Recommendations On Building Dell XPS 8300

[squijee]

Im looking at getting a new computer. I like the Dell XPS 8300 line this one

I customize it to have the following

Intel Core i7-2600 processor (8MB Cache, 3.4GHz)
12GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - 4 DIMMs
2TB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 64MB Cache
AMD Radeon HD 6770
Dual Drive: Blu-ray Disc Drive (BD/DVD/CD burner w/double layer BD write capability)+16X DVD+/-RW
Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
Dell 1520 WLAN PCIe card with11n mini-Card & internal antenna
460W power supply
And added 2 USB 3.0 ports

I was wondering if they're any recommendations someone would like to add maybe go with 16 of ram or get a better graphic card? I'm looking to use the computer for a little bit of everything I don't pc game now only because my computer now is from 2002 lol I would def like to plays some new games on it.
I want this rig to last 5 years or more
With coupon code i could get this for $1332.99 not bad imo

[lucv13]

Looks like a nice system - Just a couple things I might change first the average computer user doesn't need anymore than 4gb or maybe 8gb of ram although ram is cheap right now and more will certainly not hurt anything, secondly while that power supply might be enough I would consider beefing it up to at least a 600w PSU...

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by squijee

Im looking at getting a new computer. I like the Dell XPS 8300 line this one

I customize it to have the following

Intel Core i7-2600 processor (8MB Cache, 3.4GHz)
12GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - 4 DIMMs
2TB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 64MB Cache
AMD Radeon HD 6770
Dual Drive: Blu-ray Disc Drive (BD/DVD/CD burner w/double layer BD write capability)+16X DVD+/-RW
Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
Dell 1520 WLAN PCIe card with11n mini-Card & internal antenna
460W power supply
And added 2 USB 3.0 ports

I was wondering if they're any recommendations someone would like to add maybe go with 16 of ram or get a better graphic card? I'm looking to use the computer for a little bit of everything I don't pc game now only because my computer now is from 2002 lol I would def like to plays some new games on it.
I want this rig to last 5 years or more
With coupon code i could get this for $1332.99 not bad imo

Personally I've had bad experiences with Dell (bad HDD and graphics cards), but I've heard they cleaned their act up a bit. I built my own computer recently, all with Newegg.ca parts, but those specs are about par with mine except for a few things:

You need to buy a new power supply. That's too little for all the stuff you have there. I have a 730W one in my machine.

The RAM is more than adequate, 12 will be plenty, especially if you plan on playing The Sims 3, because that game is a memory eater due to EA's crappy coding. Most players ays 8 GB is the sweet spot for that game. I have 16 GB, but I do a lot of video encoding and the like, and it wasn't much more than 12, which is what I was initially going to get.

Same processor, except mine is the unlocked version, the 2600k, which means I can overclock it if I so wish. That's the only difference between the two processors. It's a lovely processor, and it's a great choice.

I have a Radeon HD 6850, which is a more powerful card than yours you have picked, and it has 256-bit vs. 128-bit. It's not available though through Dell. The card you chose is decent, and nothing to sneer at though.

If you wanted to spend more, I'd boost it to the 6870, but that's just me. the 6870's a step up from mine (and was a price difference of 50 dollars), and has received great reviews. It is ridicuously priced through Dell though, you can get one on Newegg for about 60 dollars less, plus Sapphire has rebates on all their cards at the moment.

If you do decide to pay extra to get that card, you will definitely need a better PSU, as my card requires a minimum PSU of 500W for the single card. I'm not crossfiring, and don't plan to.

I find it amusing that Dell won't let you get a TV Tuner if you were to get Windows 7 Pro 64-Bit, they insist it's not compatible with the OS, and that you need Ultimate or Home Premium for it to work. That's a crock of crap, as I'm running 64-bit Pro, with the exact tuner card they're offering. Lies! Also, there's apparently not enough PCIe slots for it, because the Wifi card is plugging it up anyways. My wifi card uses a regular PCI slot, ditto for my sound card.

It's a solid machine, and will be more than enough for what you want to do, but Dell's greatly marked up its value. You're not really getting a deal, you're getting the same price you'd pay if you were to build it yourself. It should last as long as you want. I decided to build my own computer after prcing out and looking at places like Dell, Future Shop, etc., because they were charging me the same price for less than what I ended up building:

LG Black Super Multi SATA WH12LS30 LightScribe Support - OEM (blu-Ray burninator) - 99.99

APEVIA X-PLORER2 Series X-PLORER2-PK Black / Pink Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - 59.99

SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity - 174.99

Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1250 Hybrid TV Tuner /Video Recorder 1196 PCI-Express x1 Interface - 59.99

RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-730SS 730W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Modular LED Power Supply - 69.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9Q-16GBRL - 199.49

MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - 169.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1501FASS 1.5TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - 109.99

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - OEM - 42.99

TP-LINK TL-WN951N PCI Wireless Adapter - 36.99

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K - 309.99

Total: 1334.39 Canadian, before Tax and Shipping charges. A difference of about a dollar.

