Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> I took your suggestion to look at the Systemax but I stopped configuring
> when the price got over $1500. I ended up with a slightly faster
> processor (E6700), only 2GB of 667 MHz memory and much more video card
> than I need but the "scratch & dent" price from Dell for a fully
> assembled system was under $1000.
I'm sure it will be a great one. Moving up is always like magic - at
least until you get used to/spoiled by the new one. I don't know what
happened with the configuration for you. You may have been using one
that has a three year on-site service included, which is close to $300
from Dell with a new machine.
The other trick, which I used in pricing a Dell too, is that they are
all charging too much for memory just now. 2GB of PC6400, 800 mz in two
sticks is $135 after $50 rebate and one can buy HDs cheaper than with
the machine at both vendors, so I configured both with 1GB and only one
smallish HD boot drive. One GB in two sticks is a good choice that
leaves room for another 2GB, which is about all that's useful on these
machines. The final GB that the chip sets are mostly set up to address
is mostly used to provide address space for video cards and other stuff
that needs mapped memory space.
What the trade-of between faster procesor and faster memory bus may be,
I don't know, but it will all be stunningly faster tah you have been
used to.
> It's also the first complete machine I've bought (instead of building or
> rebuilding from parts) since 1987.
>
That should be nice! I've done it that way the last couple of times -
plug it in and boot it up! I'll keep checking on Dell until I buy
something, but they have had such bad reports about support and I've had
such good experiences the couple of times I've had to get support form
Tiger/Systemax that I'm inclined to stay with what I trust. Add-on
memory doesn't work, call, talk to a knowledgeable person who asks a few
questions and new mem is on the way two day with an RMA and UPS label
for the bad stuff. I like that.
I almost forgot. Last time I almost ended up with a Sony from Best Buy.
Got it home, had trouble, got some first rate patient, knowledgeable
phone support from Sony that ended up confirming that it was DOA. BB
didn't have another in stock, so I returned it and bought the Systemax.
Moose
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