Dude, recommend me a Dell

[Reed]

I've bought some Dell machines in the past, but it's been quite a while because I built my last couple computers. I haven't kept up on CPUs, video cards, etc, and don't feel like doing that whole dance this time around.

This will be my main PC and used for the occasional Dragon Age or Call of Duty. Don't really want to spend more than 1k on it.

Is the XPS 8000 or 9000 what I want? What video card should I go for?

[Woolen Horde]

First thing, get an account at Fatwallet and shop from there. Usually can find a 25-percent coupon code. Make sure that you go to Dell from Fatwallet when you're signed in, because if you buy you also get about 3-percent cash back from Fatwallet. I got about $50 this year because I went through them.

http://www.fatwallet.com/cash-back/Dell-Home-Systems/

[Woolen Horde]

Using a coupon code I just configured this in about 2 minutes.


Studio XPS 8000
Studio XPS 8000, Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit, English
Edit Item

Remove Configuration
$1,328.00
Special coupon offer: Save 20%
Limited Time Offer View Details Remove Coupon
-$265.60
No interest on Studio XPS systems if paid in full within 12 months!
Limited Time Offer! View Details

Catalog Number: 29 DXDAKS1
Module Description Description Product Code & SKU Product Code & SKU
Studio XPS 8000 Studio XPS 8000 SX8WH [224-6177]
Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit, English W7HP6E [330-4490][330-6097][420-6436][420-6576][420-8873][421-0092][421-0323][421-1603][463-2282]
Processors Studio XPS 8000, Intel® Core™ i5-750 processor(8MB Cache, 2.66GHz) SXI5750 [317-1686]
Memory 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1066MHz - 4 DIMMs 8G1064D [317-1683]
Keyboard Dell Studio Consumer Multimedia Keyboard MMKM [330-3828]
Monitor No Monitor N [320-7810]
Video Card nVidia GeForce GTS240 1024MB GDDR3 GTS240 [320-1159]
Hard Drives 750GB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache 750S [341-0283]
Mouse Dell Studio Optical Mouse OM [330-3826]
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 9.0 Multi-Language AAREAD [410-1867]
Optical Drive 16X DVD+/-RW Drive W7DVDRW [313-8757][313-8760][421-1412]
Sound Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio IS [313-7186]
Speakers No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system) N [313-6138]
Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) Microsoft Works 9.0 XWRK9 [420-8103]
Security Software McAfee SecurityCenter, 15-Months MC1015M [410-2152]
Service 2Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis S2OS [420-8878][902-0931][903-6378][903-6497][903-8741][904-6090][950-3338][960-8700]
Datasafe Dell Online Backup 2GB for 1 year DOB2GB [420-9518][988-0099][988-7707]
Collapse Configuration Details

Move to Wish List

Sub Total $1,062.40
Additional Discounts and Coupons
Free shipping on select* XPS Desktops over $799.
Expires Thursday, January 21, 2010 View Details

[Reed]

Thanks! Those coupons look great.

[Pogo]

What a waste of money. What are you going to use all your old components for? Does someone really need a new mouse/keyboard/DVDRW drive every 2 years?

(Speakers are required to hear audio from your system)
Thanks Dell for insinuating that your average buyer is a peon.

[Wisbechlad]

FWIW, just ran into an acquaintance from Intel, asked her "I5 or I7?" Her response was to wait another 2-3 months, that some significant I7 improvements are on the (and that she herself is waiting to upgrade)

[Alistair]

Awesome. Also true for any day in the last 4 decades. But still :)

[Hawkeye Fierce]

Yeah, there has never been a point in PC history where waiting six months won't get you something better than what you're looking at now, or get what you're looking at now cheaper.

[Hugin]

To be fair, there are times when waiting gets you in on the beginning of a technology with growth potential, rather then the end of something dead ended, or something significantly flawed.

[Woolen Horde]

Originally Posted by Hugin

To be fair, there are times when waiting gets you in on the beginning of a technology with growth potential, rather then the end of something dead ended, or something significantly flawed.

The next Intel update is a "tick" on its "tick, tock" cycle. The tick basically introduces a smaller manufacturing process (this time it's 45 nm to 32 nm). The tock is when they introduce a brand new archiecture.

Last year was a tock with the introduction of a the archiecture the Core i7 (and i5 and such) are built on; it's a new direction from the Core 2 series. This year is a tick; shrinking the Core i7 down. The biggest thing is that since they're using a smaller process, they can squeeze more chips in the same area, so the upcoming Core i7 has 6 cores instead of 4.

Next year is a tock, so a new architecture next year. So unless you really want 6 cores, buy now.