It's Like Christmas... in April
I got the Dell Studio XPS 435 MT today, and I couldn't be happier. It's an amazing machine, with the new Intel Core-i7 processor (mine is clocking in at 2.67 GHz), and came with 6GB of the new DDR3 memory sticks. All-in-all, I'm stoked with this level of power.
The Ugly Past
Firstly, let me dive in deeper on what I had before. I had custom built an AMD-based machine, with the Phenom 9850 and a whopping 8GB of DDR2 memory (running at stock 800 MHz speed; I don't overclock). That rig was running fine on a Gigabyte motherboard, but up until a few weeks ago the motherboard decided to call it quits and burn out on me. Deeply saddened, and lacking the energy to just buy a new motherboard and go through the dreaded motherboard replacement process, I decided I've had it with custom building PC's altogether.
It was a fun trip the past 6 or so years of going the complete custom route, but in the end I realized I spent more time upgrading rather than doing more meaningful work such as software development, rendering stuff, and most importantly, gaming. It also became an expensive proposition, requiring me to act as the technician when things go awry. So, here I am now back to using a pre-built machine.
Going An Easier Route...
I decided to get something that had potential for longevity. My aim here is to get hardware that will last me a long, long time. So, I am now rocking with the Intel Core-i7 and it's quad-core (psuedo-octo-core with the hyperthreading thing). That should last me a super long time.
I do plan on migrating the graphics card that I had in my previous build, the all-good Radeon 4850 and a Seagate 250GB HD. Those should add a little more power and reduce the need for me to even think about cracking open the case afterwards (unless something terrible happens inside).
The Old(er) Rig
I currently have an older motherboard (a DFI Infinity NF4 SLI that keeps on ticking) on hand that I decided to use temporarily to hold me over until the XPS arrived. But, I ran into an annoying problem with the sound card, where even though Vista detected the drivers and installed them, sound would not play out. I know it's not the speakers since they work on my new rig. Oh well. It's up for adoption anyway after I transfer the good components to the new machine (I know, it's like I'm customizing my new rig already drastically, but I planned for this).
Parting Thoughts
Now I'm busy installing all my software to the new machine, which is a painfully long experience. Oh well... it's the cost of getting a new toy to play with.
I plan on giving a formal review of the Studio XPS 435 down the road, once I've kicked the tires with it and all.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Last Second Switch: Dell XPS 435MT
Well... after some further thought and a great find, I've decided to switch my choice of desktop replacement from the XPS 430 to the XPS 435 (Mid-Tower). Dell had a promotion running for the 435MT that had a better value (Core-i7 versus Core 2 Quad), so I snagged that instead. My current plan is to swap out two components in the 435: the power supply and the graphics card. I decided that I didn't really need a big case, as I'm opting out of the custom build realm completely and going the pre-built route (less headaches).
So, anyone think I should have gone with the full tower option instead of the mid-tower? It does look snazzy, but it's size is rather large and heavy. It weighs approximately 45 pounds compared to the mid-tower, which weighs only about 25 pounds.
It should be delivered by tomorrow sometime...
So, anyone think I should have gone with the full tower option instead of the mid-tower? It does look snazzy, but it's size is rather large and heavy. It weighs approximately 45 pounds compared to the mid-tower, which weighs only about 25 pounds.
It should be delivered by tomorrow sometime...
Friday, April 17, 2009
And the winner is...
In my continuing endeavor to find a good pre-built desktop with room for expansion and a decent case, I have elected to go for the Dell XPS 430. I can re-use components from my previous build to increase the graphics power and memory, plus I can move over my existing hard-drive. One question I have is how easy I can move my power supply to the Dell, since the Dell's pre-installed one is a meager 400 PSU (I know, I know... not being environmentally friendly in this regard).
Now comes the question of getting rid of the existing gear I no longer need... Ebay time!
The Hunt For A New Desktop
The Search
Since I'm suddenly in the market for a new desktop, I've begun my search for a pre-built machine worthy of my needs. I wanted something stylish, yet something powerful with room for expansion. This immediately brought to mind two high-end PC manufacturers, Alienware (owned by Dell) and Voodoo PC (now owned by HP). Also, Dell's XPS line somehow came into the picture when I stumbled upon one model.
