i think so. noticed how everything keeps looking more and more like the MacOS GUI? i think Macs are solid computers, but i dislike that they look like their target audience is the kindergarten class. and i like gaming, obviously enough.



that's what i plan to do when Vista becomes unaviodable. as it is, i'm dreading the day IT pushes it through at work, but at least there i can pass the problems back off to them.

I do not get what it is that makes Vista worth the money if you already have XP? (Apart from the vaguely described fantasies of Microsoft that is)?

not a damn thing if you ask me. however for a lot of mass-marketed PC brands, it's now the only option - Microscam has been "encouraging" companies like Dell and HP to only offer Vista and on their newer systems, and while they haven't totally complied, they have indeed totally hyped both Vista and "Vista readiness."

there are "under the hood" improvements to Vista that makes it a step in the right direction after XP. but in the same way that XP is a very refined version of NT, i think Vista technology will go through a generation or two before it's worth using. in the short term, i think they're trying to play up security features to business consumers and also nerf graphics to help boost xbox 360 sales.

in the long run, i think they assume every computer will have internet connectivity (at least, every computer managed by a consumer they've targeted), and future generations of Windows will work more like remote clients in some ways than independant OSs. i think the idea is to take what apple did with the apple store to the next level: (more or less) real time management of everything on a windows system, from digital rights to hardware malfunctions and maybe even software compatibility. i think they're trying to keep their rapidly dwindling edge on institutional markets, from businesses to universities to hospitals, because that's where the real money is. i think they're doing it by trying to become a giant, outsourced IT department. why even have your own IT dept., or at least a large one, when the folks at microsoft have a direct line into your computers and are the "best qualified" to tell you what's going wrong?

Oh, don't think you can get away with sitting on Windows XP forever. They force you to upgrade by coming out with things that depend on new stuff. If you want to use your new thing, you need the new stuff. I'm always bringing up the rear as far as software goes, but eventually, I always get to that point. I'm not unfamiliar with Linux and I can say that route isn't always a solution. Most software developers only make their products available for Windows. Until that changes, we're stuck with it.

Yeah, hows this for having to upgrade.

Original Computer for my office had XP and Quickbooks 2K6. Melt the motherboard, say screw it and decide to "upgrade". Buy a new computer that ONLY comes with Vista, no choice. Should have just not bought it. Roughly 750 bucks

Try to install Quickbooks 2K6...not compatible, only QB 2K7 works with Vista.

Buy Quickbooks 2K7 (200 bucks), install...not enough RAM. Need at less 2 gig, only had 1.

Buy TWO extra sticks of RAM (150 bucks?), because 1 stick would only be 1500 RAM, because the originals were two 500 sticks.

Total F-ing nightmare   

I hear ya man!!

My wife wanted an ipod to download and read books while on the train, so she bought a second hand one on ebay. When she tried to download a story, the story website wanted her to update some related program. But when she tried to update the ipod software from the ipod manufacurers website, they laughed in her face and said, "sucker, you cannot update that older ipod, you have to come and buy a new one!", well not in those exact words but you get the idea.

So i said fxxk em, i will get you a laptop instead, i would rather buy a whole new laptop than to allow myself to play ipods lapdog and be a good little puppy and fetch a new one at their command. Ipod will never get a sale out of me ever again even on pain of death! and that goes for any other company that tries to pull such nonsense on me!

Yep, 1 gig on Vista really doesn't leave much for you to use at all. It's a lot more memory-hungry than XP.

check out what i just wrote on the dell community forums:

subject:

blinking amber power LED? you need to upgrade the insufficient XPS 200 PSU

body:

hi, here are my relevent system specs:
Pentium D 2.8
1 GB of RAM
Radeon X600

i've had my XPS 200 for about a year and a half. more or less the first day i got it, i started experiencing shutdowns followed by a blinking amber LED. others have as well, i see. like others, i spent hours (probably a month's worth of cell minutes) with dell tech support, and they weren't even able to diagnose the simple problem. after consulting the diagnostics manual, i found that this occurs when the system is demanding too much power from the supply unit.

the PSU itself is rated at 275 watts. don't be let anyone tell you otherwise: this is insufficient for most computers these days. while it might work well in a test lab (which likely has an even and stablized power grid), it fails regularly in one's home where things aren't so perfect. to make matters worse, the power supply form isn't anything like standard, and replacing it might require some "surgery" on your case at the very least.

one short term solution is to purchase an uninterruptable power supply and use it instead of a surge protector/diminisher. it'll store some extra power to help offset minor drops in your power grid's voltage. it's a good idea to have one anyway; they interface with your computer and will shut it down if the voltage drops on your power grid severly (like in a power outage), thus protecting your system. they're relatively affordable and easy to install.

you can also do things around your home to help, like turning off the A/C or electric heating, asking your family members to warn you if they use a toaster oven, and generally avoid using lots of electricity.

