Author Topic: Want to upgrade your gaming rig? Looky this! (Read 1041 times)

Siaf__csf · « **Reply #15 on:** April 17, 2003, 08:28:57 AM »

There's usually a reason for the cheap price. Most probably it's upgradeability.

They know that anyone buying this system is stuck with it and no upgrade path even possible - so they sell the junk cheap.

//edit this is my guess, based on the fact that next series of Intel cpus won't be compatible with older motherboards, which this setup most likely has. So.. Intel shags OEM manufacturers and home builders, OEM manufacturers shag the customer base (who mostly won't realise they were in the first place.)

You just think you got it cheap untill you find out you've been shagged once it's time to upgrade again.

That's typical OEM for ya.

OIO · « **Reply #16 on:** April 17, 2003, 08:30:15 AM »

True, and thus why I mentioned the new mobo that was coming out, I bet thats why. But still its a powerhouse

Martlet · « **Reply #17 on:** April 17, 2003, 09:14:52 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by OIO
I built my own AMD 1.4ghz gaming rig at $1000 less than the retail price & price from stores and dealers. But I can't match this one with the same stuff on it, I come up almost 400 bucks over this price. Like I said, just the damn P4 3.06 is like 500+ bucks on its own.

From memory (im at work now), from the stores I get my stuff from to build my rigs,
P4 3.06ghz chip & heatsink rigging ~$600
Mobo ~$200
512 RDRAM PC1066 ~$300
DVD Burner ~$250
DVD RoM ~$60
Tower+350W power supply+fans ~$80
Shipping of items (most are free shipping) ~$60
Hard Drive (60G 7200RPM) $~100
64 meg Nvidia GF4MX (crap, but just to give apple to apple comparison pricing) ~$80

comes to $1730, and the shipping on the items for $60 is variable depending on where you get the stuff. So, yes, normally this price beats the $2000+ this system normally costs. But not now though. If you find a place where you get it cheaper, please let us know!

The 64 MB Nvidia card is a low end gaming card (GeForce4 MX), that is why I said "upgrade your gaming rig", most of us now have good vid cards (128 gforce 4 Ti4200+ or better), but have been left behind in CPU/RAM tech.And the 64MB Nvidia is not integrated into the mobo, its stand-alone.

I just priced out the same thing at Macena.

I DID NOT include shipping, though, but I also didn't apply for a volume discount.

$888.00

Boroda · « **Reply #18 on:** April 17, 2003, 09:23:26 AM »

"Brand name" PCs are usually more expencive and less flexible then standard machines "assembled manually".

I had several experiences with Dell equipment. IMHO they are built for big offices that change their PC park comletely every few years. They often use "exotic" components availible only from manufacturer that are much more expencive and sometimes hard to get.

I don't want to speak about beautiful engineering innovations like Compaq's special screws that are impossible to open w/o a special screwdriver, different non-standard BIOS and CMOS setup features, cases that suck dust like vacuum-cleaners, propietarty power supply units and so on.

BTW, the most expencive PC that I assembled costed total $6000, together with periferals. Client wanted the "absolutely best computer possible" so he will not need to upgrade it for at least 2 years. I think you understand that he had to upgrade it 6 months later

OIO · « **Reply #19 on:** April 17, 2003, 10:19:05 AM »

Whoa, gimme a link martlet!!

edit: umm.. their systems dont use RDRAM, its DDR. Mobo uses Intel 845 chipset not the 850E .. and this is on their system configurator..couldnt get more than 256 ram on them either.

Their website does not sell the P4 3.06ghz under their CPU links.

Just how did you get that price? Been looking at it and cant find either the solo components to add them up, or configure one of their pc's to specs.

Martlet · « **Reply #20 on:** April 17, 2003, 10:20:14 AM »

That's where I buy most of my stuff. There are plenty of small whole salers around, though.

http://www.macena.com/

Mox · « **Reply #21 on:** April 17, 2003, 10:27:10 AM »

Whats the Dell code for this machine, you know the product code so I can see this config and price on Dell's page?

