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#50125
11/19/2012 4:09 AM
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Costco is running a black friday special: Dell XPS 8500, 3rd gen i7-3770, 3.4GHz, 16GB memory, 2TB HD, 1GB AMD graphics, 460W power supply for $999 ($500 off). I need a faster main than my Optiplex 9600 Quad core 32 bit running XP with 3GB memory. (Not running a true "server). All my office computers are Optiplex. No experience with XPS other than they're considered gaming computers, but also used by businesses with graphics-intense needs. It's a great deal IF it's a great computer. Otherwise I'll pass.
Any help?
Dave
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Well the specs are nice.
Let's Break it Down
i7-3770 - $300
16GB Memory - $80
2TB HD - $90
NVIDIA GeForce 620 - $50
Dell S2740L - $340
460W PSU - $50
Windows 8 - $90 (non-Pro)
~$1000 if you were to build it yourself. As you can see, more than 1/3 of the cost is due to the monitor so I don't think it's a good deal for a "main" computer. This likely only has a 1 year warranty as well which is another big negative.
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The warranty most likely will suck. I used to have an Alienware I used for my work laptop. When I started having problems with it, I did not have access to the beautiful pro-support I was so accustomed to with servers and workstations. I ended up speaking to a bunch of "don't care attitude" people from Puerto Rico and other places. After 6 weeks of them sending out techs to my house to replace parts, and finally replacing the entire laptop with one that didn't even have the specs of the one I had, I got fed up. I called my sales rep and told him everything, he got his manager on the phone, and they set up an exchange to trade in the crappy Alienware I was given with a brand-new M6500 that cost $2000 more than the Alienware. The manager managed to get Alienware, a divison of Dell, to eat the cost.
Remember: Game computers are just for that: games. When you call support to fix them, the attitude is, "Ok, so you can't play World of Warcraft. Big deal." Business computers like the M6500 have the attitude of, "We have a customer losing money. We need to act NOW."
JamesNT
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Warranty is 3 yrs NBD. Tech motivation is an unknown. Every new thing I look at is Windows 8. Is AC ready for 8?
By the way, thanks for your input.
Dave
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If your tech savvy is not where you want to build your own - you might consider a "server" from some place like tigerdirect.com. They have servers there with 8 gb ram and windows server software for about 1100.00.
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I would advise against using Windows 8 as your main computer until they upgrade to a later version of SQL express. Officially, SQL 2005 is incompatible with Windows 8, and AC has advised against it. It should work fine as a client however. Lenovo and Dell are your best bet if you want good support along with a powerful machine.
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3 Years Pro Support and NBD On-Site? If that's true, I would go for that. I would probably keep that monitor and put some random one on that computer since that monitor is a very nice 27" IPS LED monitor.
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If you want Dell (and the support you can get from them) - check the Dell outlet.
Good prices, and still plenty of W7-64.
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If you want Dell (and the support you can get from them) - check the Dell outlet.
Good prices, and still plenty of W7-64. Personal Note: I have purchased the last few computers from the Dell Outlet and have always been pleased. You can get a fairly up to date computer for a fraction of the price of a "new" one. My current home machine is an XPS and it works great. As far as Windows 8 goes, we are still testing the program. As Sandeep said, I would advise against using Windows 8 as your main computer right now.
Mark Dabeck
Client Success Manager/Amazing Charts
"Amazing Charts now offers On-Site Training. Message me for details".
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Similarly, if you want IBM, HP, or Lenovo refurb items (full warranty), CDW has an outlet as well that we ahve used for our SMB clients for years.
Bargain Bin with warranty, you just have to know how to find the good stuff.
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I use XPS 9100, i7 2.8 Ghz, 12 GB RAM and 2x500Gb in Raid 1, win7 ultimate, as my main machine and I am very pleased with it. It is very fast and AC 6.0.10 is running flawless and also very fast on this computer. Purchased directly from Dell ($1500) about a year ago.
Dariusz
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Dave,
I couldn't find that Costco Black Friday special online. Was it a special coupon or in-store deal or where did you find it?
Did you decide to get it?
Sharon (frustrated trying to run AC on VMWare on my MacBook Air so think I need to buy a PC just for AC and Quickbooks).....
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Sharon, If you just need a small machine to run your AC and Quickbooks, here is a link where you can get a small footprint desktop from $527 => including 3 years Pro-Support with on-site repair Next-Business-Day (NBD) Dell Outlet link Another choice would be to move your AC to a managed environment  - but that is a completely different approach.
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Indy,
Thanks for the advice. I had seen the post recommending Dell outlet and went to the site, but don't know where to start....which would you recommend for FAST and reliable for a low volume Amazing Charts practice?
And I do do occasional house calls, so that is why I though maybe a PC laptop would be worthwhile, unless the value of the desktop is that much more.
I do have a monitor that will work already.
Appreciate any help.
Thanks,
Sharon
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Sharon,
It was on a flyer I got in the mail. You can't find it on the Costco website yet, but can get a summary of it by googling 2012 black friday costco xps 8500. Make sure it's 2012 as there was also an XPS 8300 BF special in 2011. You can't order it until Black Friday, and then only online. My only reservation is the operating system is Windows8 which I think does not yet play well with AC. I've gone on the Dell Outlet site and found a similarly equipped XPS 8500 with Win7 Pro, but only 4-8 GB memory for around $1,000, and with no monitor. If anybody out there has seen better prices, please let me know. I'm always amazed at the low prices some of these guys come up with. I can never seem to find the same deals. As a reality check though, my emphasis is on speed and power. That is what will satisfy in the long run, long after any initial low price euphoria has worn off.
Dave
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Dave,
Thanks. Appreciate the link.
Sharon
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