Dell Component Quality: Is it true they use cheap components & motherboards?

[Musicbrain]

I'm looking for a quality Desktop that comes with Windows 7 Pro AND with a disc for Windows 8.1. Costco offers this on a few Dell models. Dell offers Win7Pro on some computers at no charge.

Only Dell offers this configuration on SOME of its computers.

However, online searches about Dell have many posts that say Dell uses very cheap components and motherboards. Yet the 8700, for example, uses a 450 w. power supply

HP's ENVY Line, on the other hand, uses:
-- Pegatron motherboards (offshoot from AZUS, with solid caps & is a higher quality board)
-- But, HP uses a skimpy 350 w. PS, not sufficient for even a basic Graphics Card.
-- HP's 4600 onboard graphics is supposedly quite good, unless you do gaming.
-- BUT, HP stupidly provides no HDMI Video output; only VGA & DVI (who wants DVI anymore?), which will not provide audio to a monitor with speakers in it, like mine.
-- HP does have Windows 7, but charge a ridiculous $120 for W7 Pro, & does not provide a Windows 8.1 disc, like Dell.

I searched and searched, but cannot find much information on whose motherboards Dell uses. The closest I could find is a number of the board, but searching gives no information on what this board is. The board number is: 0KWVT8.

Other than a custom-built computer, I do not find a solution for myself.

I don't want cheap components, nor do I want to pay for W7 Pro. Nor do I want a DVI Video output; I want an HDMI. And I want the Power Supply to be able to handle a dedicated Video card.

Any knowledge of any of my questions above would be greatly appreciated.

 

[i7Baby]

If you don't want shoddy or un-repairable components, do'n't buy Dell or HP.

If you want a pre-built try Newegg - http://www.newegg.com/Store/PromotionStore/ID-2125620?name=Gaming-Entertainment

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Win8 (and 8.1) Pro comes with downgrade rights to 7 Professional, and the ISOs are freely available from MS.

Having pulled open Dell displays and a laptop, Dell build quality is... not great. Much the same goes for HP, though.

I would custom build, buy Win8.1 Pro System Builder, and use the downgrade rights.

 

[Musicbrain]

I don't understand "Win8 Pro comes with downgrade rights to W7 Pro."

(1) Could you explain how this works and you physically get W7 Pro to download, and then how you get W8 back? I'm assuming you are provided NO discs for either OS.

(2) Are you then able to burn a disc of each operating system or not? My understanding is that burning any OS disc can result in a disc with errors, and you'll have a messed-up disc that is unuseable.

(3) Is this applicable only to the Pro version of Win8?

(4) DELL CONFUSION: the Dell Inspiron came with the exact opposite---it was preloaded with W7 Pro & had a disc for W8.1 (not marked Pro). The disc is, I believe, purposely confusingly labeled. It further states, "Use this disc only to reinstall the operating system on a Dell Computer." What does that mean? W7 is the only OS on that computer, so how could you "reinstall the operating system," when the computer has only W7 on it?

--The title of the disc in large letters is , "DELL Operating System"
--Below that in a white band is - "Already Installed on your computer." (What is installed? I believe just W7Pro)
--Then in smaller letters under the white band: "Windows 8.1 Recovery Media for Windows 8.1 Products 64-bit."
--Then, in another place on the disc label is states, "For use with a licensed Dell computer." So, I assume they have the disc coded so that you cannot use it to install on any computer but a Dell, and I wonder if it would even work on another Dell computer.

Does anyone know the answers to these questions, or will I need to call Dell to ask?

 

[Musicbrain]

If you don't want shoddy or un-repairable components, do'n't buy Dell or HP.

If you want a pre-built try Newegg - http://www.newegg.com/Store/PromotionStore/ID-2125620?name=Gaming-Entertainment

i7 & Somewhere,

Thanks for responding. i7, I wouldn't know what to choose from NewEgg. I've read reviews on Asuz desktops that say though the boards are great, the computers are not designed well, their customer support is atrocious, and people have had enough problems with them, as opposed to their laptops. Someone like me, who is no computer wiz, I think is best served with a warranty that covers the machine and OS support from MSFT, which I don't know if you get with a custom-built. One can purchase a Square-Trade warranty, even on some custom builts (like from TigerDirect's stores, which I have my reservations about, as the internet is loaded with complaints about how devious and dishonest they are. But even with a Square-Trade warranty, I don't believe you get any support with OS questions and software problems. And I've read positive & negative things about Square-Trade.

SOMEONE SOMEWHERE, I looked up the Win 8.1 System Builder on NewEgg, and it states nothing about "downgrade rights." It also states it can only be used on ONE PC and provides no user end support. Here is a cut and paste:

"This software is intended for pre-installation on a new personal cannot be transferred to another computer once it is installed. To acquire Windows software with support provided by Microsoft please see our full package "Retail" product computer for resale. This OEM System Builder Channel software requires the assembler to provide end user support for the Windows software and offerings."

Please explain.

 

[Musicbrain]

Win8 (and 8.1) Pro comes with downgrade rights to 7 Professional, and the ISOs are freely available from MS.

Having pulled open Dell displays and a laptop, Dell build quality is... not great. Much the same goes for HP, though.

I would custom build, buy Win8.1 Pro System Builder, and use the downgrade rights.

SOMEWHERE (& i7),

From what I have read, I can believe Dell parts and quality are not very good. I am surprised, though, that HP is not either, as they use Pegatron boards. I thought HP had improved over the past years,

Somewhere, when you took apart Dells, what did you find? Junk parts and boards? Poor design?

What about the business Dell or HP desktops? HP gives 3 year on-site service, which indicates to me they must be confident in their product, as it is expensive to provide this type of support on a $800-$1300 computer.

What i7 prebuilt with 8 to 16 G RAM & 1 TB HD would you pick out of what's available in the under $1,000 range?

I haven't gotten into gaming; don't know if I will. But, I eventually would like to install what's needed for the highest quality sound, which are now in some very high resolution format, and audiophiles use some rather expensive soundboards, and burn software, and play software, which they run through an external D/A converter and route to their preamp-amp to play.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

I haven't taken apart a dell desktop. However, having taken apart a couple of Dell displays (my U2412M, plus an old U2405FPW), they use crap capacitors, and the U2412M was held together with tape.

Power supplies tend to be the main issues in desktops; motherboards is really about software and support more than hardware.

MS makes Win7 ISOs publicly available, though they don't do the same for 8/8.1 (you need a valid retail key to download the ISOs).

Your computer should come pre-loaded with a recovery partition that can be burnt to DVDs if you get 8/8.1.

I would strongly suggest doing a DIY one. You get a lot more for your money, and won't need to buy a whole pile of new parts if you want to add a GPU.

 

[i7Baby]

$1000 is too cheap. Try $1100 Asus from NCIX-US - http://www.ncixus.com/products/?sku=92174&vpn=M51AC-US018S&manufacture=ASUS
better than HP or Dell