Buying new desktop ... Dell or Lenovo?

[Honest Bill]

Time to get a new desktop for my home office ... my Dell Dimension 4600 has served me well for about 8 years ... virtually nary a problem other than it has become increasingly more challenged to keep up with my demands (i.e. getting slower and slower).

I connect to a remote in another city to work, I DO NOT game, I play with lots of photos and listen to music, I surf the web a lot with lots of windows open at the same time ... otherwise, my needs are not too demanding.

Because I have had good experience with Dell (I have owned systems previous to my current one, too), I gravitate back to them now to buy a new computer. However, my wife's employer (bank) recently switched from Dell to Lenovo and their IT Dept likes them a lot and suggested I give Lenovo a try.

I put together an XPS 8300 i7 12GB RAM with a 1.5 TB HD for about $1500. In putting together a similar system at Lenovo (not exactly the same, as they have different options available), the cost was about $700 more ... I called a rep and they said they could work with me on the cost.

Other than cost, what are the pros and cons of a Dell versus a Lenovo?

Thanks for your input in advance ... please feel free to talk down to me ... I know how to use a computer but am pretty illiterate other than that.

 

[spirit]

Based on the price and spec, I'd go for the XPS definitely. Which i7 is it? 2600K probably? Although the XPS you configured cost you $1500, I bet you could build that system youself and probably even use better components for about the same or less, something to think about? But yes, I'd go for Dell over the Lenovo, apparently Lenovo's desktops aren't that good. I've used some of Dell's desktops in the past, they've all been pretty good.

 

[claptonman]

What specific programs do you use? An i7 may be overkill, as well as the 12GB of RAM.

And have you thought about building your own? You could build a computer with an i7, 1.5Tb hard drive, and 16Gb of RAM (don't need that much, just showing you how cheap it can be) for around $1000. And that is with more quality parts, and an operating system that is free of bloatware.

And it is easy. If you can build a piece of furniture from instructions, you can build a computer.

Here's an example of parts:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115071
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128495
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231547
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136793
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136240
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125404
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986

Total: $992 with shipping and without adding in rebates.

And once you tell us your exact uses, we can configure it however you want.

 

[Honest Bill]

Yes, it is a i7-2600 that Dell offers.

Forgot to mention that the $1500 included a 24" monitor, blue-ray player, and sales tax.

As for bloatware, I definitely like to keep my machine as clean as possible, so building from scratch is a good thing, but what about the warranty of buying from Dell versus no warranty if you build yourself?

And speaking of building furniture from instructions, that is probably the extent of my non-mechanically-minded abilities...quite frankly, the prospect of doing that scares the bejeebers out of me.

 

[Honest Bill]

As far as programs I use, occasionally Office, but nothing more intense than that and nothing very often. That said, the biggest use of my computer is using the software loaded on the remote computer I connect to for work...appraisal software...WinTotal by a la mode.

 

[claptonman]

You really wouldn't need an i7 and 12Gb of RAM, its just complete overkill for the programs you use. You could easily get by with an AMD system and 4Gb of RAM. That would cost you about $250 less and be plenty of power for your needs.

And if you're afraid of building your own, there are some options. Ask around at your workplace. (If that is an option.) Very likely someone would know how to do it. Either that, or ask a local computer shop and see how much they charge to build one for you if you supply the parts.

 

[Honest Bill]

My biggest wish ...

to have a super-fast computer...I'm very impatient and I'm on the computer for hours on end every day...time is money.

My biggest fear ...

building a computer myself, or having someone put it together from parts I buy, and things not working right...I can't afford one day of down-time.

As contrary to popular thinking as it is, and as much as it goes against what is typically my cheapskate approach to buying anything, I would rather spend more money than necessary and overkill on specs and not have any issues...this particular computer is my lifeblood.

 

[cabinfever1977]

All computers will have issues at one time or another,just like a car.

 

[Perkomate]

why not a desktop? if you're hell bent on buying a pre-built, go for something like a Dell Optiplex. They're pretty fast, and if you want even more snappiness get a SSD on top as well. No problems with overheating, unlike with a laptop

 

[Honest Bill]

All computers will have issues at one time or another,just like a car.

