geeteebee Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 My home PC will no longer access the internet. It is 5 years old and it has led a good life. Below is what I've priced off Dell and I think it gives me what I need. It will be used for spreadsheets, word docs, photo editing, video editing, game playing and internet. My current 1GHz, 40Gig machine with 512 MB of RAM does most of that stuff pretty well, with the exception of some games. I am an end user not a techie...anybody care to chime in on the machine, especially for the price. $820, after tax and shipping, that includes a 4 year warranty sounds like a good deal to me. Dimension B110 Date & Time: January 17,2006 5:18 PM CST SYSTEM COMPONENTS Dimension B110 Qty 1 Intel® Celeron® D Processor 325 (2.53 GHz, 533 FSB), Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition Unit Price $1,049.00 Save 30% on select Dimension™ desktop purchases $999 or more LIMITED TIME OFFER! Remove Coupon - $314.70 -Dimension B110 Intel® Celeron® D Processor 325 (2.53 GHz, 533 FSB) -Operating System Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition -Memory 1GB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz -Keyboard and Mouse Bundles Dell USB Keyboard and Dell 2-button Scroll Mouse -19 inch E196FP Analog Flat Panel -Video Cards Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 900 -Hard Drive 160GB Ultra ATA/100 7200RPM Hard Drive -Floppy Drive No Floppy Drive Included -Network Interface Integrated 10/100 Ethernet -Modem 56K PCI Data Fax Modem -Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 6.0 -CD or DVD Drive Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability -Sound Integrated 2.0 Channel Audio -Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) No Productivity Suite - Corel WordPerfect® word processor only -Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) No Security Subscription -Hardware Warranty SAVE $30 (after rebate) 4Yr Ltd Warranty,At-Home Srvc + Nights and Weekend TOTAL:$734.30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darin3 Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 (edited) You're about to feel the wrath of the resident Huddler IT :nerd:s that will torch you for considering a Dell. Personally, I have 2 Dells, and haven't had much trouble. Desktop is about 4 years old, and had some issues early on that Dell dealt with very respectably. Laptop is brand new and has been solid. Edited January 17, 2006 by darin3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeteebee Posted January 17, 2006 Author Share Posted January 17, 2006 You're about to feel the wrath of the resident Huddler IT :nerd:s that will torch you for considering a Dell. 1272446[/snapback] Yeah, I'm hoping he'll reply, because as a tech novice it looks like a purdy good deal especially with 4 years of support. Personally, I have 2 Dells, and haven't had much trouble. Desktop is about 4 years old, and had some issues early on that Dell dealt with very respectably. Laptop is brand new and has been solid. 1272446[/snapback] I have a Dell laptop through work and haven't had any issues with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 The Celeron is what makes this deal bad. Look for a mom & pop type place in your area. Consider an AMD chip. If you do games that video won't handle much! ..................Uh Oh.....H8 is lurking. You'd be wise to follow his advice. Seriously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cherni Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 I'm an IT "nerd" and I have no issues with Dell. They make fine machines. What I would suggest is going for the Optiplex (business class model). The Optiplex machines are much better and don't come with all the "bells and whistles" that you would normally never use anyway. It was already mentioned, but I would also upgrade to a Pentium chip. The Celeron is a mediocre chip designed to cut the cost of owning a pc. It is the brain of the machine and I strongly suggest upgrading that. Dell is having a "secret" sale on Optiplex machines until 1/25/06. My Dell rep called me himself to tell me. So I would def. go for the Optiplex. Call them up and mention the sale, it will be worth it. Any questions let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted January 17, 2006 Share Posted January 17, 2006 (edited) with 4 years of support. I hope you speak indian. Why have a gig of ram with a celeron? You said possible gaming, that machine has about the weakest VGA peice you can get. You need at least a Radeon or GeForce part. No, I have nothing good to say about Dells. If that computer was $500, then sure, why not? But for $800, you can do better, IMO, and IMO only. But ultimately do what you are comfortable with. edit: if you insist on a DELL, there are some pretty amazing coupons to look for. Upper left corner: http://www.gottadeal.com/ or: http://gotapex.com/deals.php DellSB - Dimension 9150 Desktop with 2.8Ghz Pentium 4 820 Dual Core, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM, 160GB S-ATA, DVD-Rom & CD-RW, 128MB ATI Radeon X300 SE for $699 including 19" LCD Monitor, with NO REBATE! LOL, hows that sound? Edited January 17, 2006 by H8tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Like Soup Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 DellSB - Dimension 9150 Desktop with 2.8Ghz Pentium 4 820 Dual Core, 512MB DDR2 SDRAM, 160GB S-ATA, DVD-Rom & CD-RW, 128MB ATI Radeon X300 SE for $699 including 19" LCD Monitor, with NO REBATE! LOL, hows that sound? 