Alienware Aurora: Perfected By Aliens
At first I was looking at the Alienware Aurora series of desktops, featuring a sci-fi case that looks like something that came out of a Star Trek movie. It's got a lot of space for expansion, and great power to boot. The problem though is that the case looks a bit large, though without seeing it in person or at least sitting next to something else for size comparison I can't totally judge on this. What I can judge on is that the case doesn't really appeal to me. The front-side USB ports are angled, but I wish they had them higher up (personal preference here).
One thing that is a definite plus is that I can customize it with a variety of options, something that the Voodoo Firebird lacks severely. Price-wise, with the options that I want it'll come out to about $1300. Not bad at all. But because the case itself doesn't appeal to me all too much, I began to look at another Dell machine...
The XPS 430: Alien Technology In A Sexy Piano-Black Case
The one definite plus this unit has over my other choices is it's price/performance. At the base price of $750, it comes with slightly above average hardware. However, to get it to match the other two systems would require me plopping in a $200 graphics card and additional memory bringing the final total to about $1000.
On the outside, it's got a beautiful piano-black case that is appealing, yet it's size has me concerned just like the Alienware rig. I believe the local Best Buy shop has these in stock so I can get a good look at it in person before ordering. On the inside though it has less powerful gear than the Alienware and Firebird. One definite plus is that the components inside can be swapped out with ease, just like the Alienware rig.
Firebird 802: Voodoo Magic
Despite having a lack of expandability, the pure awesomeness of how the Firebird looks has captivated me. It does have quite a bit of power under the hood, coming in with a quad-core Intel and above-average graphics cards. It's case is definitely smaller than the Alienware Aurora, which is a plus in my work environment. Even better, it's water-cooled making it more silent.
It's got a quad-core Intel processor rocking at 2.6 GHz, twin NVidia 9800S graphics cards, 4 GB memory standard, and twin 250GB hard-drives. The processor and graphics cards are water-cooled. Even better, it provides power while promoting energy efficiency by only requiring a 350W power supply. The catch here is that the graphics cards are actually meant for laptops. And the hard-drives? Those be 2.5-inch drives also meant for laptops, spinning at 5400 RPM. None-the-less, performance reviews for the system still gave it high marks.
A major problem on if I choose the Firebird is that after looking around a bit, it seems as if the 803 version vanished from the face of the earth. It used to be listed on HP's website, and from the Voodoo community website it appears that they've sold out of that version, leaving the slightly less powerful, though still well built, 802 version. The 802 version actually had a pretty massive price-drop, from $1800 down to $1300 in a matter of just 2 months since it's release early this year. HP is rumored to be doing one of two things with the Firebird line: deplete the inventory to make room for an updated version or... just shooting down the bird altogether.
The Final Verdict
Actually, I don't have a final FINAL verdict just yet on what I'm going to do. I do like the Firebird option the most, but with it's uncertain future and lack of expandability it leaves me wondering on if I should plop down the $1300 for it. I'll have to decide quickly, because as I write this Amazon only has 1 left in stock.
One thing to note though on the Firebird line is a rumor on how well the 803 version sold. It did sell-out according to the admin people on the Voodoo community website. They claim that they made more of the 802 line thinking that would sell more, but Moore's law occurred and the reverse happened. So this leaves me with the sensation that the Firebird is escaping death and more are on the way. Time will tell, and I'm reluctantly telling myself to wait to see what happens for another month or two before choosing.
The XPS 430 is still on my list, holding firmly to the #2 spot. It's stylish, it's got good power, and I do have a powerful graphics card on hand from my previous system to bring it up to speed as well as extra memory modules for it. Plus, it doesn't look like this line is doomed any time soon. So it'll be my backup plan if HP/Voodoo don't produce another Firebird 803 in the near future.
Finally I have to place the Alienware at a distant #3 for the time being. Actually, it's off the short-list. If the case was different, then I'd go for it but it just doesn't appeal to me much.
