Should I cancell Dell i7 system?

[Pinto]

I ordered a Dell i7 system February 11, and the shipping date has been delayed twice and this morning I got an e-mail with yet another week delay.

After I ordered from Dell I was turned on to the CyberPower Systems website. I put together a like build on their site, and even though I had a $425.00 Dell discount coupon, the build from CyberPower was a lot cheaper than Dell. In contrast with Dell's packaging, the variety of components was too much for me. (Choose from 20 cases!)

With this last delay I'm wondering if I should seriously consider this builder. The reviews I've read have been mostly great. A few very bad, but not any different from Dell. They've posted responses to poor reviews on Resellersrating, and I was impressed by that outreach.

The delay isn't that big a deal. But it may give me the opportunity to buy what I should have in the first place. Or is Dell still the best choice?

Anyone with experience with CyberPower? Your advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Here is the CyberPowersite: http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

[stathunter]

I put a lot of faith into reseller ratings--

[In2Photos]

Wow, I just configured a PC with almost identical parts to the one I just built and it was only about $100 more. Not bad! I'd buy one if I didn't like building my own!

[Zoodles]

What about service / warranty?

[Pinto]

What about service / warranty?

Warranty is three years same as Dell. CyberPower has Lifetime tech support.

[Pinto]

Wow, I just configured a PC with almost identical parts to the one I just built and it was only about $100 more. Not bad! I'd buy one if I didn't like building my own!

You you have an thoughts about this as opposed to a Dell system?

[In2Photos]

You you have an thoughts about this as opposed to a Dell system?
The thing that always concerns me with a Dell system is upgrading it. They usually don't allow much in upgrades, either due to case, PSU, available ports, etc. So it all depends on which Dell. Some of them can be very flexible, some not.

With the CyberPower stuff you get to choose from several parts so you get what YOU want, not what they decide to give you (to some extent).

reseller ratings has them at 8.3 out of 10. Not too bad if you ask me. In the PC business I can see having a few bad reviews (see Newegg!).

[FZ1]

The thing that always concerns me with a Dell system is upgrading it. They usually don't allow much in upgrades, either due to case, PSU, available ports, etc. So it all depends on which Dell. Some of them can be very flexible, some not.
Bingo...that is one of the biggest problems in buying Dell, HP, etc is that you get locked into proprietary parts which limits your upgrade options. In addition, you are usually locked out of the BIOS which prevents overclocking and many times their BIOS will not be updated to support newer technologies such as SSD's etc. I'd cancel the order if you can and go another route.

[Pinto]

The thing that always concerns me with a Dell system is upgrading it. They usually don't allow much in upgrades, either due to case, PSU, available ports, etc. So it all depends on which Dell. Some of them can be very flexible, some not.

With the CyberPower stuff you get to choose from several parts so you get what YOU want, not what they decide to give you (to some extent).

reseller ratings has them at 8.3 out of 10. Not too bad if you ask me. In the PC business I can see having a few bad reviews (see Newegg!).

Bingo...that is one of the biggest problems in buying Dell, HP, etc is that you get locked into proprietary parts which limits your upgrade options. In addition, you are usually locked out of the BIOS which prevents overclocking and many times their BIOS will not be updated to support newer technologies such as SSD's etc. I'd cancel the order if you can and go another route.

Plus, the Dell system I ordered, which was all that was available with i7 at the time, is pretty much a cheaper consumer setup. It's not a no-tool like a good XP box, which they have just introduced at a hefty premium. Mucho complaints about DVD drawers not fitting properly etc. I can get a nice full tower with the CyperPower.

[Pinto]

I sent this member a PM a moment ago but his post on another thread indicates that he's pretty happy.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

You wil get good service out of either machine. I have bought two systems from Cyberpower and been very happy. I hope to replace my aging system again i a few months. You have more control ( with Dell also) by configuring your own machine.

[tim]

Cyber Power is sounding pretty good to me.

[Pinto]

reseller ratings has them at 8.3 out of 10. Not too bad if you ask me. In the PC business I can see having a few bad reviews (see Newegg!).