Totally agree...what I intended to say was that I don't want to have to deal with issues caused by assemblying a system myself...I don't trust myself...I would rather buy pre-built...saving money is not my top priority with this system...it's my livlihood.

 

[spirit]

As far as programs I use, occasionally Office, but nothing more intense than that and nothing very often. That said, the biggest use of my computer is using the software loaded on the remote computer I connect to for work...appraisal software...WinTotal by a la mode.

I think an i7 2600 and 12GB of RAM is overkill, I'd try to get maybe an i5 2500K, 8GB RAM and a good SATA 6GB/s SSD (Crucial M4, Corsair Force 3, OCZ Vertex 3 etc). That will be more than fast enough for you. How are you going to make use of an i7 2600 and 12GBs of RAM using Microsoft Office and Remote Desktop? Especially if the Microsoft Office you are using is only 32-bit and therefore can only use around 3.5GB of RAM? 8GB is probably still overkill and an i5 2500K is probably also still overkill, but it will be pretty future-proof and plenty fast enough.

My biggest wish ...

to have a super-fast computer...I'm very impatient and I'm on the computer for hours on end every day...time is money.

Even with an i3 and 4GB of RAM with a SATA 6GB/s SSD, your PC will be fast. Pretty much anything that has a decent CPU, a decent amount of RAM (4GB + ) and an SSD will be fast.

 

[Mishkin]

Since money doesn't seem to be an issue for you (at least regarding differences in computer prices) and this is for your work, I would just go with the Dell. People on this forum will ramble on about components and building your own until the cows come home....lol just go with the Dell.

 

[claptonman]

Since money doesn't seem to be an issue for you (at least regarding differences in computer prices) and this is for your work, I would just go with the Dell. People on this forum will ramble on about components and building your own until the cows come home....lol just go with the Dell.

Yes, because that's the best option. Why would it ever be a good idea to spend more money on a system less powerful and less reliable?

I'm not saying you have to build, OP, but I'm just saying.

 

[Mishkin]

Yes, because that's the best option. Why would it ever be a good idea to spend more money on a system less powerful and less reliable?

I'm not saying you have to build, OP, but I'm just saying.

It would be better if you don't WANT to build it, expense isn't a big deal, you require zero down-time and a hassle-free conversion to a new system, and use it for your work.

Try reading the guy's posts. Again, this is a situation where context is VERY important. He doesn't want to build his own, and I can understand his situation and where he's coming from. Just because I would never buy an OEM desktop doesn't mean everyone else is in the same boat. That concept is kind of basic 101 in perspective.

It's pretty clear the guy isn't going to build his own. And yet...the PC enthusiasts on this board continue beating their heads against the wall, either arguing about and suggesting components or flat-out telling him that building his own would be better. Take a hint.

 

[Perkomate]

refer to my previous post for an idea... a prebuilt may seem like sacrilege, but there are just some times that it's just not the right thing to do.

 

[Benny Boy]

When building yourself, you get the best brands for each component. Not the lowest bidder that makes the part for an oem. With each components warranty on a custom build being 2-5 or even 7 years, beating the oem's standard 1 year, the custom builds high end parts have less of a chance of hardware failure than the oem.
What happens if the oem has a problem? First, the oem has to honor the warranty and basically admit that they are at fault and that you didn't do anything to cause the pc's failure. They don't always do that or you have to fight tooth and nail for the warranty you thought you had. If the warranty is honored, then what? Did you buy it online and now have to ship back and forth? Or was it purchased locally atyet an even higher price.

If you can follow simple instructions that a 12 year old can do, then "deal with issues caused by assemblying a system" isn't a factor in the equation (hehe). Get it? Equation?...Estimator? haha

I think your biggest hurdle is trusting the recommendations for parts.

 

[wolfeking]

I think that building it yourself will land you a more reliable and faster computer for the same amount of money.

Now if you absolutely will not or can not (blind, or illiterate or something like that) build yourself, then get a business line desktop from Dell or Lenovo. I may even suggest a Cyberpower or Ibuypower system. If you want a good system, then you can always buy the parts and have someone local (a computer shop for instance) assemble it for you. This would end in the same quality and without you having to build it.

