I posted this in the general area, but realized its more of a hardware question. Here it is:
Ok, for those of you from our last discusssion, I've decided to go the Dell route. I get a discount through U of T, so that's an added bonus. Here is the system I've come up with:
Dimension 2400 Series P4: Pentium® 4 Processor at 2.40GHz with 533MHz front side bus BP245A [221-3129]
Memory: 128MB Shared DDR SDRAM at 333MHz 128M3 [311-2074]
Keyboard: Dell Quietkey® Keyboard QK [310-1582]
Monitor: 17 in (16.0 in v.i.s., .27dp) E773 Monitor E773 [320-4600]
Video Card: Integrated Intel® 3D Extreme Graphics IV [430-3900]
Hard Drive: 40GB Ultra ATA/100 7200RPM Hard Drive 40 [340-9481]
Floppy Drive and Additional Storage Devices: 3.5 in Floppy Drive FD [340-9334]
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition¹² WHXP [420-1921][313-7222][412-0409]
Mouse: Dell Optical USB Mouse OM [310-4037]
Network Interface: Integrated 10/100 Ethernet IN [430-0441]
Modem: 56K PCI Data/Fax Modem DFAX [313-1313]
CD or DVD Drive: 48x Max CD ROM Drive CD48 [313-1476]
Sound Card: Integrated Audio IS [313-0847]
Speakers: Altec Lansing® ADA215 Speakers ADA215 [313-1874]
Bundled Software: WordPerfect® Productivity Pack with Quicken New User Edition CCOREL [412-0397][412-0396][412-0174][412-0245][412-0395]
Security Software: Dell Security Center by McAfee, 90 Day introductory offer (412-0326) MCAFE90 [412-0326]
Hardware Installation Services: 1 Yr Ltd. Warranty, 1 Yr In-Home/On-Site Service, 24x7 Phone Hardware Tech Support, 365 days a year W11OS [950-1290][900-9054]
SHIP: Shipping SHIP [009-4365]
CD or DVD Burner for 2nd bay: FREE 48x CD-RW Drive (2nd Bay) 48CDR2Z [462-3127]
Because of the power outage, I can't get the exact price, but it is about $675. Does this seem like a good deal? Could I do better elsewhere? What do you think of this system?
I now have a few questions.
1- Could this computer handle basic 3D rendering/animation using a program like 3D Studio Max. I'm not talking about really FULL scenes or advanced animation. I would just like to be able to play around with it.
2- What can an onboard video card handle? If I plan to render and play games, should I invest in a video card? (There is a local computer store yard sale tomorrow, so if you give me some idea of what to look for, I may be able to pick somehing up)
3- Is there a way around having to purchase a monitor through Dell. They don't give me an option to not buy one. That could be a big cost saver (I know people who could give me one for free)
4- Is the RAM on this system upgradable? I heard a friend say that a certain type of RAM is more expensive, does this system have the cheap or expensive RAM? How much would I be looking at to upgrade to 516 MB(is that the right number?) from 128 if I go about it myself?
5 - I also chose the smallest hard drive. Is that upgradable? I can upgrade at Dell from 40Gb to 120Gb for $160. Is this worth is? Can I do better if I do it myself?
6- What is the difference between a regular 48x cd rom and 16x DVD rom? is it worth the $60 jump in price for the latter?
7- Finally, I'm not sure if I'll get the FREE burner through my school, so if I were to buy one on my own at the yard sale tomorrow, what price range and specs should I look for.
I really appreciate your help,
Ian
Ok, for those of you from our last discusssion, I've decided to go the Dell route. I get a discount through U of T, so that's an added bonus. Here is the system I've come up with:
Dimension 2400 Series P4: Pentium® 4 Processor at 2.40GHz with 533MHz front side bus BP245A [221-3129]
Memory: 128MB Shared DDR SDRAM at 333MHz 128M3 [311-2074]
Keyboard: Dell Quietkey® Keyboard QK [310-1582]
Monitor: 17 in (16.0 in v.i.s., .27dp) E773 Monitor E773 [320-4600]
Video Card: Integrated Intel® 3D Extreme Graphics IV [430-3900]
Hard Drive: 40GB Ultra ATA/100 7200RPM Hard Drive 40 [340-9481]
Floppy Drive and Additional Storage Devices: 3.5 in Floppy Drive FD [340-9334]
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition¹² WHXP [420-1921][313-7222][412-0409]
Mouse: Dell Optical USB Mouse OM [310-4037]
Network Interface: Integrated 10/100 Ethernet IN [430-0441]
Modem: 56K PCI Data/Fax Modem DFAX [313-1313]
CD or DVD Drive: 48x Max CD ROM Drive CD48 [313-1476]
Sound Card: Integrated Audio IS [313-0847]
Speakers: Altec Lansing® ADA215 Speakers ADA215 [313-1874]
Bundled Software: WordPerfect® Productivity Pack with Quicken New User Edition CCOREL [412-0397][412-0396][412-0174][412-0245][412-0395]
Security Software: Dell Security Center by McAfee, 90 Day introductory offer (412-0326) MCAFE90 [412-0326]
Hardware Installation Services: 1 Yr Ltd. Warranty, 1 Yr In-Home/On-Site Service, 24x7 Phone Hardware Tech Support, 365 days a year W11OS [950-1290][900-9054]
SHIP: Shipping SHIP [009-4365]
CD or DVD Burner for 2nd bay: FREE 48x CD-RW Drive (2nd Bay) 48CDR2Z [462-3127]
Because of the power outage, I can't get the exact price, but it is about $675. Does this seem like a good deal? Could I do better elsewhere? What do you think of this system?
I now have a few questions.
1- Could this computer handle basic 3D rendering/animation using a program like 3D Studio Max. I'm not talking about really FULL scenes or advanced animation. I would just like to be able to play around with it.
2- What can an onboard video card handle? If I plan to render and play games, should I invest in a video card? (There is a local computer store yard sale tomorrow, so if you give me some idea of what to look for, I may be able to pick somehing up)
3- Is there a way around having to purchase a monitor through Dell. They don't give me an option to not buy one. That could be a big cost saver (I know people who could give me one for free)
4- Is the RAM on this system upgradable? I heard a friend say that a certain type of RAM is more expensive, does this system have the cheap or expensive RAM? How much would I be looking at to upgrade to 516 MB(is that the right number?) from 128 if I go about it myself?
5 - I also chose the smallest hard drive. Is that upgradable? I can upgrade at Dell from 40Gb to 120Gb for $160. Is this worth is? Can I do better if I do it myself?
6- What is the difference between a regular 48x cd rom and 16x DVD rom? is it worth the $60 jump in price for the latter?
7- Finally, I'm not sure if I'll get the FREE burner through my school, so if I were to buy one on my own at the yard sale tomorrow, what price range and specs should I look for.
I really appreciate your help,
Ian