Desktops: Customized Vs Retail Desktops
Customized Vs Retail Desktops
by Shipuie - 7/30/07 10:05 PMI am doing some research for buying a new PC. I was first considering going with the Dell XPS 410 desktop, but after checking several websites I noticed that there are a lot of retail PC's with much better specs for around the same price.
My question is: is there a big difference between customized and retail PCs. I noticed that HP has a lot of nicely configured systems with Quad-core processors that seem to be a great deal, but are they reliable and will they last as long as a Dell customized system. Are you sacrificing anything when buying a retail PC besides the ability to customize the system?
At this point I am seriously considering one of the HP quad-core computers. Any advise would be great.
HP
by Shipuie - 7/30/07 10:14 PM In reply to: Customized Vs Retail Desktops by ShipuieBecause you will probably want to have an idea of an exact model, here is the HP that I am currently considering
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/HP-Pavilion-Desktop-PC-A6152N/sem/rpsm/oid/185479/catOid/-12962/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do
Don't go HP
by BillNYC - 7/31/07 7:54 PM In reply to: Customized Vs Retail Desktops by ShipuieI have the Dell 410, i love it and check me out, my profile, need i say more?
Quad-core
by Shipuie - 8/1/07 8:41 AM In reply to: Don't go HP by BillNYCAre there any decent computers around with a Quad core processor that are reasonably priced? Is Quad core a technology that is worth waiting until it is more avail or will the Core 2 duo be just as good?
Gateway's quad is about 1.1K
by R. Proffitt
- 8/1/07 8:47 AM
In reply to: Quad-core by Shipuie
There is some HP I see out there too.
Bob
So many choices, how do you decide
by cnetmessageman - 8/4/07 10:07 AM In reply to: Quad-core by ShipuieWhat do you intend to use the computer for? How big is your budget? Answer these questions and you are well on your way to making a decision.
For processing power, Quad Core is better than Dual Core and scales approximately linear (i.e. approaches 2X). But for current "everyday" applications like word processing, email, and web surfing very little performance gains (if any) will be noticed. On the other hand, if you intend to play cutting edge games then such an investment would be worthwhile.
You can't really future proof since hardware changes, in particular, are so rapid in the computing industry. It appears, however, that you are willing to spend around $1000 for the system - would that need to include a monitor? Depending on your needs a Dual Core PC may be just as suitable as a Quad Core with costing quite a bit less.
If you are considering getting a Quad Core unit then I would suggest waiting a bit longer until AMD releases their Quads so the pricing war can swing into full gear and you, the consumer, can benefit accordingly.
Retail vs Custom. It appears that you really mean buying a Dell or HP with either:
A basic fixed configuration (perhaps through a retail channel partner like BestBuy)
or
Requesting some customized configuration changes to a Dell or HP (via their on-line ordering website).
For the consumer models, Dell seems to allow more configuration flexibility both during and after you acquire your PC but you may get a pricing edge from the HP models. For example, the Dell Inspiron 530 and Inspiron 531 PCs each has an available internal bay for adding an optional second Hard Drive and the motherboard also has on-board RAID capability. Furthermore, Dell's parts pricing are now quite competitive with the rest of the market.
Customization, however, can cause some delays. If you use the options provided in the automated on-line ordering process then you should be fine. However, the "fine print" does state that selecting an add-in video card such as the NVIDIA Geforce 7300LE can cause an additional delay of a few days.
There are, of course, other customization alternatives such as building the system yourself or using a local PC Vendor. Either of these will give you greater control over what components go into the PC but will also be more expensive.
Hope this helps.
Dual vs. Quad Core
by richchrono - 8/4/07 12:11 PM In reply to: So many choices, how do you decide by cnetmessagemanThere are several good evaluations and reviews that have been performed comparing dual core and quad core processors.
The reality is that, for now, high end dual core processors perform as good or, in some cases, better than quad core processors. This is due to how Intel divides processes up for each of the 4 cores and the lack of multi-threading software designed specifically to take advantage of these multi-core processors.
For now, at least, it seems you get more bang for the buck with something like the E6800 (Intel) than with any of the quadcore processors.
It will be some time before mainstream software catches up with the capabilities of the new 64-bit operating systems and multi-core processors.
Love my 2002 HP - Never another Dell!
by john55440 - 8/3/07 8:13 PM In reply to: Customized Vs Retail Desktops by ShipuieI am typing this on a 2002 HP desktop computer which has been problem free, and has never required a single repair. My next computer will also be an HP
My previous computer was a Dell, and I will never buy another Dell computer.
Others must agree - HP's market share is rapidly growing, while Dell's market share is shrinking.
Hope you don't need service.......
by kimshinholt - 8/4/07 5:35 AM In reply to: Love my 2002 HP - Never another Dell! by john55440Hi,
I don't want to burst your bubble but, HP has the worst service out there. I've sent my notebook in for repairs 4 times within a year. When it comes back, it has new problems! Everytime I send it in they keep it longer, right now they have had it for three weeks. On this time alone I've had three level 2 case managers, nobody wants to take ownership of the problem. They've had my computer so much at HP I had to go buy another computer to keep from losing my job. Hp refuses to give me my money back!