Since I'm suddenly in the market for a new desktop, I've begun my search for a pre-built machine worthy of my needs. I wanted something stylish, yet something powerful with room for expansion. This immediately brought to mind two high-end PC manufacturers, Alienware (owned by Dell) and Voodoo PC (now owned by HP). Also, Dell's XPS line somehow came into the picture when I stumbled upon one model.
Alienware Aurora: Perfected By Aliens
At first I was looking at the Alienware Aurora series of desktops, featuring a sci-fi case that looks like something that came out of a Star Trek movie. It's got a lot of space for expansion, and great power to boot. The problem though is that the case looks a bit large, though without seeing it in person or at least sitting next to something else for size comparison I can't totally judge on this. What I can judge on is that the case doesn't really appeal to me. The front-side USB ports are angled, but I wish they had them higher up (personal preference here).
One thing that is a definite plus is that I can customize it with a variety of options, something that the Voodoo Firebird lacks severely. Price-wise, with the options that I want it'll come out to about $1300. Not bad at all. But because the case itself doesn't appeal to me all too much, I began to look at another Dell machine...
The XPS 430: Alien Technology In A Sexy Piano-Black Case
The one definite plus this unit has over my other choices is it's price/performance. At the base price of $750, it comes with slightly above average hardware. However, to get it to match the other two systems would require me plopping in a $200 graphics card and additional memory bringing the final total to about $1000.
On the outside, it's got a beautiful piano-black case that is appealing, yet it's size has me concerned just like the Alienware rig. I believe the local Best Buy shop has these in stock so I can get a good look at it in person before ordering. On the inside though it has less powerful gear than the Alienware and Firebird. One definite plus is that the components inside can be swapped out with ease, just like the Alienware rig.
Firebird 802: Voodoo Magic
Despite having a lack of expandability, the pure awesomeness of how the Firebird looks has captivated me. It does have quite a bit of power under the hood, coming in with a quad-core Intel and above-average graphics cards. It's case is definitely smaller than the Alienware Aurora, which is a plus in my work environment. Even better, it's water-cooled making it more silent.
It's got a quad-core Intel processor rocking at 2.6 GHz, twin NVidia 9800S graphics cards, 4 GB memory standard, and twin 250GB hard-drives. The processor and graphics cards are water-cooled. Even better, it provides power while promoting energy efficiency by only requiring a 350W power supply. The catch here is that the graphics cards are actually meant for laptops. And the hard-drives? Those be 2.5-inch drives also meant for laptops, spinning at 5400 RPM. None-the-less, performance reviews for the system still gave it high marks.
A major problem on if I choose the Firebird is that after looking around a bit, it seems as if the 803 version vanished from the face of the earth. It used to be listed on HP's website, and from the Voodoo community website it appears that they've sold out of that version, leaving the slightly less powerful, though still well built, 802 version. The 802 version actually had a pretty massive price-drop, from $1800 down to $1300 in a matter of just 2 months since it's release early this year. HP is rumored to be doing one of two things with the Firebird line: deplete the inventory to make room for an updated version or... just shooting down the bird altogether.
The Final Verdict
Actually, I don't have a final FINAL verdict just yet on what I'm going to do. I do like the Firebird option the most, but with it's uncertain future and lack of expandability it leaves me wondering on if I should plop down the $1300 for it. I'll have to decide quickly, because as I write this Amazon only has 1 left in stock.
One thing to note though on the Firebird line is a rumor on how well the 803 version sold. It did sell-out according to the admin people on the Voodoo community website. They claim that they made more of the 802 line thinking that would sell more, but Moore's law occurred and the reverse happened. So this leaves me with the sensation that the Firebird is escaping death and more are on the way. Time will tell, and I'm reluctantly telling myself to wait to see what happens for another month or two before choosing.
The XPS 430 is still on my list, holding firmly to the #2 spot. It's stylish, it's got good power, and I do have a powerful graphics card on hand from my previous system to bring it up to speed as well as extra memory modules for it. Plus, it doesn't look like this line is doomed any time soon. So it'll be my backup plan if HP/Voodoo don't produce another Firebird 803 in the near future.