I apologise if I sound like a know-it-all ass, I don't mean to, and I'm far from it. I just researched before I bought, and decided I was better off building my own. It's really what you're comfortable with, whether you want to build your own, or have one made for you. It's not a bad system, and if you like it, go for it. It's what you think you need in a computer, and what you want. I could give opinions until the cows come home, you don't have to follow them.

[BLindsay]

looks fine to me but 8GB of RAM would be plenty and id nab a bit better video card like a 6850 if possible

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by BLindsay

looks fine to me but 8GB of RAM would be plenty and id nab a bit better video card like a 6850 if possible

Dell's site won't allow you to select any lower than 12 GB of RAM, nor is 6850 an option. 12 or 16 GB Dual Channel DDR3 1333 MHz 4 DIMM for the RAM, and your choice of GPU is 6870, 6770, or 5670. It's limited as to what can go into this system. I went to the site to see what other options were there for adding to the PC, as we were asked what we thought of the GPU.

Also, as a note for consideration squijee, W7 Home Perimum won't address any more than 16 GB RAM, while Pro and Ultimate will address up to 128GB. Probably won't matter in our lifetime, but it's something to think about.

[BLindsay]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Dell's site won't allow you to select any lower than 12 GB of RAM, nor is 6850 an option. 12 or 16 GB Dual Channel DDR3 1333 MHz 4 DIMM for the RAM, and your choice of GPU is 6870, 6770, or 5670. It's limited as to what can go into this system. I went to the site to see what other options were there for adding to the PC, as we were asked what we thought of the GPU.

Also, as a note for consideration squijee, W7 Home Perimum won't address any more than 16 GB RAM, while Pro and Ultimate will address up to 128GB. Probably won't matter in our lifetime, but it's something to think about.

6870 sounds good then

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by BLindsay

6870 sounds good then

That is my recommendation as well, although it was in a more convoluted way.


Slight threadjack, but the 6850 is a fantastic card for anyone who plans on building their own rig, I've had mine for a month now.

[dib]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Personally I've had bad experiences with Dell (bad HDD and graphics cards), but I've heard they cleaned their act up a bit. I built my own computer recently, all with Newegg.ca parts, but those specs are about par with mine except for a few things:

You need to buy a new power supply. That's too little for all the stuff you have there. I have a 730W one in my machine.

The RAM is more than adequate, 12 will be plenty, especially if you plan on playing The Sims 3, because that game is a memory eater due to EA's crappy coding. Most players ays 8 GB is the sweet spot for that game. I have 16 GB, but I do a lot of video encoding and the like, and it wasn't much more than 12, which is what I was initially going to get.

Same processor, except mine is the unlocked version, the 2600k, which means I can overclock it if I so wish. That's the only difference between the two processors. It's a lovely processor, and it's a great choice.

I have a Radeon HD 6850, which is a more powerful card than yours you have picked, and it has 256-bit vs. 128-bit. It's not available though through Dell. The card you chose is decent, and nothing to sneer at though.

If you wanted to spend more, I'd boost it to the 6870, but that's just me. the 6870's a step up from mine (and was a price difference of 50 dollars), and has received great reviews. It is ridicuously priced through Dell though, you can get one on Newegg for about 60 dollars less, plus Sapphire has rebates on all their cards at the moment.

If you do decide to pay extra to get that card, you will definitely need a better PSU, as my card requires a minimum PSU of 500W for the single card. I'm not crossfiring, and don't plan to.

I find it amusing that Dell won't let you get a TV Tuner if you were to get Windows 7 Pro 64-Bit, they insist it's not compatible with the OS, and that you need Ultimate or Home Premium for it to work. That's a crock of crap, as I'm running 64-bit Pro, with the exact tuner card they're offering. Lies! Also, there's apparently not enough PCIe slots for it, because the Wifi card is plugging it up anyways. My wifi card uses a regular PCI slot, ditto for my sound card.

