Final thread, how is this rig?

[Rayzn]

how is this rig? I will probably make a huge upgrade to in mid next year but im mainly interested in playing guild wars, call of duty 2, bf:2, and CS:S

How will I do running these games?

[Rayzn]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

Also, I probably will be buying 512-1 gig of ram within the next few weeks.

[Eddy01741]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

Um, with that vid card, u won't be able to play all high at 1280x1024, why don't u build ur own? Much cheaper y'know, i got my rig for under 1000 bucks (mind u, i already had XP SP2 pro, and mouse, keyboard etc.).

[Rayzn]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

How about CS:S?

What if I can get my friend to OC it? Will it then be able to play BF2 decently?

[lil_jimmy_norton]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

You won't be able ot overclock it. The BIOS is locked. One more reason dells suck.

[Sir. MatDef]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

Funny, [H]ardOCP just reviewed this computer:

http://hardocp.com/article.html?art=OTI0

From the review:
Conclusion

Purchasing, Presentation and Packaging – 8.5/10

The system arrived on our doorstep in five days – a very quick turnaround. Considering that Dell is literally located in the next town over, however, it can be hard to tell whether this is a case of efficiency or proximity. The system was well packed with foam blocks, and we were able to find everything in the box without difficulty. Everything was custom branded, the monitor came in the same box as the PC, and physically, everything looks aesthetically pleasing.

We’re removing a couple of points, however, because the Dell Web site wasn’t easy to navigate and the number of different choices made it very hard to comparison shop within the line, and the number of base choices made us confused – we hesitate to think of what a 78 year old grandmother would think.

Finally, there was little documentation with the computer, and while your average user might not need, say, a motherboard manual, it sometimes helps power users who might be interested in Dell’s “high-performance” line, to know what they’re dealing with.

Build Quality - 5/10

Hardware wise, we didn’t have any problems, and we actually consider the way the system manages heat to be quite clever and effective. Cabling was mostly out of the way and the power supply, while not breaking any records, produced the power we needed to run our system.

The chassis itself was pressed metal and plastic, though it looks like they were custom designed for Dell, and they do the job well – it is a very good looking box to be sure. We did find fault with was the lack of possible hardware expandability, but that’s almost a minor issue considering Dell’s customer base.

If only they had paid as much attention to the software as they did to the hardware.

First, the video card driver was months out of date, the computer was stocked to the gills with pre-installed software, and this pre-installed software caused major problems with system stability and general usage. It had a noticeable and quantifiable effect on performance and was annoying to boot.

In short, the software was a mess and because this is how it left the factory, it shows a poor quality build. Balanced against what looks to be a very smartly integrated system from a hardware standpoint, a 5 out of 10 is appropriate.

Gaming – 7/10

But for an out of the box experience, we couldn’t get three of our games to run, one of which wouldn’t even install, and these are some of the most popular games on the current market, not fringe titles or older games.

The massive performance hit the pre-installed software takes can’t have helped gaming performance. But if you can put up with it, uninstall what you don’t need, and find a way to disable the programs that load at start up, you can eventually make the XPS 400 perform decently for a $1,200 system with LCD monitor, which is why this scores a 7/10.

Multimedia and Productivity - 4/10

We had no problem encoding our test video and burning it to DVD in 1 hour and 45 minutes, and we did like that they included 5.1 audio support in its choice of DVD playing codec, but that’s about all we could say in favor of this machine’s productivity potential. Not only did the WorldBench score of 72 show how bogged down the system was, but our after-mucking-out-the-trough score of 88 showed how good the system could very well have been if it was not for the direct choices that Dell made in installing the software that they shipped with the computer. Quite simply, it is underperforming for its price range.

General Usage - 4/10

Not only was the added software a problem for abstract productivity but it was a problem for actual productivity as well, as the intangibles – the constant pop-ups and interruptions – take the user away from whatever he or she is doing, whether it’s gaming, web browsing, word processing or number crunching, in order to attend to the computer’s beck and call – it should be the other way around. Annoying the user is counterproductive to a computer’s two basic functions: to help a user get stuff done, or to entertain the user.

Stability – 2/10

We had numerous problems with stability due entirely to the preventable problems of pre-installed software. When we were able to fix one problem by uninstalling programs using the Add/Remove software wizard, we found another problem that we then had to fix. Had these problems come from poor quality components, viruses, or some fluke of Windows MCE, we would not look well on it but would consider a higher score.

