Specs Selection and Upgradability (XPS 8930)

[izzyw]

Ordered my first desktop recently and have a few questions about upgradability

Current shipping specs are:

- 8th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8700 6-Core Processor (12M Cache, up to 4.6 GHz) - NON K version
- 16GB DDR4 Memory at 2666MHz (4X16GB)
- NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 1070 with 8GB GDDR5 Graphics Memory
- 512GB M.2 PCIe x4 SSD + 2TB 7200 rpm Hard Drive
- XPS 8930, Mainstream Chassis (460W) - PSU - standard

I will mainly use it for 3D architectural modeling in Rhino and image rendering in Vray. May also use 3ds Max, Maya and a couple programming softwares on it too. Looking to use it for at least four to five years without having to upgrade significantly.

My questions:

1. Is this spec that I'm getting good enough and future proof?

2. Are there any restrictions/caveat to upgrade any of the above-mentioned specs?

3. Will the price of this computer go down significantly over Thanksgiving, or in the next 4-6 months? Or put it in other words, is it of good value to purchase now (w about 17% discount)?

Thanks.

 

[Obakasama]

Whether a system is good enough depends on expectations. I would say it's a decent build for the software you mention; probably want more RAM and a more powerful graphics card ideally.

The main restrictions of such a system is it's a Dell pre-built. There are accounts that pre-built systems may restrict upgrade potential even if the new components are physically compatible. Also Dell are known to used proprietary hardware, so standard components for things like cases and PSUs may not be easily changed if possible at all. (It is in the company's interest you purchase a new system than just upgrade.)