Jenny100,

I have Windows Office XP but I am not sure how to find more specific info. Where do I find it because I have tried to look without success?

Also, I posted specs about a Dell Studio XPS 7100 that I am very close to purchasing but had some questions about it. I have to buy it today to get the sale price. When you get a chance to look at what I posted, will you pleasae give me you input. Thank you very much!

You could always buy it, just to get the good price, then if the specs are iffy, return it. I think possibly that nobody caught your edit on page 1.

hawkavonpuka,

Thanks, I was wondering about that. We aren't supposed to start new topics if we have another one on here (related to the topic) so I am afraid that I won't get any feedback on my possible new pc purchase.

I would order from Dell online so don't think that I will be able to return anything. That is why I want to check on the video card etc. before I purchase.

Thanks

Someone else started this thread, so I think it would have OK to start your own. I missed the edit too. The Dell 7100 as you configured it looks like a very, very nice computer for you if you get the better video card. Whether you need the wireless card depends on your setup. If you have a wireless router as I do, then your will need it. If your router is "wired" (uses a cable to connect to your computer), then you don't.

I'd say go for it! But see if Jenny gets a chance to take a look at it for you too.

EDIT: And, yes, you can use your old keyboard and mouse with Windows 7. If they are USB, you can just plug them in and go.

Draclvr,

When you said it would be okay if I get the better video card, should I do a different one than the ATI Radeon 5450? My router is connected to my pc, so maybe having a wireless card would be good? That way I could get rid of my wired router. It would be nice to get rid of some of the wires from my computer. Will I be able to run other wireless devices (ex DS) from the card in my computer or will I still need another router for them to work?

How do I find out if the video card is integrated or dedicated and what wattage the power supply is? I have looked but didn't see this info.

I appreciate the input because I hate to think about spending this much on a computer that isn't adequate.

Not positive if this is the same one but I found a review at CNet and there are links there to Dell. If it is the same you will need external speakers, it does not come with them. I could have sworn I found somewhere that the power supply is 440, but can't find it now. Link to Cnet http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/dell-studio-xps-7100/4505-3118_7-34117339.html

It isn't quite the same computer. I would be getting 8 GB Dual Channel (don't know what that is) DDR SDRAM. I just chatted with a Dell tech and based on what I have been learning here on GB, I asked about the power supply, video card and PCI slot. He said that it is 460 watts and it has a PCI slot and a dedicated video card. I think that all of those things are supposed to be good?

I did put speakers on the list because the ones I have are terrible. They have developed a very loud clicking noise and I don't know what it causing that. According to the tech person, this would be a good computer for gaming and it can be upgraded in the future. However, I like to get input from other people who are impartial before buying things like this.

They have a transfer cable that is supposed to be easy to use to transfer data from my old computer to this new one. Best Buy charges $100.00 to do the transfer so I am thinking about getting this cable. I do have an external hard drive so maybe I don't need the cable? I am not really sure if I have anything to transfer besides all of my bookmarks.

The clicking you're hearing from your speakers is probably coming from your sound card.

460 Watts is a good size for a power supply.

The Radeon 5450 would probably be OK for most adventure games, though it may have to be upgraded in the future to avoid "sticky cursor" and similar problems. If you check the ***comparison of the Radeon 5450 with the old Geforce 7600 GT***, you can see the Radeon is better only on shader operations, pixel/shader versions supported, and DirectX versions supported.

If you look at the ***comparison of the Radeon 5450 with the 5770***, which Dell is also offering on their XPS 7100, you can see the 5770 is way faster. It's up to you how much you want to spend. The 5450 may be fine for what you want to play.

Jenny,

I just ordered my new computer! I upgraded to the 5770 card and took off some things that I can always add later if I need to, like the MS Offic program. I will see if what I have now will work on it and/or check out the free word processing program that several of you have mentioned.

I can't wait to have a computer that will play the newer games. Now, if I will be able to afford the games after buying this, is another story

Thanks to everyone for all of the help and input that you have given me while I tried to figure this whole thing out. I have learned a lot (and still learning) from all of you.

Congratulations on your new computer.
Hopefully it will arrive soon so you can try it out.

Oooo...! I can't wait to hear from you when it arrives! I think you're going to love it...

I am sure you will enjoy it and Windows 7 has so many good things about it. Draclvr has spent a lot of time testing games and I don't think there are that many that "just won't work". How nice to just be able to enjoy your game playing time!! Have fun!

Gatsbygirl how exciting for you! A new computer just before Christmas! A great time ahead on those cold winter nights!