It's a solid machine, and will be more than enough for what you want to do, but Dell's greatly marked up its value. You're not really getting a deal, you're getting the same price you'd pay if you were to build it yourself. It should last as long as you want. I decided to build my own computer after prcing out and looking at places like Dell, Future Shop, etc., because they were charging me the same price for less than what I ended up building:

LG Black Super Multi SATA WH12LS30 LightScribe Support - OEM (blu-Ray burninator) - 99.99

APEVIA X-PLORER2 Series X-PLORER2-PK Black / Pink Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - 59.99

SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity - 174.99

Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1250 Hybrid TV Tuner /Video Recorder 1196 PCI-Express x1 Interface - 59.99

RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-730SS 730W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Modular LED Power Supply - 69.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9Q-16GBRL - 199.49

MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - 169.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1501FASS 1.5TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - 109.99

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - OEM - 42.99

TP-LINK TL-WN951N PCI Wireless Adapter - 36.99

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K - 309.99

Total: 1334.39 Canadian, before Tax and Shipping charges. A difference of about a dollar.

I apologise if I sound like a know-it-all ass, I don't mean to, and I'm far from it. I just researched before I bought, and decided I was better off building my own. It's really what you're comfortable with, whether you want to build your own, or have one made for you. It's not a bad system, and if you like it, go for it. It's what you think you need in a computer, and what you want. I could give opinions until the cows come home, you don't have to follow them.

Actually I think that is a bit expensive. I build a computer with a 2600K processor, 580 GTX, 16 GB RAM and 3 SATA type 3 500 GB HDDs (For raid 0) and a thermaltake Level 10 GT computer case for ~$1800.

[squijee]

About how much is upgrading the power supply? I'm thinking I would prob get this and then upgrade the graphic card in like 6 months or should I just buy the Radeon HD 6870 from like newegg and install it myself? I never done anything but add ram to a computer before. i assume its pretty easy to do?
Also should I add a fan if I add better gpu and power supply?

Also BohemianGraham, I know windows 7 Home Premium only goes up to 16gb of ram but thanks

[Offender_Mullet]

Originally Posted by squijee

Im looking at getting a new computer. I like the Dell XPS 8300 line this one

I customize it to have the following

Intel Core i7-2600 processor (8MB Cache, 3.4GHz)
12GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333MHz - 4 DIMMs
2TB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 64MB Cache
AMD Radeon HD 6770
Dual Drive: Blu-ray Disc Drive (BD/DVD/CD burner w/double layer BD write capability)+16X DVD+/-RW
Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium
Dell 1520 WLAN PCIe card with11n mini-Card & internal antenna
460W power supply
And added 2 USB 3.0 ports

I was wondering if they're any recommendations someone would like to add maybe go with 16 of ram or get a better graphic card? I'm looking to use the computer for a little bit of everything I don't pc game now only because my computer now is from 2002 lol I would def like to plays some new games on it.
I want this rig to last 5 years or more
With coupon code i could get this for $1332.99 not bad imo

squijee, no need for a soundcard. Video cards do hd audio. 16GB of ram is way overkill unless you're doing hd video/audio/hi-res photo editing. Even the 12GB I picked is a bit 'much'.

I just made a superior machine compared to the one above.....for only $37 more (though cheaper after rebates). Take a look.

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042 $59.95

Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139009 $134.99

OS: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116992 $139.99

Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152245 $79.99

Blu-Ray Burner/DVD-RW/CD-RW: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136226 $84.99

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157229 $159.99

Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820233146 $129.99

Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127555 $279.99

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115070 $299.99

Free Software:
Sega's Shogun 2 - Total War
Futuremark 3D11

Subtotal: $1,369.87 (not including $50 worth of mail-in rebates)


The only part I 'skimped' on price-wise was the case. However, don't be fooled it's a great case. Plus, no need to go crazy and buy a beast like I did http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811112244, unless you're foaming at the mouth for a gigantor case.


Even though the majority of my computer purchases have been from newegg since about 2003, they are not always the cheapest place. www.tigerdirect.com and www.superbiiz.com are great sites as well. All of those stores are usually very competitive with one another in pricing. Superbiiz packages hardware better than any other online retailer I've purchased things from.

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by dib

Actually I think that is a bit expensive. I build a computer with a 2600K processor, 580 GTX, 16 GB RAM and 3 SATA type 3 500 GB HDDs (For raid 0) and a thermaltake Level 10 GT computer case for ~$1800.

You're also in the states, and computer parts are cheaper in the states. You pay less for tax and shipping as well. There's also more variety and selection of parts to choose from, and you have way more options for computer parts retailers. I also built my machine about a month ago, and some of the parts dropped in price quite a bit after the fact, which I'm not exactly happy about, so thanks for reminding me of that fact. (Don't think I'm being rude there, I'm just joking).

