Good Deal?

[xtc]

Dell Canada has a deal on a Dimension 5150 desktop for $697 Cdn

Intel Pentium D 805 Processor with Dual Core technology
(2.66 GHZ, 2x1MB L2 Cache, 533 MHz FSB)
XP Home
windows vista
1 GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
160 GB SATA Hard drive (7200 RPM)
17" Flat panel display
16x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/RW)
1 year Next Business day on site service
1 year tech support

Is this a good deal? I will be running Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and a database program on it.

[mgoddess]

I personally can't stand Dell, Gateway, HP...all those manufacturers who use proprietary parts and such. I worked at a Gateway Repair department before they downsized and closed us...and ugh, I'm so very glad I know how to build my own computer.

But, looks like a decent deal for the stuff that you're planning to do with it. I did have one question though...


XP Home
windows vista

XP Home AND Windows Vista? I'm going to assume that's either a typo or the XP Home is supposed to be MS Office XP Home.

[Gan]

I like Dell's performance; however, I agree with the proprietary part stuff. Having the ability to repair/replace with generic aftermarket parts FTW.

Sounds like a good deal though... depending on what you want to use it for.

[Sean of the Thread]

Personal computers from Dell are not near as propietary as they once were. Sony being the same way. You'll be fine and probally save more money and headache buying from Dell given your computer experience.

[xtc]

Personal computers from Dell are not near as propietary as they once were. Sony being the same way. You'll be fine and probally save more money and headache buying from Dell given your computer experience.

I haven't put together my own box before, if that is what you mean. Whatever I buy will be a Dell or HP or Gateway or Sony or some such system.

With Dell can you not replace parts with generic parts? Although I haven't done this I have a friend who can do it for me. I will watch and learn. I guess that would be a draw back with Dell, if this is the case.

[Skirmisher]

SOME Dell parts are proprietary. but I have added memory and switched out graphics cards, modems/network cards, sound cards and power supplies on different Dell machines over the years.

Most commonly upgraded/repaired items by the user are I think doable.

[Sean of the Thread]

Of course they are.. they wouldn't have been able to stay competitive otherwise. Their servers and such were some of the very first to become modular as well.

[Celephais]

The Pentium D 805 is massively overclockable without much work. www.tomshardware.com (http://www.tomshardware.com) has a good guide on how to do it if you're interested (you'll have to do some digging to find it, don't feel like doing it myself)

Short of that it's already more than powerful enough for your applications (although vista might have problems with the 1gb shared and no graphics card... but I don't think that's a problem)

[Tsa`ah]

It's a good deal if you never have a problem with your system that you can't handle yourself.

My system worked great for about 5 months. Then one late night during a WoW binge, the system froze (the first and last problem of the system). I tried rebooting and got a blank screen just before windows would load ... nadda. No interface, nothing.

My first 12 hours on the phone with tech support (only 1 person in 4 I spoke with was from an english speaking country) was spent going over the same process over and over and over again. Hitting every function key, attempting a system restore, unseating and reseating every component on my board .... over and over and over again.

It took another 10 hours before I got a service call, and that happened by going through the customer care and threatening to influence my employer to never buy another anything from Dell.

It took 3 days for Dell to "rush" a new HD (because that just had to be the problem), and 8 days for a tech to actually show up to do something I could have done ... for it not to fix the problem and the tech to not really give a shit. The guy forgot his cell phone and used mine to log in for his tech time and speak with other techs ... who couldn't figure out what the problem was. Since the guy showed up 2 hours late, he was in a rush to go home and screwed something up in his report calling for a system replacement ... which dell apparently does not do ... thus my next series of calls to Dell tech support had some dumb ass wanting me to repeat the steps I did in my first 12 hours on the phone with them.

Bottom line is this. Tech support can't really help you. They're not going to replace a machine. They want you to do the trouble shooting and in that process you will hopefully find out what the problem is, or they're not doing a thing.

They wouldn't replace the system, they wouldn't refund me for the system, and they couldn't be bothered to actually uphold their warranty or abide by the claims of "award winning customer service". I went through a lengthy process with Amex, providing them phone records and e-mail interactions ... they came to the conclusion that I was sold a lemon and Dell violated their own warranty terms and reversed the charges.

Now every Thursday at 2:30 and 6:00 I get a call from Dell about payment for my purchase. Every Thursday at 2:30 and 6:00 I tell them they have 3 options with a trio clauses on the first 2.

1. Replace the system
2. Fix the system
3. Provide shipping for the return of the system

In the case of 1 or 2, my warranty be extended by the length of time the system was inoperable, not waste another minute of my time on the phone with tech support or inept technicians that they may send to my home, and last .. deduct the time I spent playing technician from the cost of the system.

In any case, I'll never do business with Dell again. That piece of shit is taking up closet space as I post this.

However, it was pointed out to me that the best way to have handled the above scenario would have been to break the board and components while the tech on the phone walks you through unseating and reseating the components.

[Bobmuhthol]

Dell was selling a Dimension 5150 with 19" LCD monitor for $399 with free shipping yesterday, lol.

[zhelas]

On the buisness side you can't beat Dell's extended warranty with next day service. And you actually talk to someone you can understand.

Home user support? I have heard bad things.

I currently own a Dell and the proprietory parts is such a pain. The power supply, mother board all proprietory. When you have to replace a part that you can't buy in a store, it is refurbished. I am sure other companies do that. But hell I have recieved parts from Dell and have had to return them because they were broken.

I am in the process of building my own computer. The initial cost might be higher but I see it much easier to maintain.

I have heard good things about this company http://www.falcon-nw.com/ They are a little expensive but from what I hear they build good machines.