Thanks everyone! Because of the video card I chose, it probably won't get here until 12/21, so it will feel like a true Christmas present (even if it is to myself) . I think that it will be a good computer and I hopefully won't have trouble using and learning about Windows 7. I will let you know how I like it after I have it up and running.

Just one more question. What exactly is an embedded video board? Does that mean that the board does not use a slot but is located on the mother board?

I've never heard of an embedded video board. Perhaps you mean integrated video on a motherboard? Integrated video is part of the motherboard and shares memory with the computer system RAM. If you scroll down about half-way on this Wiki page, it explains it pretty well. Integrated Video

It has been very interesting and enlightening as the specs of a new computer are outlayed. I have just purchased a new video card for my old computer andI too will be looking to having a new custom built computer made for me next year. I really don't want a Dell built computer. I want a bare bones system that I can add to it the latest up grades. Does anyone know of a site whehe I can key in what I want and have it built to my specs. I know Windows 7 and Vista are the latest O/S but I am happy with XP even it's no longer tech supported. I want a site where I can specify that I want XP as my O/S along with the most memory and a kick a** video card.

Lexxy

"I want a site where I can specify that I want XP as my O/S along with the most memory and a kick a** video card."

That will probably be hard to do because you are going backward past two operating systems, Win 7 and Vista. You could try removing the OS from what you buy and install XP yourself. They are getting harder to find but these guys are still selling new XP operating systems. Not too expensive. Perhaps you could buy a PC with no operating system then just install an XP you bought.

Tiger Direct


When Vista came out and we realized it was a crummy OS I bought a retail XP pro plus a license for three PC's. It set me back a few hundred bucks. The darn box did not identify it as retail. So I opened both boxes, OS and license, wrote down the registration numbers and called microsoft to confirm they were the retail versions. I did not want to install them on the old pc to find out. From the numbers MS confirmed they are retail versions. I found out from MS there is also a University version that sits between the OEM and Retail versions with a different set of restrictions. Some retailers were selling those as retail versions. It is wide spread on Ebay. Be careful about what you buy.

The OEM versions are more limited in use. I wanted to make sure the sales guy was not pawning them off an oem as retail. The plan was to buy in the next few months of 2007 a new pc and install the xp I bought. Then I found a new Dell XPS 410 with XP and bought that. Almost three years later the Dell is running very well no need to buy anything. The xp os and license sits here on the shelf still unused. I may make use of them or not. If I buy a new PC with win7 and don't like it I may finally get use of that $250 I paid. I don't see a new one anytime soon as this puppy is going strong. But you never know.

Maybe I will check out the Dell xps410 and save myself some money and headaches...thanks fo the reference.

lexxy, try playing around at ecollegePC. You can configure a computer any way you want it from the case on up. They are rated highly and I know a couple of people who have had them build a PC. Their customer service has been excellent.

And while you can have someone put in a blank hard drive and buy a legal version of XP at Amazon, oldmariner is right in that you are going backwards with a 10 year-old operating system and trying to have up-to-date hardware installed. When XP is no longer supported, it would be very wise to take that computer off the internet as it will no longer be supported with security updates.

And you can no longer get a Dell XPS 410 with XP on it unless you find a used one.

I've found Windows 7 to run circles around XP and it plays almost all games, both new and old. I loved XP and I will always have an XP drive, but it's just a secondary and I would never go back to it full-time.


ecollegePC

I tend to agree with you Draclvr in regard to the security issues. Lexxy you could buy a win 7 machine with a large hard drive, partition it and put xp on as a second non internet used OS. You could run programs not compatible with win 7 if you wish. Or even install xp on an external drive instead of partitioning.

You could also keep your older XP computer in case you run into any older games that have trouble on 64-bit Windows 7.

Thanks all for the info. I am just one of those people who hates change. I did not think I would like XP either but once I got used to it I was sold. I think I will take your advice and move forward. Believe it or not I still have my W95,w98SE and soon I guess I will have my XP in the store room along with the other relics. I still play Orion Burger on my old W95 because the game was hard to obtain and W95 is the only system I could get it to function properly.BTW which system would all suggest, Windows7 or Vista? Draclvr, I went to the link you provided and that is what I was looking for. I may need your help helping my customize my new system because there are more options than I know what to do with.

Windows 7 is the way to go. I can help a little bit, but Jenny and Inland know far more than I do about hardware. An internet friend who had ecollegePC build her a computer said the best thing about it was that she actually got all the disks - including the Operating System - and there was no 3rd party bloatware on the computer.

I still have an old 98 SE computer too - wouldn't part with it!