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Post by solocityElectricCyan on Aug 2, 2008 14:19:13 GMT -5
Even the name sounds nice. Specs: CPU: -- RAM: -- Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda, S-ATA 160 GB @7200 RPM Video Card: NVIDIA 8600 GTS 256 PCIeSound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Chipset: Intel® X38 Express Chipset/ ICH9RSome pictures:    The case, motherboard, and PSU are going to be coming in about a week. |
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Post by Daryl on Aug 2, 2008 14:20:41 GMT -5
Dell
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Post by solocityElectricCyan on Aug 2, 2008 15:02:48 GMT -5
Yes, Dell.
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Post by Hauskaz on Aug 2, 2008 15:44:53 GMT -5
Dell. That LCD is interesting and all, but I don't see any actual point in its existence, unless you can make it display something more useful than some dumb picture slideshow. Also, support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xps420/en/OM/HTML/appendix.htm#wp1057811Intel® X38 Express Chipset/ ICH9RNice. That was Intel's high-end offering half a year ago. I still like NVIDIA chipsets better though, even if there's no DDR3 support. Intel's gone in the Crossfire direction for some reason. EDIT: Good luck with those DVI ports, unless you're going to use a different monitor or something. ANOTHER EDIT: Benchmark the Q6600. |
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Post by solocityElectricCyan on Aug 2, 2008 16:49:57 GMT -5
This computer model came out a year ago or something.
Also, I will be buying a 24" in about a year or so. Enough time for me to get a proper card fast enough for it. In the meantime, I will be using a shitty ass DVI to VGA adapter.
Also, I am using a DVI monitor right now lololol
lol also.
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Post by Daryl on Aug 2, 2008 18:22:05 GMT -5
The LCD is there for Windows Sideshow, which lets you do basic stuff without actually turning on the whole computer and such.
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Post by Hauskaz on Aug 2, 2008 19:21:47 GMT -5
Nice.
It's impossible for that computer to be a year old, as the X38 is a bit more than half a year old (and already replaced by the X48).
I would like to get a 24" widescreen one day, and move all the monitors down the chain. Everything gets an upgrade!
Using the VGA output from a DVI adapter will result in even less quality than using a VGA connector since there is a single ground for all the signals. I love VGA.
The Windows Sideshow thing is pretty interesting, but it seems more suited to a laptop where battery life is a concern. Furthermore, I find it interesting that the LCD is on the top of the case, while the power button is in the middle of the front panel. Is it supposed to be placed on a desk or the floor? I personally like putting it on the desk, but that would make the LCD worthless as you would have to get up to even see it. On the floor, however, the power button is inconveniently placed.
Dell really thinks these things through.
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Post by solocityElectricCyan on Aug 2, 2008 19:31:55 GMT -5
How about if your operating system is FUBAR, and you want to do a few things. Do you really think someone wants to sit down playing with a few buttons on the top of the computer?
It's just there as a bonus. My dad's new laptop has it as well. Pretty intense.
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Post by Hauskaz on Aug 2, 2008 19:47:59 GMT -5
I can see it being useful for monitoring stuff or whatever, but you obviously don't want to be doing anything significant on a 2" screen with 6 buttons. It's a pretty overkill monitor for a desktop though. I'd actually prefer one of those fan controller bays over that, since the display's much larger and you get fan control at the same time. Airflow management is not a major demand by Dell customers though.  I like basic displays like this for some reason. |
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Post by solocityElectricCyan on Aug 2, 2008 20:28:42 GMT -5
must you nitpick at everything you see from Dell?
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Post by Hauskaz on Aug 2, 2008 20:29:51 GMT -5
It gives me reason to write paragraphs.
It's also incredibly easy to do.
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Post by solocityElectricCyan on Aug 2, 2008 20:52:41 GMT -5
... right
I can't really think of an OEM that is better than Dell though. HP is fucking awful, no matter how you look at them. You can standardize their pins pretty easily, but that is about all you can do.