1272464[/snapback] As always, good info from H8. GTB, I think you'd be paying a little much for that computer. Why?...the Celeron chip, DDR RAM and not DDR2, an Ultra-ATA drive, resident video on the motherboard, etc. Since you aren't a techie I won't go in to the odds and ends, but the computer that H8 linked to is much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 (edited) As always, good info from H8. GTB, I think you'd be paying a little much for that computer. Why?...the Celeron chip, DDR RAM and not DDR2, an Ultra-ATA drive, resident video on the motherboard, etc. Since you aren't a techie I won't go in to the odds and ends, but the computer that H8 linked to is much better. 1272508[/snapback] A BIG NOD, Soup! Edited January 18, 2006 by rocknrobn26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 (edited) But for $800, you can do better, IMO, and IMO only. Add one more to that......could have done much better. In fact, I just finished building 2 PCs w/ 2 gig AMD chips (but w/ 17" flat panels) for under $600 each. Buying a Dell is comfy and convenient...so whatever floats your boat. The monitor sounds nice. Some mom and pop shops are too pricy, but you can find a better deal going w/ someone who builds/sells PCs if you check around. Yes, and ask H8 next time.....he gives out $$ info for the freebie...if you just ask. Edited January 18, 2006 by Hitman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Better PC gurus than me have already said their piece. I deal more in servers, networks, security and stuff, but my company uses Dell PCs and we're fine with them. If you do have cause to use the Helpline, email them. I have had excellent luck with email - the phone is a complete waste of time, you'll be a lot better off posting here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Better PC gurus than me have already said their piece. I deal more in servers, networks, security and stuff, but my company uses Dell PCs and we're fine with them. If you do have cause to use the Helpline, email them. I have had excellent luck with email - the phone is a complete waste of time, you'll be a lot better off posting here. 1272550[/snapback] Good info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSab Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Waste of $$! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeteebee Posted January 18, 2006 Author Share Posted January 18, 2006 Thanks for all the advice, that's why I posted this. I have not, repeat, not ordered this...I wanted to get some feedback prior to dropping that much cash. H8-I don't understand what you mean by "the weakest VGA you can get" please elaborate. Are Geforce and Radeon brands or some kind of component? Soup-What type of resident video on the motherboard should I look for? H8-is there another site you recommend where I can build a machine that is friendly to a non techie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Thanks for all the advice, that's why I posted this. I have not, repeat, not ordered this...I wanted to get some feedback prior to dropping that much cash. H8-I don't understand what you mean by "the weakest VGA you can get" please elaborate. Are Geforce and Radeon brands or some kind of component? Soup-What type of resident video on the motherboard should I look for? H8-is there another site you recommend where I can build a machine that is friendly to a non techie? 1272647[/snapback] GForce and Radeon are graphics systems. You need a good one to rapidly shove pixels around your screen. For gaming you need a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 H8-I don't understand what you mean by "the weakest VGA you can get" please elaborate. Are Geforce and Radeon brands or some kind of component? Soup-What type of resident video on the motherboard should I look for? 1272647[/snapback] To my knowledge, there are no good 'on-board' video cards, unless you're just doing Office, internet, and no gaming, Photo stuff, or anything that taxes a graphic card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Like Soup Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Thanks for all the advice, that's why I posted this. I have not, repeat, not ordered this...I wanted to get some feedback prior to dropping that much cash. H8-I don't understand what you mean by "the weakest VGA you can get" please elaborate. Are Geforce and Radeon brands or some kind of component? Soup-What type of resident video on the motherboard should I look for? H8-is there another site you recommend where I can build a machine that is friendly to a non techie? 1272647[/snapback] H8 and I were talking about the same thing in regards to the video. I know a lot of Intel motherboards have the graphics included on the board, whereas an nVidia (GeForce) or ATI (Radeon) board is purpose built only for graphic performance...they are only meant to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABearWithFurniture Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Celeron chips are a POS...just stripped down Intels that can't handle heat, which if you've ever opened any type of PC, you'll know there's plenty of that to go around... And what ever you do, don't be getting a Dell dude!... