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Why buy a computer when you can make a better one for less?
As I write this, my completely-full 160GB IDE hard drive is making a very unhealthy sound, and I'm trying to make sure I don't get too many browser windows open lest my single-core processor gets bogged down. Yep, it is time for a new desktop. This one has served very well over the last 4+ years, but its time to go to Dell.com and . . . what, what?
I built this computer with my own hands . . . I'm already on my second power supply and I put in an updated graphics card a few months ago. There is a lot of good stuff in there, and the case is still rather sexy (in my opinion). I figure I can Frankenstein my current system to compete with a much more expensive high-end gaming system. So, I logged onto Tom's Hardware and did some research, then I went to NewEgg and ordered a bunch of stuff. I'll be comparing my build to a basic Dell Studio XPS 9000, as that is the closest decent rig I could find to the price that my build is coming out to, and because in my experience Dells have been good, reliable, and well-built machines. Below is the list of items in my shopping cart:
The whole order, including tax, shipping, and several rebates and specials which might not be the same at the time you read this, ended up being $669.81. Granted, I'm using a graphics card I already bought a couple of months ago, so for a fair comparison I'll add that in. It is a BFG GeForce GTXS 250 with 1GB of RAM and a 750MHz core. It cost me around $175 I think, but now its unavailable on NewEgg and you can probably get something even more fancy for that price or less today. To be fair, I'll put the price of my system at $800 being that you can get the same graphics card or equivalent for about $130 or $140. That is pretty close to the Dell at $899. Granted, that is not including a powersupply, case, and cooling, but I'll keep the comparison at that since most people who are upgrading already have those things in their current PC. If you need those, however, you could get everything for about $150-$200 if you want something that is nicely built and sturdy.
Now let's compare what my rig will be against our base Dell Studio XPS 9000. Advantages are in bold.
| Spec | Base Dell Studio XPS 9000 | Carl's Homemade Rig |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-920, 4 cores at 2.66Ghz, 1mb L2 8mb L3 Cache | AMD Phenom X4 955 3.2 Ghz , 4 cores, 2mb L2 and 6mb L3 Cache |
| FSB | 1066Mhz | 2600Mhz |
| Memory | 3GB DDR3 1066 | 4GB DDR3 1600 |
| HD | 500 GB SATA 7200rpm | 500 GB SATA 7200rpm |
| OS | Windows 7 Premium | Windows 7 Pro |
| Optical Drive | 16X DVD/CD RW | 24X DVD/CD RW |
| Video Card | ATI Radeon 512 MB, 600MHz | GeForce 1GB, 750MHz |
| Support | Dell Tech Support | You are your own support |
| Extra | Glossy case | Web Cam, a soul |
So in conclusion, by buying my own parts, I think I'm getting a lot more PC for the buck than buying a pre-made one. Even though Tom's Hardware recently favored the Core i7-90 to the Phenom X4 955, the fact that the motherboard on my rig has a front side bus that is over twice as fast, my rig will let the processor live up to its true potential, where the processor on the Dell will be somewhat limited. Even if you needed the case and power supply, the machine will give the next level XPS 9000 a hard run for its money. The upside of the Dell, however, is that Dell spent a considerable R&D effort in getting components that work well with each other, and that the Dell will be covered by professional tech support. But come on--if you have read this far, you're probably not worried about calling tech support ;)
I will write another post once my parts come in and I put them in my case/fire up the system (assuming it fires up). I'd like to benchmark it against a base XPS 9000. Anyone got one?
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