PC power & cooling (http://www.pcpower.com/home/) advertizes dell-compatable power supplies, but i'd want to see one first-hand (and indeed, measure it with a good old metric ruler) before purchasing one: i'd have done this months ago, but i've got bills to pay, and my power problem's only become truly annoying (repeated power failures within minutes of each other) recently.

i've provided this message hoping to at least put at ease the anxieties of others. it's unfortunate dell provided an insufficient power supply unit to begin with; replacements from dell will only be a short-term solution. i sometimes wonder if they did it to prevent overheating in the low-profile design, but even a poorly built PSU should be able to provide for its own cooling. to be on the safe side, i'd also be interested in purchasing a higher-efficiency power supply (which means less electricity is converted to heat, and it also means your electricity bill will be a bit lower). they're expensive, and not necessarily compatible with the case design (thus, the idea of "surgery" on your case, which amateur computer builders do from time to time, but it's not always a good idea).

a more efficient fan would also help (the reason the XPS 200 fan is so noisy is that it's just not very good, so Windows thinks it has to run at top speeds most of the time).

thankfully PC Power & Cooling is located near my home; i will stop back here and update if and when i do get around to evaluating their products. in the mean time, i'd be more than interested to hear if anyone else has sucessfully replaced their PSU with one from another manufacturer, and the results of the operation. until then, remember that you get what you pay for...

Well, there is the fact that MS usually ceases major support (read: security patches, driver development assistance) for their last OS 3-4 years after the market date of the latest OS.

Anyone tried to get MS to answer a question about W98SE recently? Ain't happening.

drrider

You can learn more than you will ever need about how a PSU works and choosing a PSU by going to SilentPCReview.com

drrider

thanks doc! (i've been reading your handle as "Dr. Rider" so i hope the epithet fits).

okay... the PSU and this computer in general is the suck. damn you Dell!!!

so i have three basic options at this point.

1) live without a computer i can use for longer than 2 hours (this is the 'do nothing' option).

2) get an external PSU. this has the advantage of reduing heat and and noise, and being compatible with virtually any system in the years to come.

3) buy an entirely new desktop. this has the advantage of being a done deal.

4) slowly build a new computer, making use of salvagable parts from my existing desktop. this has the advantage of costing me less money all at once, getting better parts by buying them independantly and also by being able to wait until their price goes down a bit.

i'm leaning toward option #4. i've never built a computer myself though. the idea excites me a great deal, but i'm also worried i'll be walking into something that will be more trouble than it's worth.

if i go this route, i'll need to start with: a new case, PSU and cooling system/fan(s) for sure. probably need a new DVDRW (cheap) since this one is a slimline.

i might need a new HDD, since this one seems to have a custom mounting system to fit in the half-hieght tower. i might need a new MoBo for the same reason, and i might simply want one as the foundation for future upgrades.

i should be able to keep my Pentium D (they're backwards compatable with LGA 775 MoBos IIRC, so i can upgrade to a Core 2 duo later -- edit: nevermind, i totally forgot they work with different chipsets), my current RAM and video card (assuming i can dig up a standard-sized replacement for the mounting bracket). i would of course upgrade all these in time, but again the point of slowly building a new system is that i can spread out the cost.

in general, i'd be happy for any additional advice that you can offer.

I've been doing my own builds for quite a long time. You don't really save money over buying an off-the-shelf system, but you get to hand pick the parts that comprise it which can make a big difference in performance and reliability.

In my experience, I have not often had any trouble getting things to work right, but there's that occasional instance where you end up with a defective part. It can be rough when that happens so you just have to be willing to deal with it. Using quality name-brand parts can help you avoid that situation.

I've been through a number of vendors over the years and am currently using Newegg.com. They have excellent service and competetive prices.

Best of luck!

thanks! i just took apart my heat exchange and fan assembly and gave it a nice thorough cleaning... at least the damn thing's a bit quieter now.



yeah, newegg is great. unfortunately it seems their site is a little over-trafficked today, being black friday and whatnot.

tigerdirect seems to have better deals on pre-assembled systems, however.

---

is it just me, or is the hardest part about building your own computer picking a case?

i like this one: the APEVIA X-CRUISER-AL in silver.

