Which is the better computer?

[Theben]

So what would you get? I'm on a budget here.

[Ming]

What's your budget, and what would these puppies cost you?

[Wiglaf]

Should get a Dell. Though their tech support is often Indian, it's really responsive.

[Riesstiu IV]

Get this instead:

[Theben]

Originally posted by Ming
What's your budget, and what would these puppies cost you?

~$1200, and they'd set me back about $1050. But that's b/c I'm looking at a package deal w/22" LCD monitor, printer & USB.

Dell blows.

[Theben]

Originally posted by Riesstiu IV
Get this instead

I don't have the room for it.

[Wiglaf]

Get an xps 630 http://www.dell.com/content/products...=19&l=en&s=dhs

[snoopy369]

Originally posted by Theben


~$1200, and they'd set me back about $1050. But that's b/c I'm looking at a package deal w/22" LCD monitor, printer & USB.

Dell blows.

Absolutely, but you're looking at Gateway and HP, both of which blow more...

[Wiglaf]

Originally posted by snoopy369


Absolutely, but you're looking at Gateway and HP, both of which blow more...

So true. HP computers especially laptops are like landmines that go off when you touch them, except they destroy everything you've been working on rather than your legs.

[Theben]

*sigh* So far I've gotten a lot of critiques but few solutions. Wiggy, God help me, has been the most helpful...

[Krill]

I would never suggest buying a PC from any major vendor (or most minor ones, sorry nye), I would always suggest that you buy the parts from 1 or 2 places, and build it your self. Hell, it's nothing more than an incredably large and simple mechano set.

[Wiglaf]

The complaints I think are directed at the weak processor & video cards (and the fact that HP is complete crap). I don't think you can do much better though in a $1200 brand name desktop with monitor. If you dont want to play newer games then there's not much of a problem.

[SlowwHand]

He already said he doesn't want to build it.

Go with the Dell you can afford.

[snoopy369]

Mostly the CPU is crap and the GPU, particularly the HP's GPU, is not so good either. The ATI 2400XT is okay, but a GeForce 6150? It should be illegal to sell a video card that old! That's one of the weaker cards from THREE generations ago. Might as well use Riesstiu's computer...

Get a computer that has the following:

CPU: Intel E6400/6600 or better (speed is immaterial)
GPU: NVidia 8000 series if you plan on playing 'new' games, 7000 series if not
RAM: 2GB or more, honestly expansion capability is more important than this right now (2GB is fine at the present, but 4GB or even 8GB may be nice in the future).
HDD: SATA 3.0GB/s (SATA2), whatever size is useful to you. This should not be a reason to buy a particular computer as it's pathetically easy and cheap to replace this.

As an exampe of the cost of this machine self-built, you have:
CPU is around $120-$140
GPU is around $100 (give or take $50 depending on details)
HDD is around $50-100
RAM is around $100
Case/PSU is around $100 (depending on what you want)
CD/DVD drive is around $40
Motherboard is around $60 (includes sound card)
-----
Under $700 for an entire system that is well beyond superior to any machine you list above. Add $300 for the monitor (a GOOD 22" monitor, not the crap gateway or HP would sell you) and $100 for a decent printer, you're under $1100 (probably around $1000) and doing much better than you would with any of the above computers.

There is absolutely no technical knowledge required to build the above computer. If you can put together a small lego kit, you can put together the above.

[Theben]

I have an older computer w/ a better video card. I know the video card is crap but I figure THAT I can buy and install myself.