Desktops forum: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one?

Re: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one?

by Willy - 12/8/04 9:07 PM

In Reply to: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one? by mnr3333

I'm under the impression the XPS system is nothing more than a glorified 8400 with top-end componets. They intended it to be more gamer ordinated though it looks cooler at least. If that's the case, then just go with a more gamer ordinated PC co. at that cost.

good luck -----Willy

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Re: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one?

by EternalDarkness - 12/13/04 1:06 AM

In Reply to: Re: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one? by Willy

I take it your a gamer if your buying an expensive pc like that in this case forget about dell and buy an ailen ware. You can compleaty custamize it at their website the order it.

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This should answer all questions you may have

by Dozhdbog - 12/13/04 3:58 AM

In Reply to: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one? by mnr3333

If you wish to get a breakdown of the exact differences between all dimension systems, go here: http://support.dell.com/support/systemsinfo/documentation.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~cat=12&~subcat=84

The main differences I can think of are:

1) xps gen 4 has 460w power supply 8400 has 360
2) xps gen 4 offers several higher end item options such as the p4 EE, the 256mb radeon x800 xt video card, and the high end audigy video card
3)more fans for heat dissipation in the xps gen 4
4)standard front mounted firewire on xps gen 4, for the 8400 you get an optional back-mounted firewire port
5)xps has better case design
6)xps is more aesthetically pleasing -not that I would necessarily pay extra for that, but the nice shell and the backlit panelling does bump the price up a bit..
7)The xps gen 4 has 1066 mhz capability for the processor(it would have to be the p4 ee though, as it is the only processor intel has at that bus speed), whereas the 8400 I am fairly certain is still at 800 mhz.

So, in conclusion... unless you REALLY want the pulchritudinous case, and/or video and sound cards, and/or the p4ee, OR plan on doing a lot of gaming(in which case you'll want the extra power output and cooling fans of the xps gen 4), stick with the 8400.

Or you could get a refurbished xps gen 3 or 8400 model and still get the same warrany options but for almost half the price if you time it right. They run some sweet deals sometimes.
I got a $2500 dollar xps gen 3 system last week for 1300 clams -which I was happy to shell out.
You can find the refurbished model site here:
http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/Desktops?c=us&l=en&s=dfh&DGVCode=IR

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Re: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one?

by cal123 - 12/13/04 11:08 AM

In Reply to: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one? by mnr3333

Hi mnr3333,

I was in the same situation just a few days ago. I went ahead and purchased the XPS (still waiting for it to arrive). It made more sense to me as I play games occasionally and the cost difference was only a couple hundred $. My total order was just under $2300. It is configured with an P4 3.4, ATI X800XT, has the audiligy preconfigured, 2x180 SATA HDD raid 0 and a 17in ultrafine LCD. For me its the right choice since I could update the processor later to the extreme if need be (supports 1066 bus) the case layout looks a lot better too. Oh yea the price...I used a 30% off coupon from an affiliate web site which was a huge factor in my decision. Hope this helps and good luck.

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XPS is the way to go

by ghost0007 - 3/6/05 4:03 PM

In Reply to: Re: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one? by cal123

Just bought an XPS. Thing is both the 8400 and the XPs can be configured the same way. XPS has a more pimped up motherboard; 4 PCI versus 3 on the 8400, 3 hard drives (1.2 Terabit storage). Spend the extra and go XPS you wont regret it especially if you're a gamer. If you do only email, internet and word, the 2350 is your choice.

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A little advice for your decision

by Dozhdbog - 12/14/04 1:21 PM

In Reply to: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one? by mnr3333

It all depends on what you want to do with your computer.
Both the 8400 and the xps systems will play all the new games easily -it's the difference between cutting edge and bleeding edge technology and the longevity they afford. Both are also great for professional film editing(which I do a lot of).
The XPS system has more options for upgrading, and will have no problem playing the top tier games for 2-3 years. Heck, even after 5 years I am betting a maxed out xps system will be fine.
The 8400 should be fine for 2 years with mid-range options for the most recent and demanding games and 3-4 years if maxed out.

And if you just want something for word processing, surfing the web, playing music, and playing the occasional game without any pressing need for all the game settings maxed out, get a 4600 or a low-end 8400. Both are seriously more than adequate for that kind of activity.

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Bought the XPS recently

by roofy - 2/12/05 5:53 PM

In Reply to: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one? by mnr3333

I was interested in a XP media center OS system. Ilooked at quite a few mfr's for high-end systems and thought of building my own.
1. build my own - I'm sure could do, but not my hobby and MS Media Center OS is OEM only.
2. Cyberpower was the cheapest, but got the worst support and reliability reviews I've ever seen - so didn't buy.
3. Dell was not the cheapest vs. alienware until they had a 20% off sale plus free shipping, etc. then it was the clear choice, as I had bought a Dell previously and it was good expereince.
4. The machine is solid, fast, lots of features, great components (audigy, ATI 850 XPE, Raptor 74G 10K drive).
5. XP Media Center is great fun and makes PC much more all-around entertainmetn experience - if thats what U-R looking for.
5. Only bad thing is after double CD/DVD drive, there is only one expansion slot left. and the fans are a bit noisy.

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Dell vs Mac

by roe999 - 11/17/07 10:29 AM

In Reply to: dell xps gen 4 vs dell dimension 8400 which one? by mnr3333

MacDailyNews Take: Dell's "answer" to Apple's bundled software weak, to say the least, and Brown neglects to mention the very important fact that only Apple's iMac can run all of the software the Dell can, plus its own superior Mac OS X Leopard OS and all of the often best-in-class Mac only software. It'd be a silly mistake to pay way more for this thing from Dell when you can pay far less and get so much more with an Apple iMac. Apple's 20-inch iMac starts at $1199. Add in a Blu-ray drive from FastMac for $999 and you're only at $2198, still $201 less than the Dell's OS-limited, underpowered, overpriced XPS One with Blu-ray.

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