Dell has a 6 month resellers rating of 2.55/10 and a lifetime of 4.06/10.

[Zepher]

Does Cyberpower send out a technician to fix the machine if it messes up?
That would be the main thing I would care about since I wouldn't want to spend $100 to send the machine back to them each time it broke.

[Pinto]

Does Cyberpower send out a technician to fix the machine if it messes up?
That would be the main thing I would care about since I wouldn't want to spend $100 to send the machine back to them each time it broke.

Excellent point. I don't think so. I haven't called them yet, but I see no option for on-site repair on their web-site. I'm in San Diego and they are in the L.A. area, so at least that is close.

[Tsmith]

DELL isn't even close to the company they were 8 years ago. I build my own but have heard good things from: http://www.velocitymicro.com/index.php

[Skrim17]

I bought from CyberPower a few years back, it was a great machine at a fantastic price and I never had a single problem. Recommended them to a friend a year or so later and he got a lemon of a machine that they replaced no questions asked within the first 4 months. I Would buy from them again.

[Pinto]

I bought from CyberPower a few years back, it was a great machine at a fantastic price and I never had a single problem. Recommended them to a friend a year or so later and he got a lemon of a machine that they replaced no questions asked within the first 4 months. I Would buy from them again.

Thank you for the recommendation, Crissa.

[Pinto]

Well, it was tough decision with a 25% off coupon and free shipping, but I canceled the i7 Studio XPS. After reading too many reviews about the cheap case, small power supply and it running hot and loud, I knew I would regret the purchase.

[In2Photos]

Well, it was tough decision with a 25% off coupon and free shipping, but I canceled the i7 Studio XPS. After reading too many reviews about the cheap case, small power supply and it running hot and loud, I knew I would regret the purchase.
So did you order the Cyber Power one then?

[Pinto]

So did you order the Cyber Power one then?

No, I'm still on the fence. With the new Dell XPS 435 unit just out, it's fits the bill pretty well. But at $700.00 more, I'm waiting a little while to see if a coupon pops up. If not, then I'll do a much stronger comparison between it and a CyberPower unit.

Ordering from CyberPower entails quite a learning curve on my part. The array of component choices is mind-numbing, and when you read opinions it just gets worse... motherboards, PSUs, fans, cases, etc.

When you are not very knowledgeable in this area it's pretty daunting.

[Medic85]

The thing that always concerns me with a Dell system is upgrading it. They usually don't allow much in upgrades, either due to case, PSU, available ports, etc. So it all depends on which Dell. Some of them can be very flexible, some not.

With the CyberPower stuff you get to choose from several parts so you get what YOU want, not what they decide to give you (to some extent).

reseller ratings has them at 8.3 out of 10. Not too bad if you ask me. In the PC business I can see having a few bad reviews (see Newegg!).

It depends on what system you buy. My XPS is totally upgradeable. As a matter of fact, I just added a 500GB HD to it without any problems. I can swap drives out when I want to.

[In2Photos]

No, I'm still on the fence. With the new Dell XPS 435 unit just out, it's fits the bill pretty well. But at $700.00 more, I'm waiting a little while to see if a coupon pops up. If not, then I'll do a much stronger comparison between it and a CyberPower unit.

Ordering from CyberPower entails quite a learning curve on my part. The array of component choices is mind-numbing, and when you read opinions it just gets worse... motherboards, PSUs, fans, cases, etc.

When you are not very knowledgeable in this area it's pretty daunting.
This is where you start asking folks "in the know" about items you need help with. My actual i7 build only contained about 4 items out of 12 that were in my original configuration. You can get a lot of help on the Anandtech forums as well as here.
It depends on what system you buy. My XPS is totally upgradeable. As a matter of fact, I just added a 500GB HD to it without any problems. I can swap drives out when I want to.
XPS systems are much more upgradeable than the consumer Inspiron series, true. But a hard drive is nothing. When you need to replace the PSU, or a video card, or RAM, that is when it starts getting pretty ridiculous.

[Pinto]

This is where you start asking folks "in the know" about items you need help with. My actual i7 build only contained about 4 items out of 12 that were in my original configuration. You can get a lot of help on the Anandtech forums as well as here.