Every single one of these problems was caused by the choices made by Dell to put on programs that were either not compatible or caused problems, and it’s clear from the problems that we had that they did not test the final configuration extensively. We consider these problems completely unacceptable.

Furthermore, even though we were able to get a stable system on the computer, it required us to go beyond what the average Dell consumer would know how to do – or should be expected to do. Couple that with a restore process that puts everything back to its pre-op bloated self, and we are not impressed.

Technical Support - 4/10

The first person we talked to gave us right answers, stayed with us on the line, and patiently and politely guided us through everything we needed to do to get the computer working in tip-top shape. However, we may have been misled, intentionally or not, by his claim he would send out a disk recovery solution to us within 3-4 days, something it took us another phone call to resolve. We may have also have been mislead by our second tech support contact who claimed that it was not Dell’s policy to send out those discs.

When we finally asked directly for an OS disc, our third tech support contact said he would provide one in 3-4 business days. He did, but he didn't tell us there was a $10 charge for the disc. Even then, they failed to include the drivers and application discs that we were told we would receive.

Dell won’t help troubleshoot trouble caused by viruses, the most likely reason a non-technical person would damage their MBR, instead telling you to call their pay-for-service phone line.

After telling us that they’d call us back in 10 minutes, and not calling us at all, and after telling us to do a disc image recovery before running a diagnostic, and a series of disconnects, static, dead air, and a very frustrating experience overall, we can’t rate the Dell tech support experience highly. The only bright point was that when we did get a Dell technician to come to our office, he was able to complete a drive replacement – which he wouldn't have needed to do had he checked to see if the drive was in working order – in less than 5 minutes.

Value – 5/10

One of the benefits of pre-installed, or “value-added” software is that the companies that make the software give kickbacks to the hardware producers, who then in turn can turn around and sell the computer for a lower price than competitors.

“Value-added” software can, in some cases, actually add value. We didn’t have a problem, for example, with the preinstalled DVD playback software that, for the first time in our program, gave us 5.1 surround sound with PowerDVD, or the optical disc burning software provided. While we can find it a bit annoying, an AOL pre-installation does help the person who is not computer savvy enough to know how to install AOL on a CD-ROM. But this pre-installed software is only acceptable provided that the software does not unduly interfere with the end-user experience, the performance, or the stability of this machine. We evaluated consumer computers from Gateway, for example, that included software pre-installed, but that software did not interfere with the day-to-day operation of those computers. That makes all the difference. And when it all comes down to it, an XPS product is geared towards gamers, an inherently more savvy section of the market when it comes to installing and using software.

While the $1200 price mark for a computer setup with speakers and 19” LCD monitor is good for the hardware you get, you can get a similarly configured system for only a little more, especially if you shop around for the monitor, and you don’t have to deal with the problems with pre-installed software.

Customers have to decide for themselves: Is the time I spend dealing with this pre-added software going to be worth the money I save by going with this computer manufacturer?

The Bottom Line – 4/10

On Dell’s Web site, the XPS series is marketed directly to gamers and high-performance power users. The XPS series is under the gaming tag, and they claim right on the front page of the Dell.com site that, “We take your gaming experience as seriously as you do.”

The next line: “XPS show just how serious we are” is more telling. If the Dimension XPS400 is any indication, Dell considers computer gamers a joke.

Harsh, yes. But we think it’s accurate. The system itself is a decent gaming platform and the hardware was well built. It was put together decently with parts that can pull the weight required to play today’s graphically intensive games.

But we couldn’t even install one of the most popular games on the market, Sims 2, and trying to play other popular games would lock up the system and gaming sessions, when they would run, would get interrupted.

The pre-installed programs that Dell chose to include on its computer were almost certainly the cause of all these problems, and unloading these programs from the boot-up routine fixed the problems.

Because Dell is a large company that sells many identical systems, and because their restore solution uses a hidden partition with a disk image on it anyway, this leads us to believe that Dell uses a disk image, loaded via network or CD-ROM, to set up the software on its computers.

Now, if you were the largest PC retailer in North America, you might make sure that the disc image you’re loading on the many, many computers you are selling has a configuration that works properly with the computers you sell. This, to me, would include at least a moderate amount of in-house game testing.

The fact that our very popular, mainstream games wouldn’t work on what Dell markets as its gaming line leads us to believe that they simply didn’t test this configuration extensively, and certainly not by trying to run Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Quake 4, or The Sims 2.