I had a Dell for five years with no problems, my son has a Dell for two years with no problems. I should of bought a Dell this time!
Notebooks and Desktops are different
by richchrono - 8/4/07 11:58 AM In reply to: Hope you don't need service....... by kimshinholtFor Notebooks, try Toshiba. I've had acceptable support from them since purchasing a fairly high-end notebook a couple of years ago.
But the author of this post isn't looking for a notebook.
As I mentioned, I too have had issues with HP support, but that was with printers. Their service used to be legendary, but, sadly, not anymore. And I've seen so many user forums with complaints about Dell that I wonder what Michael's up to these days (I did consulting for him back in the late '80's and early '90's).
Going the route I did (see my previous post here) is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you get to choose every component and can evaluate them for performance and compatibility before you buy. On the other, you need to deal with the service departments of multiple vendors, not just one.
Toshiba laptops
by vb1der - 8/18/07 7:03 AM In reply to: Notebooks and Desktops are different by richchronoInteresting comment about Toshiba. I have had a Toshiba Satellite and have been very unhappy. In ignorance I bought the Satellite and later found out that this is their low end; the Satellite Pro maybe better. The DVD reading capability went first, the CD reading runs at a crawl (installing Windows from disk takes 26 hours). The the keyboard began inserting random alt-control characters as I type, sometimes selecting the whole text and subsequently deleting everything once you type another character. Support says the only way I can get it fixed is to drop ship it to a service center; there are very very few authorized service centers. Then the hard drive went. I am now on my third Toshiba hard drive. Of course, the battery held more than five minutes charge maybe the first two months I had the computer. Oh yeah, it appears that the recovery disk they supply doesn't reinstall Windows.
That said, its pretty much a toss up out there. I've owned everything from home-built to eMachines to Dell to HPs. You never know when you're going to get a lemon, or which company is deciding to go for the cheap to up the profit margins for a given quarter.
HP - is s--t
by BillNYC - 12/16/07 8:08 PM In reply to: Love my 2002 HP - Never another Dell! by john55440Screw your HP....... and leave use Dell pros.
Customized HPs also available
by john55440 - 8/3/07 8:21 PM In reply to: Customized Vs Retail Desktops by ShipuieBTW, you don't have to buy a Dell, to get a customized computer. You can order customized HP computers on HP's web site.
Pimp your box after you buy
by ekent - 8/3/07 8:30 PM In reply to: Customized Vs Retail Desktops by ShipuieIf you buy retail, you run the risk of being stuck for years with the configuration you bought. I bought a space-agey Compaq Presario once a long time ago that boasted a ginormous 3 gigabyte hard drive. The drive was obsolete in months, of course, but thanks to a special code Compaq put on it, it couldn't be upgraded. And thanks to a faulty controller driver, a second hard drive couldn't be added. Oh yeah, the Compaq also resisted upgrading from Windows 95 to Windows 98.
A lot of friends had similar experiences. We bought a retail machine thinking we could upgrade it over time, only to hit a wall. I think retail computers are meant for people who are happy with what comes out of the box.
Don't be fooled by specs. I'm guessing you mean hard drive space, RAM, maybe chip speed and video card. I don't really see much difference between Dell and the major retailers' sale prices anyway. And you definitely want to stay away from some of the cheapest brands - both online and in stores - for obvious reasons.
When I got rid of my Compaq (the company later merged with HP, by the way) I bought a Dell with the second-fastest chip they offered and a middle-size hard drive. I kept the RAM to a minimum and resisted all the other add-ons. Since picking it up five years ago I've found that I can easily upgrade anything on the Dell with stuff I catch on sale at the local stores or online. It's not the fastest thing out there, but it runs Doom 3, Vista Aero and everything else I throw at it.
So, my advice: stick with someone you trust (I'm good with Dell, you might prefer your geek uncle) and start out with a barebones machine with a good motherboard and chipset. Then get yourself a screwdriver and watch for the Sunday ads!
How "custom" do you want?
by richchrono - 8/4/07 3:38 AM In reply to: Customized Vs Retail Desktops by ShipuieI built a system customized for my needs. It has:
an Abit Motherboard
CoreDuo E6600
4 GB DDR2 800 MHz RAM
2 XFX 7900GS's each w/256MB DDR3 and twin DVI ports
4 20" LCD's rotated 90 degrees (portrait orientation)
2.6 TB of hard drive storage, including a 1.6 TB 4 drive array striped and mirrored
EMU 1616M sound card and docking station
a 750W power supply
all in a full tower case.
I'm running XP SP2, and my desktop resolution is a seemless 1680 x 4200 pixels.
As someone else here said, "It's not the fastest system", but it will handle what I need for a while.
Unless you're willing to spring for a server, neither Dell nor HP are capable of building such a configuration.
I've recently had issues with HP's costumer service, and I've heard numerous gripes about Dell's. Bottom line: both are reputable companies, both have systems that limit how much you can customize, neither is perfect.
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