I am planning to buy a new desktop in next 1-2-3 months, and have zeroed in on DELL XPS 8300.
What I am going to do with desktop: Normal day to day things. Email, browsing, watching HD movies, listening to songs. I am also going to use the monitor as a TV, so included TV tuner card. I am not into gaming but prefer to have a desktop which does not stop me from playing sometimes if I wish to.
On top of that, I am going to do a lot of hacking with opensource software. I will use it as a file server(ftp, samba, etc) at my home and as web server for my personal use.
The specs of the system I have configured are:
Module Description
Base XPS 8300 Direct Base - White
Operating System Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium SP1 64 bit (English)
Processor Intel® Core™ i5-2310 Processor (2.9GHz, 6MB Cache)
Memory 4GB (2X2GB) DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz Memory
Keyboard Dell™ Studio™ Multimedia Keyboard Black
Monitor Dell ST2420L 61cm (24") HD Widescreen Monitor with WLED
Video Card 1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT420
Hard Drive 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive with Native Command Queuing
Mouse Dell™ Laser Mouse
Optical Drive Single Drive:16X DVD+/-RW with Dual Layer Write
Sound Card Integrated high definition 7.1 channel audio
Speakers Dell™ AX210 USB Stereo Speakers
Wireless Solution Dell™ 1501 Wireless-N Mini PCI Card (802.11 b/g/n compliant)
Bundle U240518IN8-XPS Desktop 8300
Software Microsoft® Office Starter 2010: reduced-functionality Word & Excel w/ads. No. PowerPoint or Outlook.
Dell Services: Hardware Maintenance 1-year XPS Premier Service with 1-year CompleteCover
WinRE Dell™ PC-Restore
Packaging Packaging Info mod
Cooling Solution Standard Fan and Heatsink(95W)
Resource DVD XPS 8300 Resource DVD
Data Local DataSafe Local 2.2 Basic
Dell Services: Remarks Dell's Terms and Conditions apply
Chassis Options XPS 8300 White chassis
Item included in the system Chipset Intel® H67
Item included in the system Built-in 19-in-1 Media Card Reader
Item included in the system Integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet Networking
Item included in the system English Accessories Kit
Item included in the system THX® TruStudio PC™
Item included in the system Adobe Reader X
Item included in the system Windows Live Software
Item included in the system Ebay-webslice
Item included in the system SKYPE™
Security Software McAfee® SecurityCenter™ (Multi Language) - 15 months
Windows® 7 Media Options Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit DVD Media (Multi-language)
TV Tuner Hauppauge® WinTV-HVR-1200 Hybrid Analog/Digital TV Tuner
Stage Software Stage Software Media Kit - Non Touch
Stage Software Stage Software - Framework
Stage Software Stage Software - MusicStage
Stage Software Stage Software - PhotoStage
Stage Software Stage Software - VideoStage
Microsoft OS Labels Windows 7® Label
I am not going to use Windows 7 at all, but do not have a choice as it ships by default with Dell. My primary OS which I am going to use is openSUSE and may keep experimenting with others(Linux).
Does anything in this system has any problems with Linux. This system is going to cost me around 57000 INR(approx $1270), so I do not want to get it and then find something does not work with Linux or has some problems with Linux.
Please let me know about your opinion about this system
Thanks gropiuskalle :), I talked to Dell guy and he said the OS comes as defualt… so can not do much about it :(. I got the list which is displayed at the end after you configure on Dell website(At the cart). I remove few things, like Dell’s warranty and etc…but nothing regarding configuration.
Well, hardcoded operating systems are hard to bypass when buying a complete setup. Some shops do offer machines without any operating system and I heard Dell will be offering Laptops (or Netbooks?) with Ubuntu preinstalled some time soon (might be a rumour, though), but in general a preinstalled Windows is default. Either you look around a bit more (dunno about webshops in India) or simply accept it. I personally would look around a bit more in case you’d have the same headache when having to pay for a Windows that I’d have.
Either way, this PC looks okay for me (a tad too pricey maybe…).
Pricey… yes… in India computers/laptops/electronics cost approx $200-$250 more than that will cost in US. Just to give an idea, Apple iphone 16 GB costs $199 in US. In India, it is sold for more than INR 30000 (Approx $670).
