First Time Prospective Core I7 Builder vs Dell XPS 9000 Core I7

varocketry

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Hello all:

Long time lurker whose never built a system. I personally will pay a bit of a premium for a better performing chip set (like Intel Core I7) that may last a number of years. After all, I've stretched the life of a Dell Optiplex G240 until it won't play any game made today.

I've spent the time to compare components and pricing of a DELL XPS 9000 Core I7 920 system against similar components sourced at NEWEGG and find there's only $100. or so difference in price. I suppose someone with argue at the lower NEWEGG cost, I'm still getting some enhanced components like a 700w certified power supply versus 475w in the Dell system.

But Dell bundles a WIN7 OS and warranty and support into that small difference. AND - the DELL machine comes BUILT out of a box.

I've done loads of repairs, hard drive swaps, fan replacements, cpu swaps, memory upgrades, etc. But I consider that to still be far different than building disparate manufacturer's parts into a working PC.

I'm struggling to find a significant benefit here. I'd appreciate more experience views here.

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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: as soon as I can figure this all out, preferably within a week or two.

BUDGET RANGE: under $2000, prefer to bring this down if possible without sacrificing too much.

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Business use, Some gaming, INternet browsing, Web development with Dreamweaver and Photoshop.
Would like to be able for kids to do video and audio editing esp. for scholarship applications now requiring movies - Never had a home machine powerful enough.


PARTS NOT REQUIRED: monitor - or maybe a 2nd monitor if these cards support two displays - I don't know how to research that point.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: anywhere reputable.

PARTS PREFERENCES: None, just good compatibility desired

OVERCLOCKING: probably not; mild OC if anything

MONITOR RESOLUTION: Hmmmm... my PCs were never really powerful enuff to worry about this. I do have a 22" widescreen ACER LCD now but have run it at the limitations of the old video card.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
* I value performance and reliability.
* This would be my first complete home build.
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Studio XPS 9000: DELL
Case: XPS 9000
Power supply: 475W
Mobo: Intel Motherboard
Proc: Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor(8MB L3 Cache, 2.66GHz)
OS: Win 7 Home Premium, 64bit
1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
Memory: 6GB Tri-Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 6 DIMMs
hard drive: 500GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
Optical Drive: 16x CD/DVD Burner & Roxio 10
Video Card: nVidia GeForce GTX 260 1792MB
Sound Card: Soundblaster® X-Fi™ Xtreme Audio
Speaker: Bose Companion 2 Series II Multimedia Speaker System
Keyboard: Dell USB Consumer Multimedia Keyboard
Mouse: Dell Studio Optical Mouse
Integrated 10/1000 Ethernet

DELL $1,528.00


NewEgg

Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 932 ATX Full Tower 139.99
Powersupply: OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ700MXSP 700W SLI Certified $99.99 *
Mobo: ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX $289.99
Proc: Intel® Core™ i7-920 processor(8MB L3 Cache, 2.66GHz) $288.99
OS: WIN7 Ultimate UVA Student discount $10
Memory: CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB DDR3 SDRAM 1600 Triple Channel $229.99
Hard drive: WD Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA $109.99
Optical Drive: LITE-ON Black 24X D SATA CD/DVD Burner $31.99
Video Card: EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit $189.99
Sound Card: Integrated MB - Eight channels of HD sound -ADI AD2000B audio chipset $0
Speakers: Bose Companion 2 Series II Multimedia Speaker System $99
Keyboard: Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000 $17.99
Mouse: Logitech LX3 Silver/Black 3 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB or PS/2 Wired Optical Mouse $21.99
Integrated 10/1000 Ethernet

NewEgg $1,529.90
$(55.00) Combo rebate on Proc/Case/MB
$(30.00) Mail-in rebate on Proc/Case/MB

$1,444.90 Total
 

masterasia

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Build your own is always better. That PSU on the Dell sucks, the ram is the slowest DDR3 Speed, that hard drive is probably a slow one, and overall Dell sucks. Their Ultra Sharp monitors are the only thing they got going for them. AlienWare is overrated. I would also not use anything OCZ, except for maybe their high end SSDs. OCZ sucks. That's just my opinion. Yes, I'm a Dell Hater.
 

impaledmango

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ocz has some descent ram. Check them out, unless your going to overclocking your ram, you dont need dominators. You can easily save $100 by going for some g-skill or ocz ram at the same timings and speed, then put the money towards a better graphics card like a 5850.
 

mortonww

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Yeah, you can definitely save a couple bucks on RAM by going with the OCZ Platinum tripple channel 1600 MHz DDR3 kit. That would be around $70 savings.