Furthermore, the fact that the video card driver they used was more than two months out of date also implies to me that it has been at least that long since they last looked at the configuration.

It comes down to this: Most people who buy a computer from Dell instead of a lesser-known builder do so specifically because they just want something that works out of the box, and the Dell XPS 400 doesn’t.

Our experience with the Dell, overall, was unpleasant and unsatisfactory. We cannot with good conscience recommend this computer to anyone.

Our goal is this evaluation, and all our other product evaluations, is to give consumers the ability to make informed choices. As a side effect of that, we hope that computer companies will also take this information to make their products better. We think that Dell can, if it chooses, rise to the challenge of improving their product line. We look forward to evaluating other Dell products in the future.
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Dell just plain sucks, and for gaming intel just isn't the way to go. If you want a spaceheater, then go intel. If you want to game, you go amd.

[whofriggincares]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

It's got an Intel cpu, only 1GB of RAM, a 6800, a no name hd, no sound card, no dvd burner..... This is a great computer to surf the web and play MOHAA. I think you'll be severly disappointed trying to play any new game.

[Rayzn]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

Case ( Raidmax X-1 ATX Mid-tower Case w/420W Power Supply Silver )
Case Lighting ( Neon Light Blue )
Power Supply ( Standard Case Power Supply )
Processor ( [939-pin] AMD® Athlon-64 X2 3800+ CPU w/ Hyper Transport Technology )
Free Software/Game ( Free Game --- Half Life 2 Download Coupon with purchase of any AMD-64 based systems or Mobile Turion notebook )
Processor Cooling ( [New !!!] iBUYPOWER Liquid CPU Cooling Fan System Kit --- [for AMD CPU] )
Motherboard ( eVGA nForce-4 SLI Chipset Dual DDR w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, Dual PCI-E MB )
Memory ( 1024 MB [512MB X2] DDR-400 PC3200 Memory Module Corsair-Value or Major Brand )
Video Card ( [PCI-Express 16x] Nvidia Geforce 6800XT 256MB w/DVI + TV Out Video )
Hard Drive ( [Special !!!] 160 GB HARD DRIVES Western Digital 160 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 2MB Cache Hard Drive )
2nd Hard Drive ( None )
Raid Controller ( None )
Raid Configuration ( None )
CD/DVD Drive ( None )
CD-RW/DVD-RW Drive ( [** Special !!! ***] 16X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive Black )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Speaker System ( 600W PMPO 3 PCS Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System )
Fax Modem ( None )
Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
Floppy Drive ( None )
Monitor ( LCD Monitor ViewSonic 17" Q7B TFT LCD Monitor [Black] )
Keyboard ( Logitech Multi-Media Keyboard Black )
Mouse ( Logitech Optical Internet Mouse Black )
Meter Display ( None )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( None )
Extras ( Lan Party Strap )
Operation System ( MS Windows XP Home Edition w/Service Pack-2 )
IEEE-1394 Fire Wire Card ( None )
USB Flash Drive ( None )
MP3 Player ( None )
TV Tuner ( None )
Video Camera ( None )
Headset ( None )
Power Protection ( None )
Printer ( None )
Printer Cable ( None )
Wireless Network Adapter ( [Special !!!] Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps PCI Adapter )
Warranty ( Warranty Service iBUYPOWER Deluxe Warranty Package(Standard Warranty plus: First Year On-site Service and 24/7 Phone Support) )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) [RUSH !!!], Ship Out in 3 Business Days )

[andymil]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

i culdnt really read the dell print out but i think that said a pentium d. watever u do, do not get a pentium d. amd dual cores beat intel dual cores in every aspect of computers. including multitasking, video editing, mp3 encoding and ecspecially gaming.

[whofriggincares]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

Oooohhh that harddrive is ancient or has ancient technology. No cache and only ata100.
Why do you insist on buying a Dell or whatever pre-built? The quality sucks, especially if you want to game.