I have some people at work interested in this Dell rig.

OIO · « **Reply #22 on:** April 17, 2003, 10:29:49 AM »

Mox, its the Dimension 8250 desktop. You just configure it online that way. You can also get the same system with DDR memory if you configure a 4550 model.

Mox · « **Reply #23 on:** April 17, 2003, 10:41:16 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by OIO
Mox, its the Dimension 8250 desktop. You just configure it online that way. You can also get the same system with DDR memory if you configure a 4550 model.

Hmmm I built a very similar machine online via Dell's site yesterday and it was no where near that price. Did this sale start today?

I assume this price is due to the new 8300 model being out?

Can I still get my corporate discount off this sale price?

Thanks for the info!

rc51 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 17, 2003, 10:43:38 AM »

4k bought me the best of everything.
Just some NOT all of the parts.
Gigabyte p4 titan motherboard
1Gig 1066 rambus memory
128meg Geforce ti4600 vid card
lian li aluminium case with 8 case fans and speed controlers
p4 2.53 .
DVD player cd burner
cd rom
sound blaster audigy platinium ex.

Here is my old web site with all the stuff and pic's
It was built a year ago.
when all that stuff was the newest and best.
I know its ugly but it is a prototype.

http://www.moto-one-computer.us/

rc51 · « **Reply #25 on:** April 17, 2003, 10:44:51 AM »

Oh yeah it scores 13500 on 3D MARK 2002

OIO · « **Reply #26 on:** April 17, 2003, 11:59:20 AM »

yes mox.

The 8300 is the same kaboodle as the 8250 but it has the new motherboard (and thus the dual DDR instead of RDRAM) from intel and it will use RAID hard drives instead of IDE.

And yes, your corporate discount is added on top of whatever promos are avaliable when you buy them. Have your HR folks give you the "login ID" for your company and the website for the employee purchases.

As I said in my 1st post, for those looking for a great deal in an upgrade, this is it. The new machines (8300) will be better than the 8250, but they wont be this cheap thats for sure.

In my case, I can hop from my 1.4ghz to a 3.06ghz and the new one basically matches my old one with the internal components (i would of course pass my 128meg vid card to the new one) for just above a thousand bucks... on the other hand, if I wanted the 8300 it is sure to cost me 2400 bucks, granted its performance will be better due to mobo/ram tech.

Right now im trying to dig up the price of the intel 875P chipset board and the price of 512 ram of that new DDR400.

IF I can find a mobo that takes the p4 3.06... and has RDRAM... then damn! I can just buy this one now and just switch motherboards. That would be one mean boost, the DDR400 works at 400mhz, but the RDRAM PC1066 works at 533...

This sale started yesterday (when I put up original post).

BigGun · « **Reply #27 on:** April 17, 2003, 12:52:42 PM »

For those that don't want to take time to build, and want something kickass & reliable as hell, go alienware. Had mine almost a year, stable & runs great, never a single problem. No hassle, upgradablitiy & great performance is worth few bucks to me.

OIO · « **Reply #28 on:** April 17, 2003, 01:28:06 PM »

Just configured the alienware and the same dell to match

(alienware could only be config'd with 120gb hdd and 128meg ati9700pro.. config'd dell to match)

$2421. for alienware..
$1931. (before $200 rebate) for the dell. All specs and component types match exactly with the exception of power supply (alienware has a higher watt one) and of course, the case (which Alienware is so much cooler to look at).

Quite a price difference given that both use the same stuff. The only item i could not make sure of was the MBD used on the DELL system, but it had the same intel 850E chipset.

BigGun · « **Reply #29 on:** April 17, 2003, 01:39:11 PM »

They started advertising alienware at best buy. When I got mine, Best Buy was getting new Demos from alienware, so was selling the old demos, think they had 50 in a warehouse somewhere never opened. I picked mine up for $1500, if price on alienware it was $2200 for same rig. Plus they had deal in 19" NEC multi sync if you bought the system..was $225.