And it's a good kit. Low voltage, relatively tight timings (7-7-7-24). I think there are some out there by Mushkin with 7-6-7-18 timings, but those cost a bit more. And the platinums are decently overclockable as seen in any review of the kit.


A Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB would be a faster drive in that size range. It's also cheaper than the Western Digital ($80 versus $110). That saves you about $30

So that takes your total to about 1344.90.

As for the benefits of building yourself: It's a lot of fun, you become more comfortable with the hardware you're using, you get to make sure that all your components are fairly high quality.

You choose your upgrade path, your motherboard features, etc.
 

overshocks

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Sounds like you're a OCZ hater too. Why does OCZ suck? Provide evidence.

To OP: Dell does suck, building your own computer is always better because it's cheaper. That intel board on the dell comp sucks against the other x58 mobos. Overall it just sucks, didn't bother listing all the crappy things dell has
 

masterasia

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I had 3 bad sets of ram in the past 3 months. RMA-ing takes forever. They don't have anything in stock at their warehouse. They have
to ship from Taiwan. I've also had a Fatal1ty PSU go out on me in less than a year. The Fatal1ty PSU was in a computer that
doesn't even play games. One of the sets of RAM came out of one of my system that barely gets used at all (no overclock either).
I've read mixed reviews about their SSDs so I'm afraid the try them out.

I guess in the past year, I've had a lot of bad experience with OCZ. One thing I did like about them was that they do follow through on their
rebates pretty fast. Faster than any other company that issues rebates.
 
Case: CM HAF 932 or ANTEC 1200
MoBo: An upgrade to the Asus Rampage II Extreme would get you the Supreme Xi-Fi daughter card similar to what the Dell provides.
Powersupply: Corsair TX / Antec TP Series if single GFX / Corsair HX / Antec SG or CP Series if dual cards
Memory: Mushkin 98692 have low CAS timings for same price
Hard drive: The WD Black is fast in the 2 TB Model, 1 TB is slower. Any 500 GB per platter latest gen drive.
Video Card: Underpowered for rest of system ... see below

The 260 remains one of the few viable choices "value wise" for nVidia....then again DX 11 is here w/ ATI and it ain't for nVidia so you may want to consider that DX11 may come to be a factor 2-3 years down the road and instead grab a DX11 card if you don't wanna upgrade within 2 years or so. Then again if you like PhysX effects (see the Batman w/ PhysX review over at firingsquad.com), nVidia remains the only game in town.

Your budget leaves room for a monitor upgrade ... as much as I hate to give money to dell, the 2408WFP (S-PVA panel $450) and U2410 (IPS panel $550) remain two of the few affordable non TN panels around.

Since you do photography, might want to consider spending $35 here:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820176016
 

brockh

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There's a much larger difference than $100 in those two component lists.

The Newegg build has a better PSU, better memory, better harddrive, better motherboard, better optical drive, and I wouldn't be suprised if the case wasn't arguably better as well.

As far as "support" and "warranties" goes, I do hope you realize each of the individual components you buy come with a warranty (most of which are at or over a year -- full replacement, no questions asked, as well as online and/or phone support from each of the respective companies), and it's not like Dell has stellar over-the-phone customer service for any other problem you'd have.
 

varocketry

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What great feedback. I will attempt to summarize the sugegsted changes and post an updated config here. I, too, was thinking of the higher quality Divx 11 capable board with the savings and suggestions made above.
Thanks all.
 

overshocks

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That's too bad, I guess you were pretty unlucky. Well, that's just personal experiences and that you were the unlucky one out of the many. Some people could have experienced what you had experienced with other companies
 

varocketry

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All:

Thanks for the prior feedback on a prospective build. I've received a number of comments that the X58 chipset MOBOs are not stable and to avoid the CoreI7 920 that I prefer. I'd appreciate comments from any of you.

And comments on the Radeon 5850 which is a strong perfomer and has Directx 11 support.

I'd appreciate one more round of comments especiaally if I've missed an important item for the build.

Processor: Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core - $288.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202
Motherboard: ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - $414.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.291021
RAM: CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) (6 gig RAM bundled)

Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full - $139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / - $139.99
EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009
CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Intel Core i7 V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle - $49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103055
Harddrives: WD Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 SATA 3.0Gb/s (qty:2) - $149.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319
Video Card: DIAMOND 5850PE51G Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI - $309.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103085
Keyboard - Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000 - $17.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823109149
SOund Card: Internal to motherboard

Speakers: Logitech S-220 17 Watts 2.1 Multimedia Speaker - $23.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121014
CD/DVD Burner: PLEXTOR Black 24X DVD+R 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD/CD Writer - $52.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827249054