In India, I think only Dell sells through webshops. Normally we go to the computer shop and get what we want. But, for Dell we can only order online. I have choice of getting an assembled system, which will be cheaper, but if something breaks or stops functioning then repairing or replacing it would be headache for me as I will have to run after the vendors.
I would suggest that if you can hold off on the final decision for a short period of time, you should. AMD is just going through a period of product announcements (Llano just released, Bulldozer up soon) and, if history is any guide, Intel tends to make competitive readjustments (read -reduce prices, or increase performance for the same price) when this happens.
Now, you may not want Llano (targeted at the value end of the performance spectrum, but with relatively good on-chip graphics) or Bulldozer (more targeted at the performance end of the spectrum - it looks as if the release dates for the server part and the desktop have been switched, so the server part is up first and the desktop follows in roughly a quarter, unfortunately) but, even so, prices of competing parts do tend to re-align.
If you want to get around paying Microsoft for an OS you won’t use, a good bet can be building your own. It’s a bit more work, and I’m not certain how many sites would willingly ship to India, but you save money on both the OS and the assembly.
Hmm… Building a computer is not extremely difficult … and not as dirty as fixing a car. But I’m not sure I would advice ‘anyone’ to do it. You might have fun … or not.
@markone… I am definetly not going to buy new system in June. It will around July, so hope prices do re-align till then Somewhere I read AMD is releasing Llano and Bulldozer around 20th June.
@pzakharov… I am not a hardware guy… I do not have the slightest idea of what hardware fits with what hardware. I am just a beginner :), that is why I have to have faith in someone in providing me a decent working machine… and it is Dell as of now. Right now I dream that someday I will be able to assemble my own system
I agree with please_try_again … and from my view ‘assembling’ one’s own system is not all its cracked up to be. I prefer instead to ‘pick and choose’ the components for my own system, but pay someone else to assemble it. Maybe its just old age on my part, but sitting on the floor, or leaning over a bench, with a screw driver and squinting, feeling ever ache and pain in my back while trying to fit in the spacers for mother board, wrap the cables, pick the slots in the PC for cards, put in the CPU, apply the conductive guck and put the heat sink and fan on top … etc … no longer appeal to me.
My wife and I did this once 11 years ago (ie we assembled our own PC). Once was enough. I do note we did do a GOOD job as that PC is still running (its my sandbox PC). I have it running now with openSUSE-11.4 and Tumbleweed-11.4 and openSUSE-12.1 milestone-1 in a triple boot.
Still despite that success, I now much prefer to pick the PC parts myself and pay the local PC shop some extra money to assemble it. The PC business for a small shop can be difficult to compete, and so I like to throw the business to them.
My wife also found a superb German mail order place that lets one buy a PC over the Internet, where one can pick and choose every part from a drop down list. The PC comes with no operating system (unless one selects an OS from a drop down list). The price is good (I think 20% cheaper than Dell). The selections (for hardware) reasonable.
That’s my preferred way.
Still, I guess assembling one’s own PC is something one may wish to do ONCE in their life time, but I would NOT recommend doing it more than once, especially if one has already passed the half-century mark in years on this planet.
Good luck and best wishes in your desktop selection.
> My wife also found a superb German mail order place that lets one buy a
> PC over the Internet, where one can pick and choose every part from a
> drop down list. The PC comes with no operating system (unless one
> selects an OS from a drop down list). The price is good (I think 20%
> cheaper than Dell). The selections (for hardware) reasonable.
> @oldcpu: Can you tell me which shop that is (since I am in germany)? I
consider also to buy a new PC (had a Dell Vostro 460 in my mind), but still
looking around.
–
PC: oS 11.3 64 bit | Intel Core2 Quad Q8300@2.50GHz | KDE 4.6.4 | GeForce
9600 GT | 4GB Ram
Eee PC 1201n: oS 11.4 64 bit | Intel Atom 330@1.60GHz | KDE 4.6.4 | nVidia
ION | 3GB Ram
Now I don’t speak German, but I was able to navigate the site without too much difficulty.
I think I went to something like Konfigurator > Rechner > Intel 1366 (where the last couple of selections are for choosing the mother board type).
IMHO since one is choosing components for their OWN PC here, so one needs average or higher computer knowledge to pick the best parts. The software warns a bit about a bad selection, but not too much.