[Eddy01741]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

Case ( Raidmax X-1 ATX Mid-tower Case w/420W Power Supply Silver )
Case Lighting ( Neon Light Blue )
Power Supply ( Standard Case Power Supply )
Processor ( [939-pin] AMD® Athlon-64 X2 3800+ CPU w/ Hyper Transport Technology )
Free Software/Game ( Free Game --- Half Life 2 Download Coupon with purchase of any AMD-64 based systems or Mobile Turion notebook )
Processor Cooling ( [New !!!] iBUYPOWER Liquid CPU Cooling Fan System Kit --- [for AMD CPU] )
Motherboard ( eVGA nForce-4 SLI Chipset Dual DDR w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, Dual PCI-E MB )
Memory ( 1024 MB [512MB X2] DDR-400 PC3200 Memory Module Corsair-Value or Major Brand )
Video Card ( [PCI-Express 16x] Nvidia Geforce 6800XT 256MB w/DVI + TV Out Video )
Hard Drive ( [Special !!!] 160 GB HARD DRIVES Western Digital 160 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 2MB Cache Hard Drive )
2nd Hard Drive ( None )
Raid Controller ( None )
Raid Configuration ( None )
CD/DVD Drive ( None )
CD-RW/DVD-RW Drive ( [** Special !!! ***] 16X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive Black )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Speaker System ( 600W PMPO 3 PCS Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System )
Fax Modem ( None )
Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
Floppy Drive ( None )
Monitor ( LCD Monitor ViewSonic 17" Q7B TFT LCD Monitor [Black] )
Keyboard ( Logitech Multi-Media Keyboard Black )
Mouse ( Logitech Optical Internet Mouse Black )
Meter Display ( None )
Flash Media Reader/Writer ( None )
Extras ( Lan Party Strap )
Operation System ( MS Windows XP Home Edition w/Service Pack-2 )
IEEE-1394 Fire Wire Card ( None )
USB Flash Drive ( None )
MP3 Player ( None )
TV Tuner ( None )
Video Camera ( None )
Headset ( None )
Power Protection ( None )
Printer ( None )
Printer Cable ( None )
Wireless Network Adapter ( [Special !!!] Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps PCI Adapter )
Warranty ( Warranty Service iBUYPOWER Deluxe Warranty Package(Standard Warranty plus: First Year On-site Service and 24/7 Phone Support) )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) [RUSH !!!], Ship Out in 3 Business Days )

Um, u don't need water cooling unless u want to overclock, u don't need neon lights either. A better vid card like a 6800GS will help more than those insignificant things. I just say build ur own, it's actually very simple, the hardest part of building a pc is getting all those tiny wires from the front panel and such into the mobo. THose wires get very tangled, but that's all. It's easy, and not to mention fun to build a computer. Plus, u save like 400 bucks since u don't have unneeded stuff like supposedly "free" stuff that comes with it. ALso, most people already have an OS at home, also u don't really need a warranty, when u buy parts, they give u a warranty by itself.

[NabilEsmail]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

cyberpowerinc.com

there very famous for making cheap gaming comps, also there not extremely overpriced. just get the 1 starting at 509, minus the video card, and minus the ram to the lowest possible. it will end up at like 405$

then buy a decent video card and some ram, since their cheaper then the ones cyberpowerinc sells.

6800 gs 200
2 gigs of ram 140

755 total+shipping

820, theres a sexy comp =]

[gsxr310]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

Um, u don't need water cooling unless u want to overclock, u don't need neon lights either. A better vid card like a 6800GS will help more than those insignificant things. I just say build ur own, it's actually very simple, the hardest part of building a pc is getting all those tiny wires from the front panel and such into the mobo. THose wires get very tangled, but that's all. It's easy, and not to mention fun to build a computer. Plus, u save like 400 bucks since u don't have unneeded stuff like supposedly "free" stuff that comes with it. ALso, most people already have an OS at home, also u don't really need a warranty, when u buy parts, they give u a warranty by itself.

I know it's off topic but... can you use a "retail" Windows XP version on multiple computers? as opposed to oem for one computer.

[imported_Wreck]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

I know it's off topic but... can you use a "retail" Windows XP version on multiple computers? as opposed to oem for one computer.

You can use it on multiple computers but only one at a time. So say you have a PC with windows and then you trash it and buy another system. You can install windows on the new system if you reformat and clean it off of your old system.

[lil_jimmy_norton]

Re: Final thread, how is this rig?

Um, u don't need water cooling unless u want to overclock, u don't need neon lights either. A better vid card like a 6800GS will help more than those insignificant things. I just say build ur own, it's actually very simple, the hardest part of building a pc is getting all those tiny wires from the front panel and such into the mobo. THose wires get very tangled, but that's all. It's easy, and not to mention fun to build a computer. Plus, u save like 400 bucks since u don't have unneeded stuff like supposedly "free" stuff that comes with it. ALso, most people already have an OS at home, also u don't really need a warranty, when u buy parts, they give u a warranty by itself.

I agree. Their liquid cooling blows anyway...