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$1588.88

Thanks very much for your thoughts and comments.
I'm ready to buy this from NEWEGG so my son and I can build over Thanksgiving.
 

hkfosho

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To all the people hating on Dell XPS 9000 - yes it does suck badly when comparing to custom built high-end desktops, but you must also understand that there is a huge population of users who are not geeky to the extreme, and simply use the computer just for the sake of using it, without worrying too much on performance and other aspects. As a computer user myself who happens to play games casually, I wouldn't even need half of the quality of some of these custom-made desktop specs. If you're not experienced in building your own desktop, I recommend you buy one from dell, preferably the 8000/90000 series. It is seriously in the rankings of middle/higher end desktops and I think people are setting the bars too high for the mainstream users. If you're worried about the PSU, you shouldn't be because it works very smoothly and it will easily be able to handle gtx 260. The 8000/9000 series will definitely last you for 2-4 years.

All I'm saying is, don't get too hyped about aiming for high-end desktops, because we will always eventually replace it with better models; just lay back on your chair and let the renowned retailers build it for you if you're not too experienced - you save alot buying rather than build too ;)
 

brockh

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The point was never to "hate" on the components (well, maybe some of it), but they just cost too much. If you're open to building one you can spend the same amount of money and get a lot more which will last you longer, it's simple. If not, you have no other option but to buy a prebuilt one. There is no arguing between the value of building it yourself and buying one -- building it yourself will net a better computer. My first build took two or three hours. I'd say it was well worth it.
 

impaledmango

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First off you have the wrong point of view. You do not have to build a highend PC, you can build a PC at any end of the spectrum of computers and inbetween. That Is the main point of building your own PC, you choose the parts and with any reasonable budget you can get the most out of your money. On the other hand all the PC from the retailers are pre-built, lack quality hardware, pushing of the limits of the parts just so it is stable enough to be sold (nothing more, hopefully nothing less), more expensive price, no real upgradability path, and limited customization.

Second, building a computer is EASY, I built my first gaming rig a little over a month ago and it was sooo much easier then I thought it would be. An hour putting it together, then 1.5 hours for cable management :/, and then like 30-45min to install OS and I was done, no complications at all. I even taught 2 other friends to build their own PCs. I even took it apart last week to install the cooler, tbh once you build a computer once, it feels natural and less stressful! Of course their's the stress if something goes wrong, but from what I've heard the RMA process is much better then indian customer service!

My opinion is, alienwares, dells and all those other expensive pre-built computers are for either A) console kids who are rich and just get their parents to buy them a PC B) People who like to treat themselves, or others for something C) People who are just rich enough to not give ashit they are getting Ripped off! Other then that I honestly see no legit reason to buy pre-built.
Third,
 

varocketry

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Update: I saw a number of the components show up on NEW EGG's Black Friday sale and I went down to Microcenter to buy the Core I7 920 for $199. which is a screaming price.

All the parts except the Radeon 5870 should arrive Monday. I'll have to keep trying to catch the video card when it restocks at NEWEGG or Amazon.

I saved about an additional $300. using Black Fridays sales.
 

mrfun

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Take a look at this. This is on its way now. should have it in a week or so:
1 224-4399 Studio XPS 9000 $1819.00
11 317-0078 8GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz $0.00 317-0067 Studio XPS 9000, Intel Core i7-920 processor (8MB L3 Cache 2.66GHz) $0.00

