DaDude Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 My old Vista PC is driving me off the wall with its slowness and not to mention, the DVD drive tray struggles to open sometimes. My old PC had Vista, an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, only 2 GB of RAM and a 250 GB hard drive. I'm not looking to upgrade to anything too expensive; just something that's a significant improvement over what I have. Right now, I'm looking to get a computer with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and a 1 TB hard drive. I'd prefer to get Windows 7 since it's more user friendly, but since Dell is charging more for the Windows 7 PCs, I might have to just go for Windows 8.1, unfortunately. I'm hoping not to spend more than $500. I don't need a monitor.; just the computer. This seems to be the best bang for the buck that I can find on Dell's site... http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-3847-desktop/pd?oc=fddnrt201&model_id=inspiron-3847-desktop It's $500. I was hoping to get the small desktop version, but for some odd reason, Dell is charging $580 for it. So, I'll get the big bulky one if it means saving $80. Just want to check in with some of you experts out there before I bite the bullet and order it. Is this a good deal or can someone else recommend something better for my budget? Please note: I'm hoping to order from Dell's site because I've always ordered from them directly and had great experiences with it. So, if you are going to suggest other PCs, I'd prefer that they come from dell.com. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted October 21, 2014 Moderator Share Posted October 21, 2014 Dell is just another distributor. Hundreds of us here have bought from Newegg and other places. Don't buy from Dell, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mockingbird Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Dell is just another distributor. Hundreds of us here have bought from Newegg and other places. Don't buy from Dell, please. To be fair, sometime it's cheaper to buy from a distributor than to built from parts. I just built all my own PCs for fun. DConnell 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted October 21, 2014 Moderator Share Posted October 21, 2014 To be fair, sometime it's cheaper to buy from a distributor than to built from parts. I just built all my own PCs for fun. Yes it is cheaper buying from a distributor, but then you get ###### parts with it. Cut down boards, low-grade GPU's and PSU's, Cheap hard drives, not valuable parts. You can easily buy custom parts for around 500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riot Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 I run an all-Dell shop (all servers, desktops, laptops, SAN storage, switches, etc.) so I put my hands on quite a few Dell computers. The Inspiron series of computers are actually quite nice. I like them better than the Vostro computers we were getting. I would suggest keeping an eye on Techbargains.com for a deal or coupon code that could lower the price for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Ordering from Dell is fine but you may find better deals other places. If you plan on upgrading your system down the road, then I would look more towards a custom built system where every part is upgradeable. OEMs tend to have proprietary parts a lot of the time and is hard/expensive to upgrade. If you dont upgrade much and a basic system will work, then go with an OEM built machine. My parents spent $400 on a new HP desktop a couple years ago. They dont upgrade a lot (last Dell system they used for 10 years) so an OEM was perfect for them. It was only a i3 processor, but had build in wifi, BT, 1tb HD, 6gb RAM, and the basics. Yes it is cheaper buying from a distributor, but then you get ###### parts with it. Cut down boards, low-grade GPU's and PSU's, Cheap hard drives, not valuable parts. You can easily buy custom parts for around 500. Most dont need high end parts. Plus, you dont get as good as warranty when buying parts separate and building your own. Why lots choose the OEM path. Warranty that will cover the device if anything happens. Yes, warranty costs money but for a 2yr accidental coverage, only a couple hundred and worth it in many cases. Cheaper than sitting on your laptop and getting a free replacement than having to pay full price because of no warranty. DConnell 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted October 21, 2014 Moderator Share Posted October 21, 2014 Most dont need high end parts. Plus, you dont get as good as warranty when buying parts separate and building your own. Why lots choose the OEM path. Warranty that will cover the device if anything happens. Yes, warranty costs money but for a 2yr accidental coverage, only a couple hundred and worth it in many cases. Cheaper than sitting on your laptop and getting a free replacement than having to pay full price because of no warranty. What? OK, warranty. WD drives are normally a 5-year warranty. G-Skill memory is on a 3-year warranty. Almost all XFX devices get lifetime warranty. I doubt you get that with an OEM build. Dell/HP/Lenovo desktops usually get a 1-year, 2-year at the most, warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xendrome Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 What? OK, warranty. WD drives are normally a 5-year warranty. G-Skill memory is on a 3-year warranty. Almost all XFX devices get lifetime warranty. I doubt you get that with an OEM build. Dell/HP/Lenovo desktops usually get a 1-year, 2-year at the most, warranty. WD Blue/Green drives, which most normal people will buy are 2 year warranty. And if you want with Dell you can just upgrade to a 5 year warranty, which isn't that much more. Dealing with the MFGs for a warranty sometimes isn't as quick or painless as dealing with Dell. Dell will basically have you up and running in 24/48 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techbeck Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 What? OK, warranty. WD drives are normally a 5-year warranty. G-Skill memory is on a 3-year warranty. Almost all XFX devices get lifetime warranty. I doubt you get that with an OEM build. Dell/HP/Lenovo desktops usually get a 1-year, 2-year at the most, warranty. Will WD warranty the whole system? You spill something on your laptop, will NVIDIA pay for a replacement or the repairs? Yes, you can warranty individual parts but for many people...it is beneficial to have the whole system covered WD Blue/Green drives, which most normal people will buy are 2 year warranty. And if you want with Dell you can just upgrade to a 5 year warranty, which isn't that much more. Dealing with the MFGs for a warranty sometimes isn't as quick or painless as dealing with Dell. Dell will basically have you up and running in 24/48 hours. (Y) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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