Hehe, I think you may be right on that one. However, once you find a good one, it should last for several builds. I've done several on mine. That's the one thing that hasn't changed for a long time. I really like mine so I hope it doesn't become obsolete any time soon.

I don't think you'll always find the lowest prices on Newegg, but the service is prompt and reliable. Also, they're good about returns. That's important to me. I've often tried a part and decided it's not going to work out for me. Newegg has always allowed me to return it. After the case, motherboards are toughest for me. Sometimes I'll actually buy a couple different models trying to find the one I want. Newegg always lets me return the leftovers.

yeah, i've heard nothing but good things about newegg's service, and at after my experiences with Dell, service is perhaps more important to me than saving a few bucks.

plus newegg seems genuinely devoted to enabling its customers to make sound decisions as a consumer. between the various learning center pages and the new community learning site, www.eggxpert.com, they do a lot for consumers that i really respect.

i think i'm going to post a list of the parts i'm looking at shortly. i want to finish this post before my computer craps out again  

Yea, show me your wishlist, I'll show you mine I'm already planning my next build and the current one isn't even 6 months old. I think I may be obsessed

Over a year ago, I had the blinking amber power light after I tried to install a GPU on my Dell Dimension 2400. I replaced the old Dell PSU with Power PC & Cooling 425 Watt PSU (made for Dell) and it works beautfully. I have never had any problems since. It cost $150, but it was better than buying a whole new computer.

I would recommend that anybody with a Dell, who wants to do any upgrades, and cannot afford to buy another computer, to invest in a Power PC & Cooling PSU (make sure it's the one made for Dell).

i've been to their site, and unfortunately they don't seem to be aware that the XPS 200/210 is a half-height form factor PC.



that PSU in the upper right is less than 3.9" wide. this thing might just work, but again, is it really worth it on a Dell?

-the wish list-
any alternative recommendations would be more than welcome, especially for motherboards.
total cost not counting mail-in rebates (MIR), optical drives or potential need for new keyboard/mouse: $750-950, but potentially over $100 in MIRs depending on what i get.

Case
option 1: APEVIA X-CRUISER-AL in Silver (link)
cost: $70
pros: it looks cool. i really like the airplane-style dials.
cons: only 2 80mm fans.

option 2: Antec Nine Hundred (link)
cost: $120 (-$50 MIR)
pros: lots of fans! (3x 120mm + 1x 200mm)
cons: only comes in black

Mobo
ASUS P5N32-E SLI Plus (link)
cost: $180
pros: i trust Asus
cons: 3rd PCIe x16 slot set to x8 speed (nothing major); only 3 USB ports (can always get a card); no SATA150 ports for 10Krpm HDDs in RAID 0 (heh, that'd be fun). still, great board for the price.

processor
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 (link)
cost: $190
pros: the Core 2 Duos are great processors
cons: none i can see

RAM
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2x 1GB) (link)
cost: $87 (-$40 MIR)
pros: corsair makes great RAM
cons: somewhat high Cas latency (4)

vid card
option 1: EVGA GeForce 7600GS (link)
cost: $80 (-$10 MIR)
pros: looks like a solid card at a great price
cons: could use a better fan

option 2: XFX GeForce 8400GS (link)
cost: $70
pros: faster core clock
cons: only 64 bit (wtf?)

option 3 (if not now, maybe down the road): EVGA GeForce 8600GT (link)
cost: $150 (-$10 MIR)
pros: it's a better card!
cons: it's more expensive

PSU
option 1: Rosewill Stallion 600W (link)
cost: $70
pros: the chorme-like finish is sexy
cons: seems less than perfect for SLI; seems like it has a high failure rate

option 2: XCLIO GREATPOWER 700W (link)
cost: $110
pros: really high efficiency rating (85%); modular cables
cons: expensive! might be worth it in the long run (especially if/when i get better video card(s) and/or a 10K RPM HDD)

HDD
if i can remove my current HDD from the custom mounting case, i might just re-use it. i have a 500GB external hard drive, so i'm not looking for anything too spectacular. otherwise:

EXCELSTOR Jupiter Series 160GB (link)
cost: $46
pros: looks solid, good reviews
cons: none i can see.

optical drives
no energy to pick a particular one out. i just need a DVD-RW combo drive. might get a Blu-ray down the line as well.

stuff i already have (and like)
Dell 24" widescreen monitor
Logitech Z5500 5.1 surround speakers
500GB USB2.0 external HDD
APC UPS (wouldn't mind a bigger battery in it, though)

though now that i look it over, it seems the roughly equivalent AMD processors have gone down a lot in proce (AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+), and from what i understand AMD MoBos tend to be a little cheaper too.