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Neutron Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I'm with Ursa on this - I've had zero problems with Dell. I'm typing this post on my home machine which is almost 5 years old. My entire company also uses Dell (tens of thousands of units) - I've seen a few lose hard drives, and a lost a flat panel monitor myself. The few problems I've seen were fixed the next day. Hard to complain about that. H8Tank and others are right about the Celeron, better RAM, video and sound cards - you can get a much better unit for not much more money if you know what you're doing. I'm installing two new OptiPlex desktops tomorrow for a couple of my supervisors. They look sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSab Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Thanks for all the advice, that's why I posted this. I have not, repeat, not ordered this...I wanted to get some feedback prior to dropping that much cash. H8-I don't understand what you mean by "the weakest VGA you can get" please elaborate. Are Geforce and Radeon brands or some kind of component? Soup-What type of resident video on the motherboard should I look for? H8-is there another site you recommend where I can build a machine that is friendly to a non techie? 1272647[/snapback] They are video cards, Dells are fine. The point is since you are willing to build one, you can build a very nice machine( better than Dell) for around $500 to $600. Do know any buds, that can help you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deacon Bill Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I built my own pc using TigerDirect.com and have had no problems. I had an IT guy from work walk me through what I needed (as I am pc illiterate). With the good advice you get here at the Huddle, you should be able to build something far better for the same amount of cash. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeteebee Posted January 18, 2006 Author Share Posted January 18, 2006 Do know any buds, that can help you? 1272841[/snapback] I thought that is what the huddle is for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSab Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 I thought that is what the huddle is for. 1273135[/snapback] We can tell what components are good, do you have a bud to help with assembly the first time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboysDiehard Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 Let me give you my two cents here. I bought a Dell Dimension 3000, and it was the worst thing I could have done. The DVD burner died within a year and their support (based in, yeah, you know where) didn't do squat for me. Within a year, I'm out a burner. Also, the Dimension has an integrated graphics card, and no AGP or PCIe slots, making it impossible to upgrade to a decent graphics card for gaming. Shame on me for trying to save a few bucks. Dude, whatever you do, DO NOT BUY DELL!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeteebee Posted January 18, 2006 Author Share Posted January 18, 2006 I built my own pc using TigerDirect.com and have had no problems. I had an IT guy from work walk me through what I needed (as I am pc illiterate). With the good advice you get here at the Huddle, you should be able to build something far better for the same amount of cash. Good luck! 1272961[/snapback] When building a machine from the ground up on that site, it appears as though it will be significantly more expensive than a Dell pre-built machine. I have no love or hate for Dell, but it appears as though it will be hard to beat H8's link of a 2.8GHz P4 with 160 GB hard drive, 128 MB Radeon and 19'' flat panel. All for $699. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted January 18, 2006 Share Posted January 18, 2006 H8-I don't understand what you mean by "the weakest VGA you can get" please elaborate. Are Geforce and Radeon brands or some kind of component? The VGA portion of the system is what powers the 'drawing' of the image you see on your screen. 99% of all integrated video is fine for basic users, email, internet, playing solitair, watching DVD's etc. But they are not desinged for gaming of any calibur beyond minesweep. If you are going to consider any gaming, or much multimedia for that matter, then you need at least the minimum offering from one of the only two company's that matter. ATI and thier Radeon, or Nvidia and thier GeForce. Those Dells either have, or have the option of an X300 ATI Radeon card, it is the weakest of all the modern 3d video cards, but for light gaming it will suffice. If you want more than that, then you really need to be getting a 'real' computer and expect to spend a little more. fyi, for hardcore users, there are video cards, just the video card, which cost as much as that entire dell system at $699. You don't need that, from what you describes your projected usage to be, that dell for $699 fits the bill perfectly, or the one they have today for $559, but they both expire tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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