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I just went to Dell and configured a XPS710n (black) system. I added no software at all, no monitor, and no printer.

It includes the following hardware:

- *nVidia 590i chip set on the motherboard
- *720 watt power supply (my memory is a bit hazy on this)
- Intel E6600
- *2gb DDR2 667 RAM (the fastest RAM their system supports)
- *250gb SATA2 primary drive
- *300gb SATA2 secondary drive
- *DVD-RW
- Soundblaster X-Fi sound card
- *nVidia 8800GTX
- Logitech Z5500 speaker system
- Dell USB Keyboard
- Razer Copperhead Gaming Mouse
- *3.5 floppy with 13-in-one card reader
- 1 Year Warranty as long as you don't open the box yourself.

* The actual manufacturer of these components is not specified on the Dell site.

Without an OS, the total price is $3288.00, and I'd have to wait until *June* before it shipped.

In my next post, I'll try to duplicate the same general system specs in a home built machine with all parts being selected at NewEgg.
 
Alright, after shopping it up at NewEgg, here's my parts list. As you might expect, I wasn't able to match each part spec for spec, but where I could, I upped the spec in my box just to remain fair to Dell.

Motherboard - Asus p5N32-SLI (590 chipset) - $212
CPU - Intel E6600 - $235
RAM - G.Skill F2-5400CLD3-2GBGA DDR2667 PC5400 - $189
Video - eVGA 8800GTX - $560
Sound - SB X-Fi - $90
Speakers - Logitech Z5500 - $292
Primary hard drive - WD 250gb SATA2 (retail) $89
Secondary hard drive - WD 320gb SATA2 (retail) $114
DVD-RW - Samsung Black 18x - $31
Floppy/card reader - SIIG JU-91RW12-S4 9-in-1 - $40
Case - Xion Stacker XON-791B - $90
PSU - Silverstone ST75F (750 watt) - $160
Mouse - Razor Copperhead - $59
Keyboard - Logitech Black Deluxe 250 - $8

Total for my home-build system is $2169, and I can have the parts in three to four working days at normal shipping rates. For thos of you not paying real close attention, that's more than $1000 CHEAPER tan buying it from Dell.

If I were upgrading my own personal system, I would not use a 590 chipset motherboard, and I wouldn't need a lot of the stuff in the list. Essentially, I'd be buying a motherboard, cpu, memory, and the two hard drives, and I'd come in with a total cost of about $800.
 
Personally I wouldn't go with a Xion case, they're kind of flimsy. I suppose if you’re not transporting the system that’s not a big deal, but personally I like a case that’s tough as nails so I can lug it to LAN parties :)

Outlaw's right - you will save tons of $$ by building your own system. With a BTO (build-to-order) system you’re paying for the OS (not sure if Dell is allowing you to order systems without an OS in their home/consumer line), a case engineered to accept the particular components and a system with components that have all been tested together to guarantee they play well together (usually). When you build your own system, you are going to have to do a little more work on your own and assume the responsibility of making everything work together. Granted, the work you do on your own is great experience and the more you do it, the easier it is next time around. Be ready for some headaches though, something always doesn’t fit or work quite the way you planned – but that’s half the fun!
 
Keep in mind that "taking the system to lan parties" is not a requirement. I just looked for a full case with at least 2 120mm fan holes. Add to that the fact that I haven't bought a tower case in probably 10 years, and I'm not up on what's the best out there.

A lot of the selections made when building out a new system are made at the whim of the builder. Some folks (like me) don't like tower cases. Some folks prefer ergnomic keyboards, while others (like me) can't stand them.

The point of the previous exercise was to illustrate that a Dell will cost $1000 more than if you were to build a comparable system on your own.
 
http://www.pricewatch.com/

Here is a good starting point for you to look up computer parts
Not all , but many vendors and small company's are here...
The setup is from component to system, with all parts in between...
Starting with a budget, you will be able to get the most bang for the buck...
you can now commence to salivate.
Happy hunting
Martin/Coldsaw
PS Don't wait to buy... as soon as the paint drys it's outdated..
Something is on the drawing board right now to replace it...
 
ahhh but see outlaw P when buying from dell or where ever you get ppl who know how to build it (hopefully) , warranty, and customer service help
but even though its cheaper building it urself sometimes if your relatively new at building comps go with dell or alienware or where ever you want. if your experienced enough build it ur self or if you have some extra then buy from dell or where ever

off topic but 200th post ... gotta love the edit button
 
Ok I suggest that you build your own ussually for a fairly good computer you can build it for about 800-1000 dollers....my uncle and I build computers a lot if you have any questions you can PM me anytime I shop at www.newegg.com
 
Yeah, I agree with Jeffwa on the xion case. They look pretty snazzy, but are also very thin. (they are made of steel too, which rusts!) Question: If you willing to get a p5n32-sli, why don't you just get the 680i? I have never encountered a better overclocking motherboard. It runs quite stable, and has been proven to have higher fps with the 8800 models than any other northbridge chipset. Oh, btw, the E6600 is an EXCELLANT choice for cpu. However, if you really want to save a little cash, you could go for the E6420. It has a lower clock than the E6600, but unlike its predecessor the E6400, it has 4 mb of Level 2 cache. With a little overclock, you can easily match the performance of a "stock" E6600.

Oh yea, I also want to mention that newegg is a great place to go, but don't forget to check out other sites as well. In most cases, I end up buying from tigerdirect rather than Newegg. I find that tigerdirect carries things in stock at a slightly lower rate (for certain items) and best of all, (for me)its out of state. You'll find that the latter can save you quite a large amount of money. Don't forget to check out Directron and ebay. You'll be surprised with what deals they have.
 
I've had a couple of bad experiences with Tiger Direct, and Directron has a dodgy record itself (I've avoided them simply because of bad things people have said about them). No matter where you buy your stuff, make sure their customer service record is decent.
 
BUILD YOUR OWN!!! Otherwise just buy one of them Dell gaming comps. Dell has like the latest and best vidio drivers for top-notch graphics and gaming performance.
 
dell is like the wal-mart brand of comps. i like to think HP is the best, but i would rather have an alienware comp. but yea if u go on hp's website, they let u choose all the stuff u want to come with the computer.
 
Don't buy from Dell, man!

Dell sucks.

HP is great if you want a laptop, otherwise go get a nice am2 motherboard and an n-vidia card, and you're set!
 
Well i'm having this sytem being built for my by Cyberpower and it should be with me anytime this week with nothing wrong with any luck.

Intel Q6600 Quad core cpu with Asus square cooler (four cores rated at 2.4 ghz each)
4 gigs of DDR2 ram
SLI mobo 680I 775
XFX 8800 GTX
500 Gig hard disk
800 watt Tagan SLI PSU
NXET tower case

However this has to last me awhile so i went all the way with my new rig.
 
build your own...you get a better computer for a lower price...and dell is the absolute biggest steaming pile of crap computers known to man..so def. don't get a dell
 
well if u want a good alternative to not building ur own www.cyberpowerpc.com custom gaming pcs for cheap and u could choose all the parts and all and besides that hp dell and all these other companys will only give u basic hardware so u woulnt really enjoy ur gaming
 
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