Of course. And everyone here is very helpful. But in reality, asking advice on every component would wear out one's welcome pretty fast. Plus, there are so many varied opinions from folks "in the know" to try and sort out. I think it would take forever.

Here's an example of just the motherboard selection on one system:

MSI X58 Platinum Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,Dual GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio [-104]

GIGABYTE X58 GA-EX58-UD3R 2 WAY CROSSFIRE/SLI DDR3 [-114]

Asus P6T Deluxe Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard SAS Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,Dual GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio (Asus P6T Deluxe Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard SAS Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,Dual GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio) [+0]

(3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio ((3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio) [-94]

($20 off Mail-in Rebate) (3-Way SLI Support) GigaByte GA-EX58-UD4P Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Ultra Durable™3 Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,Dual GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio [-80]

($40 off Mail-in Rebate) (3-Way SLI Support) EVGA X58 3X SLI Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,Dual GbLAN,USB2.0,Dual IEEE1394&7.1Audio [+10]

And my questions: So, Corsair 1600MHZ memory is the same price as 1066. Does the"Triple-Channel DDR3/1600" I see on some of the motherboard selections mean to use the 1600MHZ memory, and is it actually faster than the 1066?

And then apparently you have rebates to factor in. Well, you get the idea. Brain numbing!

[In2Photos]

Of course. And everyone here is very helpful. But in reality, asking advice on every component would wear out one's welcome pretty fast. Plus, there are so many varied opinions from folks "in the know" to try and sort out. I think it would take forever.

Here's an example of just the motherboard selection on one system:

MSI X58 Platinum Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,Dual GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio [-104]

GIGABYTE X58 GA-EX58-UD3R 2 WAY CROSSFIRE/SLI DDR3 [-114]

Asus P6T Deluxe Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard SAS Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,Dual GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio (Asus P6T Deluxe Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard SAS Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,Dual GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio) [+0]

(3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio ((3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio) [-94]

($20 off Mail-in Rebate) (3-Way SLI Support) GigaByte GA-EX58-UD4P Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Ultra Durable™3 Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,Dual GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio [-80]

($40 off Mail-in Rebate) (3-Way SLI Support) EVGA X58 3X SLI Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,Dual GbLAN,USB2.0,Dual IEEE1394&7.1Audio [+10]

And my questions: So, Corsair 1600MHZ memory is the same price as 1066. Does the"Triple-Channel DDR3/1600" I see on some of the motherboard selections mean to use the 1600MHZ memory, and is it actually faster than the 1066?

And then apparently you have rebates to factor in. Well, you get the idea. Brain numbing!

When choosing the Mobo I like to see what the Max RAM is, and how many ports are available. From there I go by reviews and price. This is where the MSI x58 Pro won out for me. It had everything I needed (24GB RAM as max, 7 SATA ports, plenty of PCI slots, eSATA built in) and was the lowest price board that still had good ratings. The ASUS and EVGA boards seem to be the favorites among the Newegg reviews and the users on Anandtech, but were a little overkill for my needs.

As for the memory, from what I have read there is no need to buy DDR3-1600 unless you plan to overclock. So you can stick with DDR3-1066, but if price on the 1600 is the same as 1066 then why not get it "just in case".

With MIR I consider it a "bonus", not a determining factor. You never know if you are going to get that money back so I don't count on it. I have been lucky so far that I usually get it back. That just allows me to buy something else, not pay for what I already bought! :)

[In2Photos]

Here you go, $1126 plus shipping. You might want to add more hard drives if you need to. You can also choose a cheaper video card, but won't save you much. No monitor, since I figure you either have one or might get the Dell 2209WA.


