- Mar 9, 2013
- 1
- 0
- 10,510
My 10 year old Dell computer died and isn’t worth time/money to try to upgrade. I am torn between getting another Dell to save time/stress, or taking a week or two to research/build one to control quality of parts used, ease of future upgrade, etc. I always liked my Dell and never had any problems until I wanted to upgrade this year. I'm not the type who would upgrade every year for bigger/faster parts. Probably wouldn't bother for another 5 or more years either way.
My first question would be “Can I reproduce or improve chosen Dell specs for the same or less money in a build.” My second question would be “Which option (Dell or build) might be better for what I do now, and hopefully still leave room for more strenuous usage in the future?”
There are so many suggested budget builds out there (most seem geared for gaming) that I still feel lost on where to start. My time to research is also fairly limited now as my computer is down and I basically have to try to do all this while I’m at work. Opinions and suggestions would be much appreciated!
The new Dell I’m considering:
XPS 8500 - $931, free shipping (AFA membership discounted price)
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64 bit
Processor: Intel i7 3770 Ivy Bridge QC
Chipset and mobo: Intel H77 “Panther Point” (From Wiki and Dell forums: Intel Chipset H77 with socket LGA 1155. Has two SATA III ports, one PCI Express x16 slot and three PCI Express x1 slots)
DIMM slots: 4
Graphics: NVidia GeForce GT 620 1GB
Audio: Integrated 7.1 surround
Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz 2 DIMMS
Storage: 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0 Gb/s + Intel SRT 32 GB SSD cache
Optical drive: 16x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW)
Network: Integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet
Wireless: Dell Wi-Fi card 1703 802.11b/g/n, BT v4.0+LE
Power: 460w
Ports: Rear- two USB 3.0, four USB 2.0, audio jacks, RJ-45, VGA, HDMI. Front – two USB 3.0, MCR. Top – two USB 2.0 (one powershare), microphone, headphones.
Media: 19.1 media card reader
Build factors:
Approximate Purchase Date: 1-2 weeks
Budget Range: $800-900 w/shipping, before rebates
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Internet (surfing, email, YouTube, downloads, etc), MS Office, light photo editing, burning music & video discs. I multi task a lot, and often have multiple internet windows and programs running, while printing and faxing. Zero interest in gaming on computer.
Parts not required: Monitor, card reader, speakers, mouse. Have an Acer widescreen (about 4-6 years old). Would like to change to new 1024x786 or 1680x1050 in near future. Want to re-use Dell speakers (Harman Kardon HK-395 with subwoofer). Have USB Logitech trackball, USB mouse,
Do you need to buy OS: Yes. Windows 7 Pro 64 bit – most likely OEM. (I’m coming from XP Pro, and not sold on Windows 8)
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, CompUSA, Fry’s, Amazon. Have local CompUSA nearby.
Location: Western Chicago suburbs (DuPage County)
Parts Preferences: Have read good things about Asus and Antec parts. Just don’t want junk.
CPU: i7 (or i5)
Storage: Western Digital, Seagate or comparable. Would like one drive for OS/programs (SSD?) and 1T SATA for data files.
Memory: 8-12GB. Crucial, GSkill, Kingston, Corsair, Mushkin.
Graphics card: NVidia.
Optical Drive: DVD/CD +/-RW drive (no BluRay).
Case/power: Probably would rather have bigger power supply than necessary than end up underpowered. Would like case with good airflow, cable management, and room to work in for upgrades. No need for bling or style, plain black or grey is fine. Need 2 or 3 USB ports and headphone jack in front of case and six or more USB in back (mix of 2.0 and 3.0)
Network: RJ-45. Modem? Wireless not needed. I have a USB wireless adapter.
Keyboard: Will pick up basic USB keyboard
Overclocking: No
SLI or Crossfire: No
Additional Comments: Programs frequently used: MS Office, PaintShop Pro, Nero Burning ROM. Would like a system I can upgrade as needed/finances allow.
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: 10 year old Dell Dimension 2400 just bit the dust. Video card started failing, then boot failure (powers on/green light, fan ok, mobo green light, gives 2 beeps, in back lights ABC green, D amber). Glad I back-up regularly!
Was ready for change anyway – computer was slow, hard drive was 90% full. Here’s system I’m coming from. Nothing really re-useable.