 

[claptonman]

It would be better if you don't WANT to build it, expense isn't a big deal, you require zero down-time and a hassle-free conversion to a new system, and use it for your work.

Try reading the guy's posts. Again, this is a situation where context is VERY important. He doesn't want to build his own, and I can understand his situation and where he's coming from. Just because I would never buy an OEM desktop doesn't mean everyone else is in the same boat. That concept is kind of basic 101 in perspective.

It's pretty clear the guy isn't going to build his own. And yet...the PC enthusiasts on this board continue beating their heads against the wall, either arguing about and suggesting components or flat-out telling him that building his own would be better. Take a hint.

But it is better, both on a quality of parts side and time side. I would say an OEM and custom build would have the same rate of failure when it comes to DOA parts. In the time it would take to ship the OEM machine, the parts would be there from newegg thanks to fast shipping. And if he sets it up right with a computer store, he would have it built and ready that very same day that the parts come. He would then have a very upgradable computer so in the future, he could have a faster computer. Good luck upgrading an OEM computer.

Yes, I get it that the context is that he wants no downtime, but my argument is there would be no downtime with a custom built machine.

 

[Mishkin]

But it is better, both on a quality of parts side and time side. I would say an OEM and custom build would have the same rate of failure when it comes to DOA parts. In the time it would take to ship the OEM machine, the parts would be there from newegg thanks to fast shipping. And if he sets it up right with a computer store, he would have it built and ready that very same day that the parts come. He would then have a very upgradable computer so in the future, he could have a faster computer. Good luck upgrading an OEM computer.

Yes, I get it that the context is that he wants no downtime, but my argument is there would be no downtime with a custom built machine.

Don't forget that I totally agree with you that building a system yourself is vastly better than going OEM. That said, the main reasons I figured he would be fine with a prebuilt were due to his money flexibility, he doesn't want to deal with even the very minor time/hassle of building his own, and he didn't want any downtime.

Now I agree partially with you about the downtime. However, having a "bad" component or something badly wrong with a prebuilt system (that has been tested) would likely be clearly less likely than one you build yourself. At least depending on who you get your prebuilt from, you're supposedly guaranteed that your system was 100% in fine working order at some point. The biggest reason that something could potentially go bad is during the shipping process.

I agree that the likelihood of something bad happening with a custom build to incur downtime (RMA process) is pretty low. However, it does happen, and is fairly common all things considered. Have you ever RMAed something? I have. How many people on this forum have had to RMA a component? It's not a big deal to most of us, just an irritation because it causes a delay.

Now consider someone who hasn't built a system before, has plenty of money to throw at a system he needs for work, and isn't an enthusiast whatsoever. He wants no downtime because he needs his computer for work. Now imagine that he receives his components and discovers that he has to RMA something. I would imagine he would be pissed. If it ain't broke don't fix it right? If a decent prebuilt for $1500 will do the job and the cost of the system is a non-factor, why should he have to or even WANT to deal with building his own system and the increased risk of more hassle and delays? It's kind of a no-brainer. Especially when he has repeatedly said he doesn't want to build his own.

If I was in his shoes (a little hard to envision but I'm giving it a shot), I would have already blew this forum off....and either went to another place to get help or simply purchased a prebuilt. I certainly wouldn't stay here if my thread was nothing but computer enthusiasts debating over components (which is mostly irrelevant considering the context), and repeatedly telling me that "Oh but building your own is SO much better! Here's why..."

I would be like "screw this."

 

[paulcheung]

Something you guys need to know is not everyone can build a computer. When you don't know what to do, there is a lot can go wrong, Simple thing like static electricity can fry most the components. and forget to plug a wire or so.
Dell did have some on site service can be purchased. I know most business people don't want self built system as when problem arise they don't know what is wrong, they don't know how to diagnose it. they simple just call Dell and they will send over a professional to deal with it. Yes it cost them maybe $500 for 3 years, but they happily paid for it because they can call them anytime some is wrong and get fixed next day without delay.
Cheers.