CASE: CoolerMaster Centurion 590 RC-590 Mid-Tower 420W Case
Neon Light Upgrade: NONE
Extra Case Fan Upgrade: Extra Case Cooling Fan (2 x Fans)
POWER SUPPLY Upgrade: 650 Watts Power Supplies (Corsair CMPSU-650TX - Quad SLI Ready)
CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-920 2.66 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366
COOLING FAN : Intel LGA1366 Certified CPU Fan & Heatsink
MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA, GbLAN, USB2.0, IEEE1394a, & 7.1Audio
MEMORY: 6GB (2GBx3) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Triple Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
FREEBIES: None
VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
VIDEO CARD 2: NONE
VIDEO CARD 3: NONE
MULTIPLE VIDEO CARD SETTINGS: Xtreme Performance in SLI/CrossFireX Gaming Mode Supports Single Monitor
LCD Monitor: NONE
2nd Monitor: NONE
HARD DRIVE: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
Data Hard Drive: NONE
HARD DRIVE COOLING FAN : None
USB PORTABLE DRIVE: NONE
Optical Drive: (Special Price) LG 20X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR)
Optical Drive 2: (Special Price) LG 20X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR)
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: NONE
NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD
MODEM: NONE
KEYBOARD: Logitech Deluxe 250 USB Keyboard (Black Color)
MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
Extra Thermal Display : NONE
Wireless 802.11B/G Network Card: NONE
Flash Media Reader/Writer: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
VIDEO CAMERA: NONE
PRINTER: None
PRINTER CABLE: None
IEEE CARD: NONE
USB PORT: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
FLOPPY: NONE
OS: Microsoft® Windows Vista™ Home Premium w/ Service Pack 1 (64-bit Edition)
FREEBIES: None
Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner: None
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
RUSH SERVICE: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS

[Medic85]

This is where you start asking folks "in the know" about items you need help with. My actual i7 build only contained about 4 items out of 12 that were in my original configuration. You can get a lot of help on the Anandtech forums as well as here.

XPS systems are much more upgradeable than the consumer Inspiron series, true. But a hard drive is nothing. When you need to replace the PSU, or a video card, or RAM, that is when it starts getting pretty ridiculous.

I know, I meant that too. I've got extra bays for all of that stuff.

Nice new machine by the way.

[In2Photos]

I know, I meant that too. I've got extra bays for all of that stuff.

Nice new machine by the way.
Thanks. You need to come check it out.

[Pinto]

Here you go, $1126 plus shipping. You might want to add more hard drives if you need to. You can also choose a cheaper video card, but won't save you much. No monitor, since I figure you either have one or might get the Dell 2209WA.

Wow! Thank you for the effort, Mike! I have to run out now, but will look at it when I get back. Thanks again.

[Pinto]

Here you go, $1126 plus shipping. You might want to add more hard drives if you need to. You can also choose a cheaper video card, but won't save you much. No monitor, since I figure you either have one or might get the Dell 2209WA.

Mike, I finally got some time to look at this. Here's my configuration, if you'd be so kind to look at for me. And yes, I already purchased the Dell 2209WA.

CAS: CoolerMaster Centurion 590 RC-590 Mid-Tower 420W Case [+23]
CASUPGRADE: NONE
CS_FAN: Extra Case Cooling Fan [+3] (2 x Fans [+3])
POWERSUPPLY: 650 Watts Power Supplies [+108] (Corsair CMPSU-650TX - Quad SLI Ready)
CPU: Intel� Core� i7-920 2.66 GHz 8M L3 Cache LGA1366
FAN: Intel LGA1366 Certified CPU Fan & Heatsink
MOTHERBOARD: (3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6T Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio
MEMORY: 12GB (2GBx6) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Triple Channel Memory [+209] (Corsair Dominator [+29])
I upgraded to Corsair Dominator after a recommendation I saw somewhere. Will that nean anything to me? Also as I mentioned eairler, the 1600MHZ Corsair memory is the same price as the 10666. Should I use it with this motherboard?
FREEBIE_RM: None
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 1GB 16X PCI Express [+105] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
It appears that Nvidia is more popular than ATI cards even though the ATI 4800 series has gotten good reviews, and they seem to work out of the box whereas the Nvidia seem to need a lot of updates and tweaking. I was looking initially at the ATI 1 Gig 4870. It's $100.00 more than the 9800 GT with this build. Any comments on the comparison?
VIDEO2: NONE
VIDEO3: NONE
MULTIVIEW: Non-SLI/CrossFireX Mode Supports Multiple Monitors
MONITOR: NONE
MONITOR2: NONE
HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
HDD2: 750GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM Hard Drive [+92]
FA_HDD: None
USBHD: NONE
CD: (Special Price) LG 20X DVD�R/�RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: NONE
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: NONE
NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD
MODEM: NONE
KEYBOARD: (Keyboard & Mouse Combo) Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 3200 Laser Cordless Keyboard & Mouse Combo [+75]
MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
(This mouse was added when I added the above wireless keyboard and mouse. Probably an error.)
TEMP: NONE
WNC: NONE
FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer [+10] (BLACK COLOR)
VIDEOCAMERA: NONE
PRINTER: None
PRINTER_CABLE: None
IEEE_CARD: IEEE 1394 CARD AND DRIVER [+19]
USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
FLOPPY: NONE
OS: Microsoft� Windows Vista� Home Premium w/ Service Pack 1 [+104] (64-bit Edition)
FREEBIE_OS: None
TVRC: None
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
$1569.00

