I just ordered a new computer from Dell: the XPS 410. I got a much cheaper configuration than the one reviewed there.
Mine:
- XPS 410
- Intel(r) Coreâ„¢2 Duo Processor E6600 (4MB L2 Cache,2.4GHz,1066 FSB)
- 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs
- 22 inch E228WFP Widescreen Digital Flat Panel
- 256MB nVidia GeForce 7900 GS
- 250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cacheâ„¢
- Genuine Windows Vistaâ„¢ Home Premium
Given my limited budget I think I got a pretty nice system. Despite the common perception, I'm not a "geek" and don't really live on the bleeding edge of technology. My computers usually last me five years or more, and when I upgrade I get something in the middle of the pack.
That's not quite a middle-of-the-pack setup.. it's probably just a little above that.
The video card is probably overkill.. even for Vista.
The 2GB of memory is definitely the sweet spot on price/performance, especially for Vista.
You could've gone with a slower Core 2 Duo and been just as pleased.
Mark: Well I got the top-mid processor, right below the level at which the price jumps unconscionably. It has the 4mb L2 cache instead of 2MB, which I suspect will make a bit of a performance difference. I might get more RAM later. I read reviews of the 7900 GS and it sounded really good for the price. Since most games are GPU limited, I figured that this card would last me a while.
Yes, the E6600 is undoubtedly the bang-for-the-buck winner. You may kick yourself, though, because Intel is dropping prices on its products around April 22nd, and I'm sure those price drops would've translated into lower prices from Dell shortly thereafter.
The 4MB of L2 cache will make a modest difference, if any, and that's only if you're using applications and programs that can benefit from more cache.
The 7900 GS is a fine video card, but if you're a gamer, you would probably have done better getting a DirectX 10 card, as it will be coming out fairly soon. The GeForce 8-series cards are DirectX 10 compatible. The question remains, though.. are you a gamer; someone who needs more than integrated video?
Yeah, I debated waiting till late April or early May, but prices are always going down. The E6600 is only supposed to drop $100 or so, which would certainly have been a nice savings, but.... Eh, gotta pull the trigger sometime.
The GeForce 8800 would sure have been nice, but it was only a couple hundred dollars more!
Prices of whole computers going down, perhaps.. but the prices of individual components change in both the up and down direction. The Core 2 Duo, for example, hasn't dropped in price since its introduction. Memory prices change with the weather (or so it seems), etc.