1 330-3828 Dell Consumer Multimedia Keyboard, US $0.00
1 320-0928 Dell 22 inch ST2210 Widescreen Flat Panel $0.00
1 320-8404 ATI Radeon HD 5870 $0.00
1 341-8519 1TB Serial ATA 2 Hard Drive 7200 RPM $0.00
1 421-1603 Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English $0.00
1 420-7938 Dell Connect 2.1 $0.00
1 421-0530 Dell Support Center 2.0 64bit $0.00
1 420-8873 Dell Dock Consumer $0.00
1 421-1183 Download Store Links $0.00
1 420-6576 DELL WELCOME,Software Dimension/Inspiron $0.00
1 420-9691 DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic $0.00
1 420-6436 PC-Restore, Dim/Insp $0.00
1 421-0323 Windows Live Search,Multiple User Interface $0.00
1 330-6097 You have chosen a Windows 7 System $0.00
1 330-3826 Dell Studio USB Optical Mouse $0.00
1 313-3607 No modem requested for Dell Dimension $0.00
1 410-1867 ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE $0.00
1 420-8151 Roxio Creator 10 Premiere Blu-Ray, Factory Installed $0.00
1 421-1414 Cyberlink Power DVD 8.3 Blu-Ray Disk Playback $0.00
1 313-8921 Dual Drives: DVD+/-RW with BD-RE $0.00
1 313-7878 Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium $0.00
1 313-4514 No Speaker Requested $0.00
1 430-0682 Dell 1525 WLAN PCIe card with11n mini-Card & external antenna $0.00
1 410-6669 McAfee SecurityCenter 15 Month Subscription, English $0.00
1 420-8103 Microsoft Works 9.0, English $0.00
1 950-3338 2 Year Limited Warranty $0.00
1 993-5468 Dell Limited Hardware Warranty Plus In-Home Service [after Remote Diagnosis], Extended Year(s) $0.00
1 993-5477 Dell Limited Hardware Warranty Plus In-Home Service [after Remote Diagnosis], Initial Year $0.00
1 986-1361 Next Business Day Banctec In-home Service after Remote Diagnosis, 1 Year Extended $0.00
1 992-6110 Next Business Day In-home Service after Remote Diagnosis, Initial Year $0.00
1 902-0931 Dell Limited Hardware Warranty 7X24 Technical Support, 1 Year Extended $0.00
1 960-8700 Dell Limited Hardware Warranty 7X24 Technical Support, Initial Year $0.00
1 412-0360 Soft Contracts - Banctec $0.00
1 988-7707 2GB DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 FOR SDO/DIM/INS/XPS $.00
1 988-0099 To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online $.00
1 420-9518 DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 2GB $0.00
1 330-0172 S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom forDHS Desktops $0.00
 

snowgoer1998

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.
Update11-129-042 Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #:Three Hundred
Item #:N82E16811129042
Return Policy:Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
In Stock
$69.99 -$10.00 Instant $59.99
. .
Update14-102-856 SAPPHIRE 100281SR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video ... - Retail
Model #:100281SR
Item #:N82E16814102856
Return Policy:VGA Replacement Only Return Policy
In Stock
$409.99 $409.99
. .
Update17-139-012 CORSAIR CMPSU-650HX 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Model #:CMPSU-650HX
Item #:N82E16817139012
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Mail in Rebate Card17-139-012

$139.99 -$20.00 Instant $119.99
. .
Update19-115-202 Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
Model #:BX80601920
Item #:N82E16819115202
Return Policy:CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
In Stock
$288.99 $288.99
. .
Update20-227-365 OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G1600LV6GK - Retail
Model #:OCZ3G1600LV6GK
Item #:N82E16820227365
Return Policy:Memory Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Mail in Rebate Card20-227-365

$149.99 $149.99
. .
Update22-152-185 SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Model #:HD103SJ
Item #:N82E16822152185
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
$89.99 $89.99
. .
Update24-236-050 ASUS VW224U Black 22" 2ms(GTG) Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
Model #:VW224U
Item #:N82E16824236050
Return Policy:Monitor Replacement Only Return Policy
In Stock
Mail in Rebate Card24-236-050

$189.99 -$20.00 Instant $169.99
. .
Update27-136-176 LG Black 8X Blu-ray Burner SATA Model WH08LS20 - Retail
Model #:WH08LS20
Item #:N82E16827136176
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
$179.99 $179.99
. .
Update32-116-752 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
Model #:GFC-00564
Item #:N82E16832116752
Return Policy:Software Return Policy
In Stock
$104.99 $104.99



Subtotal: $1,573.91


Buy building an equivalent (and much higher quality) system yourself, you could have saved roughly $250

Hence, the reason for building vs. buying

Also...I know I know...it's an old post...
 

Dave239

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Apr 2, 2010
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All depends what you want to do. I have built my last two computers, but this time I bought a Dell x9000.

I7-960,3.2,Bloomfield
12G,6X2GB,1066
Hard Drive,750G
Card,Graphics,Ati,5870
Blu-ray Rewritable,6X
Dvd+/-rw,Dvd-ram

Also has wireless card and media reader.

1,427.15 from Dell outlet.
 

hkfosho

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Nov 28, 2009
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Eh, I'm pretty much the B.) & C.) category although I'm not too rich, probably higher than the average-income family. I understand 99% of the people in this community see it as common sense to build your own rig rather than buying one from a retailer, but the general norm just want *** handed to them without all the hassle, even average-income families. All my friends and family buy their PCs and laptops from retailers. Yeah I get it, there are tons of tutorials out there on building your own PC and how it'll only take 1.5 hours or so of your life, but most of us outside the internet are not tech-savvy, and just want stuff handed to us.

That being said, to anyone who comes across this topic thinking it's unjust to buy from a retailer; it's not. Don't get discouraged from the criticisms of these retailers, Dell is a completely fine company with products that work just as fine as custom-built ones. And don't be fooled into the stereotypes that customer service from Dell sucks just because it's from someone in India.