the difference being that you don't lug your desktop display round the house or out and about with you.

@ OP: I strongly suggest a visit to dell outlet site if money is an issue. Get decent system there sans monitor for €500-600. A lot on here would say different or suggest you build your own but for hassle free home PC use I don't think they can be beaten. In my own experience of running dells for the last couple of years I've rarely had problems or crashes that weren't of my own doing. Dell main site is kinda a rip off in terms of what they charge for upgrades but outlet has certain configurations of components that work out a lot cheaper; you just have to look for something that suits you and compare to the prices on main site to see if it's worth buying.

senordingdong

Thank you very much for that Wertz...but where are these Dell outlet sites located?

Wertz

Just go their main site and there'll be a link on the front page...

senordingdong

O.K. thanks again.

zod

currently in dell outlet http://www.dell.ie/do

Dimension XPS Generation 3 (System Identifier. 0GE53P5H)
Dimension XPS, MT, P4, HT/3.00GHz/800fsb/1MB
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
System Price EUR 916.00

Dell recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Memory: 1024MB PC-4200 DUAL CHANNEL (2X512mb)
Floppy Drive: 1.44MB Floppy Drive
Hard Disk Drive: 160GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
Video: 128,MB GRAPHICS X300,SE
Modem: V.92 Data Fax Modem Ire/Spn
Sound Card: Sound blaster Live 24 Bit
CD Read-Write Drive: 16 X DVD +/- RW
Software: Microsoft® Works® 7.0
English - Adobe Reader 6.0
MISC: Norton Internet Securities 90 day English
USB KEYBOARD UK MG
Dell 2 Button USB MG Scroll Mouse

€916-79 discount = €838 + VAT + Shipping

bla

zod wrote:

currently in dell outlet http://www.dell.ie/do

Dimension XPS Generation 3 (System Identifier. 0GE53P5H)
Dimension XPS, MT, P4, HT/3.00GHz/800fsb/1MB
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
System Price EUR 916.00

Dell recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Memory: 1024MB PC-4200 DUAL CHANNEL (2X512mb)
Floppy Drive: 1.44MB Floppy Drive
Hard Disk Drive: 160GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
Video: 128,MB GRAPHICS X300,SE
Modem: V.92 Data Fax Modem Ire/Spn
Sound Card: Sound blaster Live 24 Bit
CD Read-Write Drive: 16 X DVD +/- RW
Software: Microsoft® Works® 7.0
English - Adobe Reader 6.0
MISC: Norton Internet Securities 90 day English
USB KEYBOARD UK MG
Dell 2 Button USB MG Scroll Mouse

€916-79 discount = €838 + VAT + Shipping

couple of things about that,

1 : no monitor, all discount/outlet pcs have no monitor, so add a monitor onto the price

2 : more than likely 500 series p4 cpu, no 64bit , and as ms are replacing xp with 64bit for free you wont be able to use the 64bit version

3 : g-card wont play games 6 months from now never mind 2 years

Wertz

zod wrote:

currently in dell outlet http://www.dell.ie/do

Dimension XPS Generation 3 (System Identifier. 0GE53P5H)
Dimension XPS, MT, P4, HT/3.00GHz/800fsb/1MB
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
System Price EUR 916.00

Dell recommends Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Memory: 1024MB PC-4200 DUAL CHANNEL (2X512mb)
Floppy Drive: 1.44MB Floppy Drive
Hard Disk Drive: 160GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
Video: 128,MB GRAPHICS X300,SE
Modem: V.92 Data Fax Modem Ire/Spn
Sound Card: Sound blaster Live 24 Bit
CD Read-Write Drive: 16 X DVD +/- RW
Software: Microsoft® Works® 7.0
English - Adobe Reader 6.0
MISC: Norton Internet Securities 90 day English
USB KEYBOARD UK MG
Dell 2 Button USB MG Scroll Mouse

€916-79 discount = €838 + VAT + Shipping

I thought this was much better value:

Dimension 4700, Pentium 4, (3.0GHz) MiniTower
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
System Price 	EUR [go find it yourself :p ]

  	 Operating System: 	Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
  	 Memory: 	1G Memory, 2 X 512mb (400, 512)
  	 Floppy Drive: 	No Floppy Drive
  	 Hard Disk Drive: 	160GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
  	 Video: 	128 MB PCI Express¿ x16 ATI Radeon¿ X800
  	 Modem: 	V.92 Data Fax Modem Ire/Spn
  	 Sound Card: 	Creative Labs SoundBlaster® Audigy™ 2 Sound Card
  	 CD Read-Write Drive: 	48X/32X DVD/CDRW Combo Drive
  	 Software: 	Microsoft® Works® 7.0
  	 MISC: 	Dell Standard PS2 Keyboard
  	  	Dell 2 Button PS/2 Scroll Mouse
  	  	Norton Internet Securities 90 day English
  	  	DMX Dell Media Experience 2.

All that's missing is an NIC and a dvd writer (both of which are easily upgradable). I doubt the lack of 64bit architecture or 64bit OS is going to effect all but the heaviest users for a good while to come.
Not sure what the x800 card is like but it's got to be better than the fx5200 dell's usually ship with...

The price after I added a 19" SXGA TFT still came out at under a grand (free delivery at the minute too). If I was in the market I'd be snapping this up...