OS: XP Pro
Storage: 80GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
Memory: 4 MB dual channel DDR SDRAM (upgraded)
Video card: 128MB DDR GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI
Sound card: Sound Blaster Live 5.1 Dolby Digital PCI
Speakers: Harman Kardon HK-395 with Subwoofer
Network: Integrated Intel PRO 10/100 Ethernet
Drives: 4x DVD+R/+RW Drive (w/16x DVD), 16X DVD ROM Drive, 3.5 floppy
Modem: 56K PCI Telephony Modem
My first question would be “Can I reproduce or improve chosen Dell specs for the same or less money in a build.” My second question would be “Which option (Dell or build) might be better for what I do now, and hopefully still leave room for more strenuous usage in the future?”
There are so many suggested budget builds out there (most seem geared for gaming) that I still feel lost on where to start. My time to research is also fairly limited now as my computer is down and I basically have to try to do all this while I’m at work. Opinions and suggestions would be much appreciated!
The new Dell I’m considering:
XPS 8500 - $931, free shipping (AFA membership discounted price)
OS: Windows 7 Pro 64 bit
Processor: Intel i7 3770 Ivy Bridge QC
Chipset and mobo: Intel H77 “Panther Point” (From Wiki and Dell forums: Intel Chipset H77 with socket LGA 1155. Has two SATA III ports, one PCI Express x16 slot and three PCI Express x1 slots)
DIMM slots: 4
Graphics: NVidia GeForce GT 620 1GB
Audio: Integrated 7.1 surround
Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz 2 DIMMS
Storage: 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0 Gb/s + Intel SRT 32 GB SSD cache
Optical drive: 16x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW)
Network: Integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet
Wireless: Dell Wi-Fi card 1703 802.11b/g/n, BT v4.0+LE
Power: 460w
Ports: Rear- two USB 3.0, four USB 2.0, audio jacks, RJ-45, VGA, HDMI. Front – two USB 3.0, MCR. Top – two USB 2.0 (one powershare), microphone, headphones.
Media: 19.1 media card reader
Build factors:
Approximate Purchase Date: 1-2 weeks
Budget Range: $800-900 w/shipping, before rebates
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Internet (surfing, email, YouTube, downloads, etc), MS Office, light photo editing, burning music & video discs. I multi task a lot, and often have multiple internet windows and programs running, while printing and faxing. Zero interest in gaming on computer.
Parts not required: Monitor, card reader, speakers, mouse. Have an Acer widescreen (about 4-6 years old). Would like to change to new 1024x786 or 1680x1050 in near future. Want to re-use Dell speakers (Harman Kardon HK-395 with subwoofer). Have USB Logitech trackball, USB mouse,
Do you need to buy OS: Yes. Windows 7 Pro 64 bit – most likely OEM. (I’m coming from XP Pro, and not sold on Windows 8)
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, CompUSA, Fry’s, Amazon. Have local CompUSA nearby.
Location: Western Chicago suburbs (DuPage County)
Parts Preferences: Have read good things about Asus and Antec parts. Just don’t want junk.
CPU: i7 (or i5)
Storage: Western Digital, Seagate or comparable. Would like one drive for OS/programs (SSD?) and 1T SATA for data files.
Memory: 8-12GB. Crucial, GSkill, Kingston, Corsair, Mushkin.
Graphics card: NVidia.
Optical Drive: DVD/CD +/-RW drive (no BluRay).
Case/power: Probably would rather have bigger power supply than necessary than end up underpowered. Would like case with good airflow, cable management, and room to work in for upgrades. No need for bling or style, plain black or grey is fine. Need 2 or 3 USB ports and headphone jack in front of case and six or more USB in back (mix of 2.0 and 3.0)
Network: RJ-45. Modem? Wireless not needed. I have a USB wireless adapter.
Keyboard: Will pick up basic USB keyboard
Overclocking: No
SLI or Crossfire: No
Additional Comments: Programs frequently used: MS Office, PaintShop Pro, Nero Burning ROM. Would like a system I can upgrade as needed/finances allow.
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: 10 year old Dell Dimension 2400 just bit the dust. Video card started failing, then boot failure (powers on/green light, fan ok, mobo green light, gives 2 beeps, in back lights ABC green, D amber). Glad I back-up regularly!
Was ready for change anyway – computer was slow, hard drive was 90% full. Here’s system I’m coming from. Nothing really re-useable.
OS: XP Pro
Storage: 80GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
Memory: 4 MB dual channel DDR SDRAM (upgraded)
Video card: 128MB DDR GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI
Sound card: Sound Blaster Live 5.1 Dolby Digital PCI
Speakers: Harman Kardon HK-395 with Subwoofer
Network: Integrated Intel PRO 10/100 Ethernet
Drives: 4x DVD+R/+RW Drive (w/16x DVD), 16X DVD ROM Drive, 3.5 floppy
Modem: 56K PCI Telephony Modem
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