Is this a decent computer?

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

http://csd.njit.edu/compreq/precision.php

Precision Workstation minitower PC 380

• Intel PD Processor 830 3.0GHz Dual Core
• 2x 1M L2 Cache
• 800 MHz Front-side bus
• 4GB RAM – 533 MHz DDR2
• PS/2 Keyboard
• M993s CRT Monitor - 18" viewable
• Nvidia Quadro FX 3450 256M dual DVI or VGA video card
• 160GB SATA II - 7200RPM Hard drive w/ 8MB DataBurst cache
• 3.5” Floppy drive
• Dell USB 2-Button Optical Mouse with Scroll
• 16x DVD+/-RW
• 3 Year next business day parts and labor on-site service

$1949 + tax & delivery

I'm going to need a new PC for college, and I'm wrestling with the choice of either getting this one from dell through NJIT (at a lower price) or trying to build my own PC with the same amount of money.

The numbers all seem pretty good, and it comes with what sounds like a good service plan, but could you build a better PC with the same money?

[BHCWarman88]

nah,don't think you could.. Just buy This one, this one Seems VERY good for that amount of Money man..Really Good..

[naut]

Thats a mean comp, seems way underpriced to my knowledge. I'm a bit sceptacle of that site.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

It's from the New Jersey Institute of Technology - the college I'm going to. They've worked out a deal with Dell for the low price.

[BHCWarman88]

buy me one while you at it,lol :-) :-)

[edyzmedieval]

What the???? 4GB of RAM?

Yeah, go for it. It's worth the money. Though you might need a more powerful video card if you want to play MTW2.

[Seasoned Alcoholic]

Yeah, 4GB RAM will save you buying / upgrading for a loooooong time. Along with that Intel procesor, you'll be able to multi-task like you've never multi-tasked before!

Would this system be the standard fan-cooled type? I'm considering getting a water-cooling kit with my next system, which should let me overclock like I've never overclocked before!

[BDC]

Quandro isn't the design version of the Geforce cards is it? Only good for OpenGL or something?

I'm probably wrong.

[orangat]

Quandro isn't the design version of the Geforce cards is it? Only good for OpenGL or something?

I'm probably wrong.

The Quadro refers to the workstation line from Nvidia which is optimized for professional 3d applications. The FX3450 retails for ~$1000.

[Ice]

http://csd.njit.edu/compreq/precision.php



I'm going to need a new PC for college, and I'm wrestling with the choice of either getting this one from dell through NJIT (at a lower price) or trying to build my own PC with the same amount of money.

The numbers all seem pretty good, and it comes with what sounds like a good service plan, but could you build a better PC with the same money?

Good god. You're at college for studying/working, not gaming.

[BDC]

The Quadro refers to the workstation line from Nvidia which is optimized for professional 3d applications. The FX3450 retails for ~$1000.

Wow. Practically worth buying the machine, selling on the graphics card and sticking in a cheap thing. Would make you $900...

[BHCWarman88]

Lol,if you don't want your Graphic Card,let me have it,I Doubt you need it for school lol :-) :-)

[orangat]

Wow. Practically worth buying the machine, selling on the graphics card and sticking in a cheap thing. Would make you $900...

No. Quadro cards run professional 3d apps much better than geforce models. A $100 consumer card would be useless for those apps.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Good god. You're at college for studying/working, not gaming.

You're a funny, funny man.

And I'm not even going to be an architect student - my parents said they'd buy it for me instead of the mediocre "baseline" Dell.

So it sounds like a good buy.

[Lemur]

Um, Alex, do you have a use in mind for that video card? Are you going to be using high-end 3D packages or something? If not, you might want to sink the savings into a gaming card. Just an idea ...

[orangat]

You're a funny, funny man.

And I'm not even going to be an architect student - my parents said they'd buy it for me instead of the mediocre "baseline" Dell.

So it sounds like a good buy.

Then that link you posted would be a terrible pc for your needs if you're not going to run professional 3d apps.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Well, I might be doing some 3d modeling/rendering stuff *maybe* with an architecture class or two as part of my video-game design minor, but other than that, no serious non-leisure activities that I know of...

Could you sell it for much if you take it out of a Dell without packaging?

And would it differ that much in performance in playing video games? I mean, if it still works fine and stuff, I would probably keep it in there, if just to keep the warranty.

[orangat]

It won't be worth it since the build is probably only abit lower than what you would get by pricing it on newegg. The advantage is the Dell warranty and software.

Don't bother getting that build, its way overkill even if you might be doing some 3d rendering.