Thank you again for your help.

[In2Photos]

I only see four things that I might change.

Memory - The Dominator is 1.65V which is the max for an i7 chip. I would stick with the standard Corsair just to be safe. And again, the 1600 won't give you any performance gain over the 1333 so just go with the 1333.

Video card - If you don't do any gaming you can skimp on the card. I don't think you "need" a 9800. You could keep the standard 9500 or switch to something like the ATI 4350. I agree the ATI stuff seems to be the preferred chip right now. I went with a 3450 card ($25 at Newegg). You just don't need that much horsepower for 2D photo editing. If you maybe will use this for say a HTPC make sure the card has an HDMI out. But with no Blu-Ray player selected my guess is that you won't be doing this.

CD Drive - Might want to add one more. At $30 it is nice to have a second drive for copying discs or listening to a CD while burning another.

Second hard drive - the 1TB drive is only $16 more. Might be worth a look.

Otherwise it looks like a nice rig. Should be fast, quiet, and fun!

[unrlmth]

+$92 for a 750GB hard drive?
I would spec it out with one HD and buy others separately. Also if you care about noise you may want to look for extra quiet HDs. On my S775 rig the HDs make the most noise.

[Pinto]

I only see four things that I might change.

Memory - The Dominator is 1.65V which is the max for an i7 chip. I would stick with the standard Corsair just to be safe. And again, the 1600 won't give you any performance gain over the 1333 so just go with the 1333.

Video card - If you don't do any gaming you can skimp on the card. I don't think you "need" a 9800. You could keep the standard 9500 or switch to something like the ATI 4350. I agree the ATI stuff seems to be the preferred chip right now. I went with a 3450 card ($25 at Newegg). You just don't need that much horsepower for 2D photo editing. If you maybe will use this for say a HTPC make sure the card has an HDMI out. But with no Blu-Ray player selected my guess is that you won't be doing this.

CD Drive - Might want to add one more. At $30 it is nice to have a second drive for copying discs or listening to a CD while burning another.

Second hard drive - the 1TB drive is only $16 more. Might be worth a look.

Otherwise it looks like a nice rig. Should be fast, quiet, and fun!

Thanks Mike. Will drop the Dominator memory. Thanks for the tip.
I do a lot of 3D work also, so I was thinking the card extra horsepower would help in general. Yes/no?
The extra Dvd drive isn't necessary on this system. I have four other systems in this office.

[unrlmth]

You would be much better off with a 4850 than a 9800gt. You can get them for under 100 bucks used. (all of the used parts I've ever bought have been in like new condition and I don't buy from ebay, btw)

[Pinto]

You would be much better off with a 4850 than a 9800gt. You can get them for under 100 bucks used. (all of the used parts I've ever bought have been in like new condition and I don't buy from ebay, btw)

I was initially looking at a 1 Gig 4870 which is apparently a much faster card than the 4850.

[unrlmth]

I was initially looking at a 1 Gig 4870 which is apparently a much faster card than the 4850.