Newegg is great and one of the bestknown/most trusted places around, but I've also ordered equally from PartsPC without a problem and at times they can give you a better deal on some parts. I usually check both places before doing any major upgrading.

Speaking of upgrading, tis the season heh. I just this morning priced a MB/CPU combo, along wiht 2GB of Ram, a Gfx card and a Psu from PartsPc. Looks like for a total of 392 bucks I can get into this century with a dual core and PCI express finally. I'm still working out the exact specs of what I'll get but it's looking to be an AMD64 X-2 4600/Asus MB(Always Asus ) and a Geforce8500GT 512 MBcard or something similar and a 680W PSU, oh and 2GB of PC-6400 RAM. I have everything else. Not the latest and greatest, but then again I don't need any more than that really.

I though I had mentioned it in here before, but I guess not. When checking for PC parts Pricewatch.com is a good place to comparison shop among a lot of online retailers including Newegg, PartsPC and a lot of others. Been going there for years and have yet to be letdown from one of their vendors. Plus they have user review and such for the vendors.

Good luck on your search .

you know, i'm also looking at ATI products in the same price range as NVIDIA, and they seem to be a little more bang for the buck. i mean, NVIDIA looks like it knocks ATI out of the water, but only if you're willing to spend an arm and a leg. is there something i'm missing? what do you guys think? any experience on SLI vs Crossfire? i mean, i probably won't do either, but from what i've heard ATI cards handle multimedia a little better, but NVIDIA handle gaming a little better... is that true?

also, thanks for the sites DA. i get paid friday and will probably start shopping next weekend. 'tis the season indeed! i feel like a kid in a crunchy metalic candy story!

I'm not sure how it is as of late, since NVidia's debacle with getting good Vista drivers and such. Used to be that ATI cards looked to have more horsepower on paper, but their drivers, especially initial ones for new lines were lacking and it took them a while to get up to the solidity of Nvidia initial drivers. Like I said though, that may not be the case anymore, but then again the last ATI card I had was probably a Radeon7200 years ago. I just know Nvidias a lot better and can overclock them and such so I stick with them.

Here are my opinions about your build for what it's worth. Hopefully you'll find them helpful.

Generally speaking about video cards, I have a Radeon GPU in my laptop and my have run a few generations of GeForce GPU's in my desktop. I have to say I like the nVidia products better. Cost to performance, you'll get more value with a Radeon, but with the higher end cards, GeForce is going to provide the best performance. If that's what you want, go for GeForce. If you want value and are willing to sacrifice a little performance (not a whole lot), go with Radeon. I do like the nVidia drivers a lot better than the ATI drivers and I believe Vista issues have been resolved for GeForce, but I'm not positive about that.

I see you're going for an SLI motherboard. A few comments about that. An SLI motherboard locks you into an nVidia card set. ATI uses Crossfire for dual card operation so you would need a Crossfire motherboard for dual Radeon. Also, with both Crossfire and SLI, you need identical cards. If you're planning to run single then upgrade to dual later, you may have trouble matching up the original card. There's also power requirements. The higher end GeForce and Radeon cards really suck down the juice. You'll want at least a 750W power supply for dual operation with those. Some of the high-end cards have 2 PCIe auxilliary power connections so the power supply may need 4 of them total for dual card operation.

The video cards you're thinking about are not a good match for that motherboard unless you plan to upgrade to dual high-end cards and a bigger power supply in the near future. You could buy a good non-SLI/Crossfire motherboard for under $100 then apply the savings toward an 8800GT which, AFAIC, is the best card out there for perfomance with some value. An 8800GT will signficantly out-perform the cards you're looking at, even against them in SLI.

I'm not particularly impressed with nVidia chipsets. I'm running an nForce 520 in my desktop right now and had an nForce 4 before that. Though, if you're dead set on SLI, you're locked into nVidia. If you decide against SLI, I would go for an Intel P35 or P31 chipset since you're going with a Core Duo. BTW, that's a great processor. I have one in my laptop and it's quite fast.

My current build is an AMD 3800+ with an nVidia nForce 520 chipset. Video card is GeForce 8800GTS. My next build is going to be a Core Duo with an Intel P31 chipset. Video card will be GeForce 8800GT. I wanted to post a link to my current wish list on Newegg, but I haven't been able to link to it yet.

Okay, TTYL