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Dell Vs DIY
£1000 challenge
£1000 challenge
I thought i would start a thread which compared similarly priced homebuilt and Dell systems. The budget is £1000 and does not have to include a monitor. This is aimed at showing people the best they can get for their money.
Dell
<a href="http://images.totalgamingnetwork.com/images/dell_xps_630_1.jpg"><img src="http://images.totalgamingnetwork.com/images/thumb_dell_xps_630_1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>
So, what do you get with Dell? This PC is £999 (incl. P&P) and since it is aimed towards gaming, is taken from the XPS 630 range:
CPU: Intel® Core™ 2 Quad-Core Processor Q6600
OS: Windows Vista™ Home Premium SP1 OEM
Graphics: Dual Crossfire TM 512 MB ATI Radeon 3870 HD
Memory: 3072MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 (2x1024, 2x512)
Hard disk: 640 GB Serial ATA non Raid (7200 Rpm)
Optical: 16X DVD+/-RW (Read/Write DVD, CD)
Warranty: 1 year
K/M: Dell Enhanced USB keyboard & Scroll wheel mouse
Total: £999 (incl. P&P)
Thoughts:
Not a badly spec’d computer, but one that is already starting to show its’ age. Whilst the Q6600 is a good CPU, for a £1000 computer you would expect a new Q9xxx model. Also, the Radeon 3870 has already been replaced by the 4xxx series cards which perform much better in general gameplay, but specifically, supports high amounts of anti-aliasing. Spending so much money, you would hope for a PC that would last a few years, but, the 3xxx series already struggles to play current releases on high and can’t compete with similarly priced Nvidia cards.
We also have to make some assumptions as to the unnamed parts such as the motherboard and PSU. I would assume that the motherboard is P35 based seeing as it is based on Intel CPU’s and Crossfire technology. Also, the PSU is usually the lowest wattage that Dell can get away with to reduce costs. However, to be fair, we’ll assume it’s a standard 700W ATX.
One area that the XPS does stand out with is the case. Dell recently moved away from the difficult BTX to the more standard ATX configuration. Thus, XPS cases are better laid out and using more metal instead of plastic, build quality has increased.
Finally, the warranty, one of the pre-builders last remaining strong points is very poor on the XPS. A standard “1 year back to base” inspires no confidence in the product and is easily matched or beaten by individual part warranties which last numerous years, some even lifetime!
DIY
<a href="http://images.totalgamingnetwork.com/images/P182.jpg"><img src="http://images.totalgamingnetwork.com/images/thumb_P182.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>
For the DIY computer, I decided to use one site, Ebuyer. They have low prices and free shipping. Their range has decreased of late, but is steadily getting better. Here is what I managed to get:
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz (FSB 1333 MHz) - £209.62
CPU HSF: Thermalright Ultra-120 EXTREME - £34.98
Motherboard: Asus P5Q Deluxe P45 - £119.44
OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit - £58.75
Graphics: PowerColor HD 4870 512MB GDDR5 - £174.97
Case: Antec P182 Gunmetal Grey - £85.99
PSU: Corsair TX 750W PSU - £84.09
Memory: 2x Corsair 2GB Kit (2x1GB) DDR2 1066MHz/PC2-8500 XMS2 Dominator - £85.97
Hard disk: Samsung HD502IJ SpinPoint F1 500GB - £42.29
Optical: Optiarc AD-7200S 20X DVD±RW/DL/RAM (Sony/NEC) - £14.99
Warranty: 1 Year standard on everything (minimum. Some parts have longer lengths) - £Free
K/M: Logitech G11 & Logitech G5 2007 Edition - £75.65
Total: £986.74 (Incl. P&P)
Thoughts:
As you can probably already see, the custom built PC would take Dell to the cleaners. However, let’s explain the parts and why they are better. We start with the CPU. One of the latest off the Intel range, the Q9450. One of the fastest average parts available to consumers and overclocks to at least 3.4ghz. It would take apart a Q6600 in benchmarks and provides better “future proofing”. Combined with a brand new Asus P5Q DDR2 motherboard, 1066mhz Corsair Dominator and a Thermalright Ultra, high Front Side Bus speeds are guaranteed. Even for those who don’t want to overclock, stock speeds will be much greater than those of the Dell.
The case is a hard component to choose since beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, I have gone for the P182. A sleek, yet exciting case with plenty of room and excellent cooling achieved by using multiple compartments. To power the system, I have used a Corsair TX750W PSU. I decided to go for greater power over modular cables as the P182 has no window and is easy to cable manage. This PSU provides enough power for future upgrades.
The 2 x 3870’s of the Dell wasn’t hard to beat. A Single 4870 takes them to the cleaners and is very competitively priced. The Crossfire motherboard also means adding another card in the future is possible. I looked at Nvidia, but the nearest performing card was another £70 more expensive.
One area where the DIY can’t compete is the hard disk. However, I went for speed over size and chose a 500gb Samsung Spinpoint F1. The peripherals are also gaming orientated. A G11 and G5 should give you the speed and precision needed.
Finally, this is an area I expected the Dell to excel in. The warranty on all these parts is at least 1 year with Ebuyer. However, each individual part has it’s own company warranty, something you don’t get with Dell. These can range from 1 year to lifetime. Therefore, the warranty at least matches Dell’s, if not beats.
Conclusion
Whilst the warranty and the fact you don’t have to build the PC is a tempting reason to choose Dell, in reality, they provide no real benefit. As we have seen, the warranty offered with Dell is poor and easily beaten by our DIY computer. Also, if something does go wrong, you can send back an individual part to Ebuyer as opposed to paying for the entire Dell PC to go back.
A few years ago, building a gaming PC was harder. However, standardised parts and tool less cases means it’s a case of click the parts together. I used Vista 64bit as it enables a stress free installation, something not guaranteed by XP. Also, 64bit architecture helps increase stock speeds again.
My advice? Build your own PC. You’ll learn new skills, you’ll have fun and you’ll know exactly what is in your PC and the best way to make it perform. Use forums for help, people are gagging to share their experiences and all but the most difficult problems can be fixed by listening to others.
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