I wouldn't say much faster, but it is worth the extra money. I have a 512MB 4870 and I love it. (I also have a 512MB and a 1GB 4850)

The 4850 reference design has a very mediocre cooler and even at stock speeds it gets way hotter than I like.

[Pinto]

What are the primary differences between the 4850 and the 4870?

[unrlmth]

The 4870 has a dual slot cooler (4850 has single slot), GDDR5 mem (4850 has GDDR3), higher clock speeds, takes 2 6pin connectors (4850 only needs one). I think that's about all, but there might be something I'm missing.

[Pinto]

The 4870 has a dual slot cooler (4850 has single slot), GDDR5 mem (4850 has GDDR3), higher clock speeds, takes 2 6pin connectors (4850 only needs one). I think that's about all, but there might be something I'm missing.
Thanks.

[tim]

CD Drive - Might want to add one more. At $30 it is nice to have a second drive for copying discs or listening to a CD while burning another.

Wow, people still use disks? I buy them occasionally, but they're immediately transferred to mp3 and the disk stored... somewhere... not even sure where they all are!

[In2Photos]

Wow, people still use disks? I buy them occasionally, but they're immediately transferred to mp3 and the disk stored... somewhere... not even sure where they all are!
Yup, I do. I did the MP3 thing in college. Don't much care for it to be honest. Takes up HD space, time to organize, time to download or rip. I don't sit at my PC long enough to mess with it. Pop in a CD when I want or listen to internet radio. Works for me. I mainly use dual drives for copying discs though, not multitasking.

[In2Photos]

+$92 for a 750GB hard drive?
I would spec it out with one HD and buy others separately. Also if you care about noise you may want to look for extra quiet HDs. On my S775 rig the HDs make the most noise.
An OEM 640GB HD from Newegg is $75. He is having it built. I don't see a problem with the price.

Two HD shouldn't be that noisy. I can't even hear mine. If it makes that much noise perhaps your drive is old or failing!

[In2Photos]

Thanks Mike. Will drop the Dominator memory. Thanks for the tip.
I do a lot of 3D work also, so I was thinking the card extra horsepower would help in general. Yes/no?
The extra Dvd drive isn't necessary on this system. I have four other systems in this office.
Sounds like you are set then. Pick your video card and press the order button! :)

[unrlmth]

An OEM 640GB HD from Newegg is $75. He is having it built. I don't see a problem with the price.

Two HD shouldn't be that noisy. I can't even hear mine. If it makes that much noise perhaps your drive is old or failing!

I'm just saying that the HD is something very easy for him to add and if he could save a few bucks and possibly get a better performing drive, why not?

And on my rig I have 5 HDs and the CPU/GPU is WCed. All the drives seem fine, but I can still hear them above everything else.


1TB drive for 89.99 with free shipping and promo code EMCLPNL29
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136317&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL032009&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL032009-_-InternalHardDrives-_-L0C-_-22136317

[ObiDamnKenobi]

To the OP: did you order from cyberpowerPC yet? I looked at that place when I was looking for a new computer. After reading about the store on on several sites I decided against it. Do a search on www.hardforum.com for instance and consensus is: stay away! A classic case of you get what you pay for...
Horrible service, used parts.. etc.

I ended up going with www.maxforcepc.com, smaller operation, but very good testimonials. Join the forum and ask for a quote and Max will give you a suggestion based on what you want/need.

AVAdirect I think used to be good, bad have some cases of bad service lately. Also read universally good things about "puget systems", "velocity micro" and "digital storm", but think they might be a bit pricy.. Top class service though.

Anyway, whatever you chose; good luck:)

[Pinto]

To the OP: did you order from cyberpowerPC yet? I looked at that place when I was looking for a new computer. After reading about the store on on several sites I decided against it. Do a search on www.hardforum.com for instance and consensus is: stay away! A classic case of you get what you pay for...
Horrible service, used parts.. etc.

I ended up going with www.maxforcepc.com, smaller operation, but very good testimonials. Join the forum and ask for a quote and Max will give you a suggestion based on what you want/need.

