The Cellar - View Single Post - Building an absolutely NON-uber box

vsp · 03-11-2003, 09:21 AM

I chatted with the intended buyer last night, and explained that while buying a new Dell would be overbuying for his needs, simply "adequate" systems are no longer available for sale. Given a choice between overbuying new for $X or buying used for $1/2 X, he said he'd rather go with a new system. So be it.

<a href="http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?CS=19&kc=6V771&oc=D23TVF&view=1">This system</a> seems to be the best value-priced deal they have right now. Slightly tweaked (bumping up to 256MB RAM, getting the better 17" CRT, upgrading to Works so that they'll get MS Word, selecting Earthlink instead of AOHell), I'm coming up with $824 with a $100 mail-in rebate for a 2.0 GHz Pentium IV system with a two-year warranty.

If I <a href="http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?cs=19&oc=D235RS&m_1=DX218CB&m_116=40CDR2P&c=us&l=en&kc=6V903&s=dhs">start from scratch</a> and try to create a similar system, using a Celeron 1.8 GHz processor, I get $644 for a one-year warranty or $723 for a two-year warranty. After the rebate, this means it's a dollar more to get the Pentium IV chipset instead of the Celeron, which seems like a no-brainer to my untrained eye.

I <b>hate hate hate</b> ordering a system with Intel Integrated Extreme graphics and audio, but the 2350 simply doesn't have an AGP slot, and bumping up to the 4550 and getting a real video card knocks the system out of the desired price range. Hopefully, he won't discover the joys of Quake III a year from now and wonder why his system chugs like the Little Engine That Could going uphill for 3D graphics.

By the way, did I mention that Dell's online store disgusts me, in that I can build the exact same system three different ways WITHIN the Home Office system and get three different prices, then get a fourth price if I try it as Small Business? If I want to order something, I should be able to look it up once, not spend an hour trying to find six different routes to the same configuration and selecting the one with the lowest price.

Anything else leap out at anyone about this?

03-11-2003, 09:21 AM	#6
vsp Syndrome of a Down Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: West Chester Posts: 1,367	I chatted with the intended buyer last night, and explained that while buying a new Dell would be overbuying for his needs, simply "adequate" systems are no longer available for sale. Given a choice between overbuying new for $X or buying used for $1/2 X, he said he'd rather go with a new system. So be it. <a href="http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?CS=19&kc=6V771&oc=D23TVF&view=1">This system</a> seems to be the best value-priced deal they have right now. Slightly tweaked (bumping up to 256MB RAM, getting the better 17" CRT, upgrading to Works so that they'll get MS Word, selecting Earthlink instead of AOHell), I'm coming up with $824 with a $100 mail-in rebate for a 2.0 GHz Pentium IV system with a two-year warranty. If I <a href="http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?cs=19&oc=D235RS&m_1=DX218CB&m_116=40CDR2P&c=us&l=en&kc=6V903&s=dhs">start from scratch</a> and try to create a similar system, using a Celeron 1.8 GHz processor, I get $644 for a one-year warranty or $723 for a two-year warranty. After the rebate, this means it's a dollar more to get the Pentium IV chipset instead of the Celeron, which seems like a no-brainer to my untrained eye. I <b>hate hate hate</b> ordering a system with Intel Integrated Extreme graphics and audio, but the 2350 simply doesn't have an AGP slot, and bumping up to the 4550 and getting a real video card knocks the system out of the desired price range. Hopefully, he won't discover the joys of Quake III a year from now and wonder why his system chugs like the Little Engine That Could going uphill for 3D graphics. By the way, did I mention that Dell's online store disgusts me, in that I can build the exact same system three different ways WITHIN the Home Office system and get three different prices, then get a fourth price if I try it as Small Business? If I want to order something, I should be able to look it up once, not spend an hour trying to find six different routes to the same configuration and selecting the one with the lowest price. Anything else leap out at anyone about this?