My wife purchased her last PC from that Internet site. We were impressed favorably with the PC that she ended up with. Their price was so cheap (compared to any other PC supplier where one can pick/choose parts) such that I don’t know how they can make a profit. I seriously hope they stay in business
oldcpu wrote:
> Web site is here: ‘Klatt-IT ->Ihr Spezialist im IT Bereich’
> (http://www.klatt-it.de/)
>
> Now I don’t speak German, but I was able to navigate the site without
> too much difficulty.
>
> I think I went to something like Konfigurator > Rechner > Intel 1366
> (where the last couple of selections are for choosing the mother board
> type).
>
> IMHO since one is choosing components for their OWN PC here, so one
> needs average or higher computer knowledge to pick the best parts. The
> software warns a bit about a bad selection, but not too much.
>
> My wife purchased her last PC from that Internet site. We were
> impressed favorably with the PC that she ended up with. Their price was
> so cheap (compared to any other PC supplier where one can pick/choose
> parts) such that I don’t know how they can make a profit. I seriously
> hope they stay in business
>
>
Thank you and sorry for the off topic question. I did not know that shop,
but it is exactly what I am after since I have a very precise idea what
components I want.
–
PC: oS 11.3 64 bit | Intel Core2 Quad Q8300@2.50GHz | KDE 4.6.4 | GeForce
9600 GT | 4GB Ram
Eee PC 1201n: oS 11.4 64 bit | Intel Atom 330@1.60GHz | KDE 4.6.4 | nVidia
ION | 3GB Ram
I configured another system on Dell site(Dell inspiron Desktop 620 ST) which will cost me INR 10K-15K less($220-$270 less approx.).
The main difference with XPS 300 are:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| S.No. | Dell Inspiron 620 ST | Dell XPS 8300 | |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1. | Dell Ispiron ships with Windows 7 Home Basic | XPS 8300 ships with Windows 7 Home Premium.| (Does not matter to me as I am not |
| | | | going to use windows at all). |
|-------|----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| 2. | AMD HD6450 1GB DDR3 Graphics | 1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT420 | Do not think it will make much |
| | | | difference |
|-------|----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| 3. | Entry Level Keyboard and mice | Multimedia keyboard and laser mice | I am already using a Das Keyboard |
|-------|----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| 4. | 6 GB RAM | 4 GB RAM | It's better :) |
|-------|----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| 5. | No wireless solution | Dell™ 1501 Wireless-N Mini PCI Card | |
| | | (802.11 b/g/n compliant) | |
|-------|----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| 6. | Does not seem to have sound card | Integrated high definition 7.1 channel | |
| | | audio | |
|-------|----------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
Here the full specs for Inspiron 620 ST
Module Description
Base Formula Red Bezel
Operating System Genuine Windows(R) 7 Home Basic SP1 64bit (English)
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2310 Processor (2.90GHz, 6MB Cache)
Memory 6GB (1X4GB/1X2GB) DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz Memory
Keyboard Dell(TM) USB Entry Keyboard (English)
Monitor DELL ST2420L 61cm (24") W HD Monitor with WLED
Video Card AMD HD6450 1GB DDR3 Graphics
Hard Drive 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive with Native Command Queuing
Mouse Dell™ MS111 USB Optical Mouse
Optical Drive 16X DVD+/-RW with Dual Layer Write Capabilities
Speakers No Speaker
Bundle U240511IN8-Inspiron Desktop 620s
Software Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010: reduced-functionality Word & Excel w/ads. No PowerPoint or Outlook
Power DVD Cyberlink PowerDVD Software (for Win7 Home Basic)
Dell Services: Hardware Maintenance 1 Year Complete Cover Accidental Damage Protection
WinRE Vista WinRE software
Dell Services: Remarks Dell's Terms and Conditions apply
Item included in the system Wild Tangent Games software
Item included in the system Integrated 8 in 1 Media Card Reader
Item included in the system Integrated 5.1 channel audio
Item included in the system Integrated 10/100 /1000 Gigabit Ethernet
Item included in the system Placemat documentation ST
Item included in the system Shipping Material ST
Item included in the system Seri/Eula doc for ENG/SPN language
Item included in the system Free 4-week subscription to Seventymm.com
Item included in the system Free 6-month subscription to PHR HealthConnect
Item included in the system Resource DVD
Item included in the system Windows(R)7 Label
Item included in the system Regulatory label for ST (India)
Item included in the system Adobe Reader
Item included in the system Dell™ Welcome.