AVAdirect I think used to be good, bad have some cases of bad service lately. Also read universally good things about "puget systems", "velocity micro" and "digital storm", but think they might be a bit pricy.. Top class service though.

Anyway, whatever you chose; good luck:)

Hi. Well I'm, almost off the fence on this. I really appreciate all the help I received here, especially from Mike, (In2Photos). It's been a very good learning experience.

Like you, I read and re-read all the CyberPower reviews I could find. Lots of unhappy folks, and it seemed that the customers who were happy, were satisfied after an initial problem had been resolved. And it seemed that most received a unit with that initial problem.

CyberPower claims they test each system. But I was concerned when I read over and over the customer claims that the units could not have passed factory tests with the problems they had when they were delivered.

I think that I've finally concluded that I'm going to go with a Dell XPS 435 system. It's more expensive, but it has everything I want, and I can feel more confident about what I'm going to get when I open the box.

I'm probably going to wait until the first of the month to see if they issue a coupon of some kind on this system. If not, I have an 8%-9% NAPP discount from Dell and I'm going to get on with it.

I'll post when I get it resolved. Thanks again to everyone, especially Mike, for all the effort in helping me with this decision.

And good luck to you with the Maxforce system. Let us know how it works out for you.

[ObiDamnKenobi]

Thanks. My system is being overclocked and tested by Max now, should have it next week so will be interesting to see. Although from all the reviews I saw they do a good job. Looks like it takes 3-5 weeks to get it though. I knew very little about hardware and spent about month researching to decide what I wanted.
I checked my parts on newegg and only came out about $200 or so less than what Maxforce is charging. Consider that pretty good for assembly, overclocking and 3 year warranty.

I tried the Dell i7 configurator now, and right away the fact that they have dual channel RAM as default with the i7 processor is pretty sad... My reason for not going HP, Dell etc, was limited upgradability and restrictions on hardware.

By the way; Dell only gives you 1066 MHz RAM, I thought 1333 MHz gave the correct ratio of mem to CPU frequency with stock 920? Anyone know?

I'm sure you'll be happy with the XPS dell. But I would still encourage you to look at some of the quality builders (not Cyberpower). I think you could spec out a much better system for less than what Dell charges (+$300 for a 1TB HDD??). My only worry is that with a smaller builder, should the store go under the warranty is moot, although OEM warranty will still apply.

Don't want to seem pushy though, just trying to help:)

[Pinto]

Thanks. My system is being overclocked and tested by Max now, should have it next week so will be interesting to see. Although from all the reviews I saw they do a good job. Looks like it takes 3-5 weeks to get it though. I knew very little about hardware and spent about month researching to decide what I wanted.
I checked my parts on newegg and only came out about $200 or so less than what Maxforce is charging. Consider that pretty good for assembly, overclocking and 3 year warranty.

I tried the Dell i7 configurator now, and right away the fact that they have dual channel RAM as default with the i7 processor is pretty sad... My reason for not going HP, Dell etc, was limited upgradability and restrictions on hardware.

By the way; Dell only gives you 1066 MHz RAM, I thought 1333 MHz gave the correct ratio of mem to CPU frequency with stock 920? Anyone know?

I'm sure you'll be happy with the XPS dell. But I would still encourage you to look at some of the quality builders (not Cyberpower). I think you could spec out a much better system for less than what Dell charges (+$300 for a 1TB HDD??). My only worry is that with a smaller builder, should the store go under the warranty is moot, although OEM warranty will still apply.

Don't want to seem pushy though, just trying to help:)

My system will have 12Gigs of tri-channel RAM so hopefully it will be fine. I looked at several builders, like Digital Storm, who were recommended for better quality systems, and the pricing was at least $500.00 over the Dell with the same setup. Quality probably is great but the Dell should be fine for my use.

On your RAM speed question, Mike indicated that 1066 would be right if the system is not overclocked. Maybe he will jump in here and comment. Good luck.

[In2Photos]

My system will have 12Gigs of tri-channel RAM so hopefully it will be fine. I looked at several builders, like Digital Storm, who were recommended for better quality systems, and the pricing was at least $500.00 over the Dell with the same setup. Quality probably is great but the Dell should be fine for my use.