I see now that my processor is a good 10 bucks cheaper on the American Newegg site than what I paid for it, and the burner I bought dropped down to 85 bucks on the Canadian site a week after I ordered it. Computer parts prices fluctuate like crazy. For what I do with my computer, I'm more than happy with it. Should I have paid less, probably, but for what options I had, it was a good price at the time.

[squijee]

Screw it I'll get the AMD Radeon HD 6870. Now what about about the power supply. What would I need for this set up? And if I don't upgrade it what problems will I have?

[BLindsay]

Originally Posted by squijee

Screw it I'll get the AMD Radeon HD 6870. Now what about about the power supply. What would I need for this set up? And if I don't upgrade it what problems will I have?

if its the power supply that comes with it i wouldnt worry, they are not going to ship a power supply that cant handle the parts in it.

Check out this guide

http://www.overclock.net/power-suppl...alculator.html

So it would be fine. If you really want to upgrade the power supply then something like this would be good

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-020-_-Product

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-012-_-Product

if you want modular cables (a lot easier to make it tidy)

[squijee]

Originally Posted by BLindsay

if its the power supply that comes with it i wouldnt worry, they are not going to ship a power supply that cant handle the parts in it.

Thats what I was thinking just wanted to make sure

[dib]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

You're also in the states, and computer parts are cheaper in the states. You pay less for tax and shipping as well. There's also more variety and selection of parts to choose from, and you have way more options for computer parts retailers. I also built my machine about a month ago, and some of the parts dropped in price quite a bit after the fact, which I'm not exactly happy about, so thanks for reminding me of that fact. (Don't think I'm being rude there, I'm just joking).

I see now that my processor is a good 10 bucks cheaper on the American Newegg site than what I paid for it, and the burner I bought dropped down to 85 bucks on the Canadian site a week after I ordered it. Computer parts prices fluctuate like crazy. For what I do with my computer, I'm more than happy with it. Should I have paid less, probably, but for what options I had, it was a good price at the time.

Seems odd that parts are more expensive over there given that most parts are made in china. We have a tiger direct here in Raleigh NC so I don't have to pay for shipping.

[BohemianGraham]

They are, because of the way our gov't has things set up. I also have to pay sales tax. Like I said, we don't really have a variety of vendors to choose from either. The computer stores I can visit are independent retails or big box stores, and both charge an arm and a leg for old stock. It's better to order from Newegg. Newegg's cheaper than TigerDirect.ca as well.

It's not just computer parts either, it's everything. For example: The Criterion BD of If... is 38.99 right now on Canadian Amazon for pre-order, and that's before the 7% sales tax (thankfully thye don't charge me the full 15% my province charges on stuff bought in a B&M store). The Amazon US price, in comparison, is 25.99 with no sales tax, but a 8% import tax. It's still a good deal cheaper with the tax and shipping than if I were to order it in Canada and get free shipping. I also live in the province that has the highest sales tax rate, highest taxes in general, and highest inflation.

But that's all off topic. Good choice on the 6870 for a graphics card squijee.

[Offender_Mullet]

Originally Posted by squijee

Screw it I'll get the AMD Radeon HD 6870. Now what about about the power supply. What would I need for this set up? And if I don't upgrade it what problems will I have?

I still think buying a Dell is a complete waste and what I made for you was way better quality, but remember this.....any hardware you buy that's not from them won't be covered under their warranty. If you ever have a problem, they can always use the "what you bought from us might have caused the malfunction so we'll have to charge you for repair" excuse. I dealt with Dell for a few years. Just lettin' you know.

[BLindsay]

Originally Posted by Offender_Mullet

I still think buying a Dell is a complete waste and what I made for you was way better quality, but remember this.....any hardware you buy that's not from them won't be covered under their warranty. If you ever have a problem, they can always use the "what you bought from us might have caused the malfunction so we'll have to charge you for repair" excuse. I dealt with Dell for a few years. Just lettin' you know.

well i dont think he is upgrading the power supply so thats not an issue.

And some people dont have the time or knowledge to build their own, its not for everyone and some people just dont feel like messing with it.

[Offender_Mullet]

Originally Posted by BLindsay

well i dont think he is upgrading the power supply so thats not an issue.

And some people dont have the time or knowledge to build their own, its not for everyone and some people just dont feel like messing with it.

Oh ok thought he was talking about getting the video card off NewEgg.

[BLindsay]

Originally Posted by Offender_Mullet

Oh ok thought he was talking about getting the video card off NewEgg.

he was thinking about upgrading the power supply but it wasnt needed so i dont think he is anymore