Finally I have to place the Alienware at a distant #3 for the time being. Actually, it's off the short-list. If the case was different, then I'd go for it but it just doesn't appeal to me much.
Monday, April 13, 2009
My Computer Bit The Dust
The Situation
Last night my beloved desktop experienced a fatal crash. The motherboard's north bridge began to burn, releasing a rather awful burning smell. Thankfully my graphics card, hard-drives, and quad-core processor (AMD Phenom 9850) all seem in perfect working order. Here's a rundown of my latest build:
Since the smell came from the north-bridge heatsink, I think that may have been the culprit. It has to be, since the processor's temps were running between 40-55 degrees celsius, which is normal.
The Fallback Plan: Go Back To An Old Build
What I ended up doing was this, as I wanted to get a working desktop by the night's end. Thankfully I didn't ditch my AMD Athlon X2 chip and motherboard, and even had an old case around to put them into. I transferred my power supply, hard-drives, burner, and graphics card to that setup. Afterwards, I did the unthinkable: boot up the existing Vista install and have it install the drivers for everything. It worked beautifully, even though I now have a (hopefully) still functioning quad-core processor, and 8 GB of DDR2-800 sticks doing nothing now. So now I have the following:
I did email Gigabyte hoping for a replacement motherboard to come in. Also troubling me is what to do with my Cosmos case that I believe shorted out the motherboard in the first place. I did pay a whopping $200 for it, so putting it on Ebay is my first option. I don't however want to give it to someone else who ends up in my situation. Either way, the case is going to be out of my hair.
Whats Your Take?
So now I ask you guys on what your take is on this.
Last night my beloved desktop experienced a fatal crash. The motherboard's north bridge began to burn, releasing a rather awful burning smell. Thankfully my graphics card, hard-drives, and quad-core processor (AMD Phenom 9850) all seem in perfect working order. Here's a rundown of my latest build:
- AMD Phenom 9850 (AM2+)
- 8 GB DDR2-800MHz
- Sapphire Toxic Radeon 4850
- Corsair 620W PSU (Modular Cabling)
- Western Digital 250GB HD (IDE)
- Seagate 160GB HD (IDE)
- Seagate 250GB HD (SATA)
- Gigabyte GA-MA78G-DS3H (rev. 1.0, flashed with the F6 bios)
- Cosmos 1000 case (it's freakin huge)
Since the smell came from the north-bridge heatsink, I think that may have been the culprit. It has to be, since the processor's temps were running between 40-55 degrees celsius, which is normal.
The Fallback Plan: Go Back To An Old Build
What I ended up doing was this, as I wanted to get a working desktop by the night's end. Thankfully I didn't ditch my AMD Athlon X2 chip and motherboard, and even had an old case around to put them into. I transferred my power supply, hard-drives, burner, and graphics card to that setup. Afterwards, I did the unthinkable: boot up the existing Vista install and have it install the drivers for everything. It worked beautifully, even though I now have a (hopefully) still functioning quad-core processor, and 8 GB of DDR2-800 sticks doing nothing now. So now I have the following:
- AMD Athlon X2 3800+ (Socket 939)
- 4 GB (2xDDR333 + 2xDDR400)
- Sapphire Toxic Radeon 4850 (running @ stock speed)
- Corsair 620W PSU
- Western Digital 250GB HD (IDE)
- Seagate 160GB HD (IDE)
- Seagate 250GB HD (SATA)
- Chieftec case (I can't remember it's model name/number)
On the plus side I'm breathing a sigh of relief that I could go back to older hardware without having to reinstall every application I have.
Hoping For A Replacement Mobo...I did email Gigabyte hoping for a replacement motherboard to come in. Also troubling me is what to do with my Cosmos case that I believe shorted out the motherboard in the first place. I did pay a whopping $200 for it, so putting it on Ebay is my first option. I don't however want to give it to someone else who ends up in my situation. Either way, the case is going to be out of my hair.
Whats Your Take?
So now I ask you guys on what your take is on this.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Prelude
First off, this blog is about things that make you pull out your hair. Mainly I'll be discussing things about the software realm. I hope you enjoy my rants!
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