On your RAM speed question, Mike indicated that 1066 would be right if the system is not overclocked. Maybe he will jump in here and comment. Good luck.
12GB of RAM should be more than adequate. My machine has yet to max out the 6GB I have in it, but I haven't gone all out yet either.

As to the speed, everything that I have read suggests that you don't need anything more than 1066 if not overclocking.

[ObiDamnKenobi]

yeah I guess it depends on what you want to do. Whether money is best spend on 6 > 12 gigs or 1066 Mhz > 1333 or 1600.. Using huge PS files I would think 12 gigs pays of more.

And like Mike said; the tests I've seen also suggests higher speed is not hugely beneficial. I went with 1333 MHz to overclock the i7 920 to 3.4 GHz, 1600 MHz is needed for higher. The i7 is very overclockable, but I'm not confident messing with that so having the builder do it is nice.

I tried Digital storm too, and yeah they were very expensive, and a little lacking in choices. Maxforce was cheaper overall and I could chose some cheaper components.

Sounds like you're getting an impressive Dell machine though, that should be good for a few years. Have fun:)

Also good to hear 6 Gig is doing well. Decided 12 would not be needed quite yet:) Perhaps soon though if canon keeps increasing the MP count..

[In2Photos]

yeah I guess it depends on what you want to do. Whether money is best spend on 6 > 12 gigs or 1066 Mhz > 1333 or 1600.. Using huge PS files I would think 12 gigs pays of more.

And like Mike said; the tests I've seen also suggests higher speed is not hugely beneficial. I went with 1333 MHz to overclock the i7 920 to 3.4 GHz, 1600 MHz is needed for higher. The i7 is very overclockable, but I'm not confident messing with that so having the builder do it is nice.

I tried Digital storm too, and yeah they were very expensive, and a little lacking in choices. Maxforce was cheaper overall and I could chose some cheaper components.

Sounds like you're getting an impressive Dell machine though, that should be good for a few years. Have fun:)

Also good to hear 6 Gig is doing well. Decided 12 would not be needed quite yet:) Perhaps soon though if canon keeps increasing the MP count..
I kind of wish the i7 wasn't so good at overclocking. That way I wouldn't be tempted! :lol:

Yup, 6GB seems to be doing fine, although I should have mentioned that I still only have 8MP cameras.

[Pinto]

As I indicated earlier, all things considered, I decided to wait until about the first of April to see if Dell had a coupon/sale on the Dell 435T. As luck would have it, they offered a $350.00 off deal so I jumped on it. It wasn't the 25% offered in February but it was something.

I ordered the 435T with an ATI 4870 1 Gb card, two 640 Gb drives and 12 Gb of Ram. Scheduled for delivery 5/6/09. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[In2Photos]

As I indicated earlier, all things considered, I decided to wait until about the first of April to see if Dell had a coupon/sale on the Dell 435T. As luck would have it, they offered a $350.00 off deal so I jumped on it. It wasn't the 25% offered in February but it was something.

I ordered the 435T with an ATI 4870 1 Gb card, two 640 Gb drives and 12 Gb of Ram. Scheduled for delivery 5/6/09. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Sounds good! I bet you will love it!

[Pinto]

I hope so. Thanks for all your help, Mike.

[Franko515]

As I indicated earlier, all things considered, I decided to wait until about the first of April to see if Dell had a coupon/sale on the Dell 435T. As luck would have it, they offered a $350.00 off deal so I jumped on it. It wasn't the 25% offered in February but it was something.

I ordered the 435T with an ATI 4870 1 Gb card, two 640 Gb drives and 12 Gb of Ram. Scheduled for delivery 5/6/09. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Glad you finally found a deal :D Sounds like a great system, Im sure you love it :cool:

[Pinto]

Thanks Franko. How's your build coming along?

[Franko515]

Thanks Franko. How's your build coming along?

Done Im posting from it now :cool:

I will put a link here when I update the build thread with pics ;)

[Pinto]

Done Im posting from it now :cool:

I will put a link here when I update the build thread with pics ;)

Congratulations! Very cool!