I'm going to have to buy a new computer soon and I dread it. This will be the fourth computer I'll be buying from Dell and every time I've bought one it took me weeks of agonizing over the upgrades I would have to choose because I felt that I didn't want to make a mistake. Some of these upgrades go from $50 to $470 and they're all "Dell Recommended". I never know if they're just trying to sell me something I need or if I really need it. I'm looking at the XPS 9000 and I guess what I'm asking is what should I upgrade? The processor, the RAM, the video card? Good grief Charlie Brown, my head is spinning/

And there are plenty of geeky minds here who would be happy to help ease your spinning head!

Budget?
Laptop? Desktop?
What do want to DO with the computer?

Hi Draclvr, budget: about $1500, desktop and of course Gaming . I guess video card, memory and speed of processor are key (I think)

Adventure games? Dark Side games? Does your budget include a monitor?

For $1500, you should be able to get a very nice computer.

I play both adventure and darkside games and I thought that I would keep my monitor. It's a 19" and plenty big enough for me. Of course, I'm sure that as soon as I get the new tower, the monitor will go too.

If you're mind is set on the XPS 9000, the upgrades you may want to consider are:

1.) -- $ 50.00 -- 4 GB Memory
2.) -- $180.00 -- ATI HD 5770 Video
3.) -- $100.00 -- 750 GB Hard Drive

If you've got the extra money to burn, go with the ATI HD 5870 (it's twice the card the 5770 is).

Hi InlandAZ, my mind is not set on the XPS 9000, do you recommend a different one? I've always gotten a nVidia card, is the ATI much better? One of the computers I looked at had 8GB Dual Channel DDRB SDRAM at 1066 MHz - 4 DIMMS which I have no idea what it means.

You might consider having a local shop build a computer for you. Local service. Choose your components. Install the retail OS so you are not locked in to an OEM system. Easy to upgrade later without having to buy a new system every few years. That is what my wife does.

4 DIMS refers to the number of sticks (modules) - all the offerings from Dell have the same rated FSB (Front Side Buss speed - 1066Mhz). ATI is a good manufacture, I'm an nVidia guy myself, but ATI is also makes good cards (and the 5870 is a very fast card, you won't have any issues with it).

Would I recommend Dell?

Yeah, I would - in spite of the fact that overnight night shipping means 3 to 4 days in their lingo.

I RMA'd every piece of my XPS 720 to them (literally every piece) - but, they did come through.

It looks like a good PC for the price

It's me again, just checking a few things. The choices I have for a processor is that one runs at 2.66GHz and the recommended one is 3.2GHz but it costs $470 more. Is this worth it? The choice of OS is either Home Premium or Ultimate at an addtional $150, worth it also? Thanks again

The GHz numbers don't mean much by themselves. I assume you're looking at the core i7 920 and the core i7 960. The 960 is a very top-of-the-line processor. The 920 is a great choice for what you want to do with your computer.

I researched the different versions of Win 7 and everything I read said the normal every-day user should need nothing more than Win 7 Home Premium. I used the Win 7 Ultimate Release Candidate for about 6 months and for my usage, the Home Premium is perfect. Professional has a built-in XP mode and Ultimate adds encryption. This should explain it more...


Compare Windows 7 Versions

Thanks Draclvr, I feel as if I'm starting to hone in on what I'm going to pick. Just wondering if I should splurge on that ATI Radeon 5870 video card. I always get the cheapest sound card and speakers since I don't listen to music on my computer and I come from the era of victrolas . Guess that dates me, huh?

I used to listen to the old Victrola in my Great Aunt's living room, so I can relate...

I think it all depends on how much money you want to spend. You could start with the XPS 8100 and also build a very nice computer with the core-i5 series processors. As my 86 year-old mother says, "At my age, it's time to use the good china." Meaning, get what you want!

You know Draclvr I thought about what your mother said and it struck me that she's so right. Although I'm not quite as old as she is, I'm going to "use the good china" and get myself the best computer I can. Thank her for me.

Well, let us know what you decide on... Just spending the most won't necessarily get you the best computer for your needs. I know Inland and Jenny can help you sort it out.

See. Buying a new computer isn't such a terrible thing!