About Daryl's mishap with Dell... I don't know what the hell happened there. I have never had any problems whatsoever with Dell Customer Service. That one time a capacitor fell off my brother's mobo, he called, was on hold for two minutes, gave the model of the computer and a guy came the next day to replace it.
Dell also offers Complete Care Warranty. It costs a little bit extra, but with this, you can run your computer over with a truck, videotape it, and send them the scrapings along with the video. They will send you a new one.
As for compatibility; I've only had one incompatible card with a Dell computer. It was a 64 MB GeForce 4 card that did not work with the Pentium 3. In this case, it was a very old computer, with old standards, and it was a long time ago. I went to Andy's house, tried the X1600 on his HP. It didn't work. I went home, grabbed my PSU (Andy's HP has a no name PSU @"300" watts, along with a no name motherboard) and tried out the X1600. Didn't work. I went there with the 8600 GTS. Didn't work.
...
The point of all this? HP is a fucking worthless company, yet almost every house I go in, the person has an HP computer. I only know two people with a Dell: Daryl and Justin Crowe. In my eyes, Dell is the only OEM with decent, if not good computer parts and Customer Service.
As for standard pins, I don't really care. The new computers they are selling are fast and customizable enough, I don't know why I would want to buy a new case or motherboard.
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Post by Daryl on Aug 2, 2008 21:50:33 GMT -5
I can't really think of an OEM that is worse than Dell though. Based on the rest of your post, that seems to be a typo. 1 GHz + 1 GHz = 2 GHz Core 2 Duo The guy who replaced my motherboard didn't plug the fan back in, and he got a tape wire stuck between the plastic on the screen Does Tyler not have a Dell dubbed the "Dumpster Dell"? |
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Post by Hauskaz on Aug 2, 2008 22:10:06 GMT -5
I call it the Dumpster Dell because a library threw several of them out to make room for a bunch of HPs. Dell was apparently bullshitting them, and they got tired of it. They didn't exactly make the best choice with who to move to though. Dell started heading in the right direction when they went to the BTX formfactor, rather than whatever made-up shit they were using before. The thing with buying a computer though is that you're buying a computer. I prefer to retrofit to keep things current, rather than starting fresh over and over again. Consider my current situation: The Blackbox is based on the legacy mPGA478 platform, with DDR and AGP. The components using these interfaces have seen their days and could be considered due for retirement, but other peripherals such as the Audigy 2 ZS and the Barracuda are still perfectly worthy. Seeing as this computer is basically at the end-of-the-line for the platform it's based on, there are two options to consider: 1. Purchase a new computer. 2. Purchase the parts needed to bring the Blackbox up to speed. Both routes will give you the same end result. Option 1 is easier but expensive. Option 2 is cheaper but labour-intensive. Manual assembly is seen as a benefit by me though, so option 2 wins out. It's worth noting that the Blackbox originally started as an HP Pavilion a200n. The only part of it which remains now is the optical drive. For my own fun, here's a list of the transition: 1. GeForce FX 5200 PCI installed (the HP board lacked AGP) 2. Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum installed (which looked really stupid with that blue-silver case) CPU FAILURE3. ASUS P4P800-MX, Intel Pentium 4 HT @ 3.00 GHz and an additional 256 MB DDR SDRAM stick installed (custom adapter made to connect the motherboard to the case, rofl) 4. 80 GB Western Digital Caviar SE added 5. System transferred to the Elitech generic black case (MaxPower PSU replaced the HP Bestec PSU) 6. Floppy drive removed 7. Four fans installed along with cold cathode lighting 8. GeForce 6800 GS AGP installed, FX 5200 removed 9 Enermax NoiseTaker II 485 W PSU installed, MaxPower removed 10. Two 1 GB DDR SDRAM sticks installed, two 256 MB sticks removed 11. Fan control switch wired in 12. 320 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 installed, WD drives removed GPU FAILURE13. GeForce 7800 GS installed, 6800 GS RMA'd I'm pretty sure that's the order. Man, this thread is full of text walls. This is actually a really dumb argument, but I enjoy it. |
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Post by solocityElectricCyan on Aug 2, 2008 22:30:07 GMT -5
lelz daryl
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