Item included in the system Dell(TM) Support center 3.0
Item included in the system DataSafe Local 2.2 Basic
Item included in the system Skype Software
Item included in the system Windows Live Software
Stage Software Stage Software
Security Software McAfee® SecurityCenter™ 11 (Multi Language) - 15 months
Shipping Documents / Power C Shipping (APCC/ICC)
Windows® 7 DVD Media Options Media DVD kit for Windows® 7 Home Basic SP1 64 bit (English)
Dell Service: Item included Future Technical Support
Freight Charges Inspiron Desktop-ST Handling and Insurance Charges
Monitor Freight Monitor Handling & Insurance Charges 22"/24" Flat Panel
Power Cords Power Cord (EURO-INDIA)
Dell Services: Datasafe Backup Service 1 Year Dell Online Backup 2GB
@ martin_helm, if you end up doing any price comparisons between Klatt and alternate suppliers (such as Dell) with identical (or very very similar) hardware configurations I’ll be interested if you observe the same sort of savings that my wife and I noted when looking at Klatt’s prices (ie ~20% over Dell, ~ 15% over custom building from our local PC show and ~same as bargain PCs from our local PC discount shop (where we had no control over component selection)).
> @ martin_helm, if you end up doing any price comparisons between Klatt
> and alternate suppliers (such as Dell) with identical (or very very
> similar) hardware configurations I’ll be interested if you observe the
> same sort of savings that my wife and I noted when looking at Klatt’s
> prices (ie ~20% over Dell, ~ 15% over custom building from our local PC
> show and ~same as bargain PCs from our local PC discount shop (where we
> had no control over component selection)).
>
I will report back, I plan to do my investigations during the coming
weekend.
–
PC: oS 11.3 64 bit | Intel Core2 Quad Q8300@2.50GHz | KDE 4.6.4 | GeForce
9600 GT | 4GB Ram
Eee PC 1201n: oS 11.4 64 bit | Intel Atom 330@1.60GHz | KDE 4.6.4 | nVidia
ION | 3GB Ram
> oldcpu wrote:
>
>> @ martin_helm, if you end up doing any price comparisons between Klatt
>> and alternate suppliers (such as Dell) with identical (or very very
>> similar) hardware configurations I’ll be interested if you observe the
>> same sort of savings that my wife and I noted when looking at Klatt’s
>> prices (ie ~20% over Dell, ~ 15% over custom building from our local PC
>> show and ~same as bargain PCs from our local PC discount shop (where we
>> had no control over component selection)).
>>
> I will report back, I plan to do my investigations during the coming
> weekend.
>
So far I can see that your estimate (~ 20% less than Dell) is fairly
precise. I plugged together some i7 combinations with 16GB RAM and different
high end nvidia cards to get the picture how it compares to the dell vostro
I had in mind and always end up (taking into account the additional Windows
7 the Dell comes with and which I do not want) about 200 Euro cheaper than
Dell. So for the same price as the Dell I can even get a better motherboard
and 24 GB RAM instead of 16GB and it is still cheaper. Maybe I will go for a
hexacore i7 which until now I considered as too expensive.
–
PC: oS 11.3 64 bit | Intel Core2 Quad Q8300@2.50GHz | KDE 4.6.4 | GeForce
9600 GT | 4GB Ram
Eee PC 1201n: oS 11.4 64 bit | Intel Atom 330@1.60GHz | KDE 4.6.4 | nVidia
ION | 3GB Ram
One thing I liked about klatt-it was that one could order a PC from them with no operating system. As an expatriate living in a country with a different language, that can be very useful, as it means one can then install the MS-Windows langauge version of their own choice (ie my wife) or one can install GNU/Linux without having to pay for MS-Windows version (ie me).
I was raving about klatt-it to a friend at work, and they pointed out another German site that gives a good price for desktop PCs. My friend has purportedly ordered from that site a number of times. I did a brief price comparison, and I noted that it is sometimes significantly cheaper than klatt-it, but sometimes a lot more in price. It all depends on the PC configuration. And one can ALSO order desktop PCs from ankderman (the German site my friend noted) without an operating system. ie as an Expatirate it means one does not have to pay TWICE for an operating sytem.
@ martin_helm/vendetta18, did you ever order the PC you were thinking of ordering ?
Somewhere I read AMD is releasing Llano and Bulldozer around 20th June.
