Ive been looking into liquid cooling. If you do the proper research and compare different manufactures it looks to be easily done and the cost is definately coming down on these systems.

I know, I was actually trying to say I like that small store better than the big one, but I already dislike the small one, don't even mention the big one :ping:

As you may be aware of, the biggest problem with laptops is that if a part breaks down, you're pretty much screwed. With desktops you can at least do your own troubleshooting/replacement of parts to a certain level. My sister has had to send in her laptop a couple of times, having no pc for a few weeks each time, and one time it came back with an empty hard drive... Nice support :dead: And oh yea, it was a Dell...

So heh, you won't be hearing any advice on manufacturer from me :rotfl:

I got an XPS M1730 laptop in February; so far so good. I haven't really had any issues.

From what I've seen of Dell, it seems that either everything's A-Ok out of the box and you're fine for a while, or it's crap out of the box and you're screwed until you get a new one.

I'm crossing my fingers. I wouldn't want the Deathstar to go Belly-up while I'm at sea.

I have a Dell, bought it off a chinese couple for 400 buxs (AUD that is and off ebay). Was fine for a good 5 months until it all got laggy (and still is!)
It gets really laggy when I tried to play CSI: Miami. Unfortunately I don't have any subsim games to try on my computer :-? AND it gets laggy when I only have Firefox up! Which barely uses 10% of my CPU. Lags when I use Photoshop for my digital arts.

Other than nuking spywares and viruses, it still lags. (I've used Spybot then AVG Anti-spyware THEN HijackThis which I caught a few remaining spywares, so far no problems other than several FirewallPort opening spywares which is repeatedly nuked).

Bottom line: Dell SUCKS :down:

Anywho! I'm off to watch HMAS Sydney documentary :hmm:

Dell used to be top of the line. They have slipped in their service and quality primarily when it comes to the general public. They still are fine for their corporate customers.

However, when looking at a new desktop, you will always be better off getting a custom built or doing it yourself. For those looking to build from here on out, I would strongly suggest looking into liquid cooling. A top of the line kit for your CPU, GPU, Memory and NorthBridge can be purchased for around 400 - 500 bucks. Obviously, go with kink resistant, reinforced hoses. Granted its more expensive than air cooling, but remember - done right it will keep your box super cool AND its less noisy, plus you don't have to sweat dust eating the fan bearings or clogging heatsinks. And always put it together OUTSIDE the box and test it.....

As for laptops - unless you have a really good warranty with the local pc shop, go with a major manufacturere simply because its going to be warrantied decently. Yes you may have to send it in - but at least it wont be sitting on your desk collecting dust because you have no way of getting it fixed.

I have an M-Tech laptop: Their best is claimed to be the highest performing gaming laptop available, somewhat less expensive compared to Dell/Alienware, XP is their recommended OS.

Downside: The top model weighs an anchor like 12 lbs.

They are also more widely available Compal branded (same model numbers as M-Tech).

M-tech offers optional multicoat repaints using any customer supplied hi res graphic on new or used laptops (any brand).

No problems with mine so far, it replaced my old Dell lemon.

Well, It had been a while since Ive bought a Dell. Last one was about 7 years ago. I built my last rig and it was rock solid but it was old enough that it didnt support any of the new hardware like PCI-e and DDR2. Its sad that Dell used to be top of the line with great customer service and now they just... suck. Guess they got too big for their britches.

What really sticks in my craw is now I get to listen to my Wife hack on me about spending all this money on a computer that doesnt work when we had (in her opinion) a computer that worked just fine. She just doesnt understand the whole gaming thing. :nope:

Me- "Ill be on the phone with Dell for a bit Honey"
Wife - "AGAIN???"
Me - "Yes, the damn thing is still screwed up and I need to get it fixed before the warranty runs out"
Wife - "You just HAD to buy a new computer didnt you?"
Me - "Well, the old one doesnt run any of the new games"
Wife - "So you gotta spend 3k to play a stupid video game?"
Me - "Yep"
Wife - "I wish I could get you to spend this much time fixing stuff around the house"
Me - "sigh"

Guess there are 2 things most women will never understand... The 3 Stooges and video gaming. :roll:

What a coincidence, I just put down my new copy or Maximum PC mag and there was a small maybe 1/3 page article on Dell

Now comes the funny part:

Then why do you need 500,000 tech support people if they work so good?

Sorry about your problems but I do understand, I've had some friends and family with Dells and they are so frustrated with the support! Most complain they can't understand them. I have made several comments to Dell that if you are going ask me to "buy American" and then you farm out your support to India then maybe I should buy my computer in India. Why should I support "American" companies, you don't!!! They never have an answer. But we all know it's the money.

But for what its worth, from the sound of how many times you have had to call them. I would take it up the ladder! Go over the tech and explain all the headaches and your time is valuable too, you don't have time to sit on the phone 8 times and then wait for the "handyman" to come and fix it, and be told he isn't going to bring anything except the mobo, which means you may need to take another day to sit around and wait for him to bring other parts. That you expect him to bring all parts that may be necessary to fix it. And if he walks out and it still doesn't work, you will send them a bill for your time if they have to come back. Then BBB and Internet and even a letter to Maximum Pc's Watch dog column. If you get the right person on the phone, it will make a difference. They don't like bad press. They don't give a hoot if it's just you, but don't tell anybody. That's why they are changing away from propietary parts, which is Dell code for "we buy the cheapest junk we can and have the manufacturer fix it so they have to get a new one from us." They even change standard printers so they need to use Dell ink. The company is going downhill and they know people are sick of it.

Peabody

You just need to push the right buttons, Deimos. When our motherboard showed signs of disintegration (well, it wasn't the motherboard in the end, but that's a whole other story!), I began compiling a list of components we needed to buy. This was my g/f's computer, so she'd be paying for it, so the deal was to get parts for under 350 Euro, tops. When I finally compiled the list, she began nagging about "why we need such an expensive CPU and/or motherboard" etc etc etc. I simply told her: "Honey, you do want to play the new Unreal Tournament, don't you?". She didn't complain again :rotfl:

argh.

never buy hardware from dell. To expensive - bad quality.

Your best choice is making your own rig. Its easy. Go around in internet and read reports on certain hardware components, decide what you want and then find a cheap vendor. That way you will save in up to 50% and you always know what is inside your rig.

My wife has a Dell laptop and we've literally had 0 issues with it, she plays WoW, old games, watches movies, listens to music, drops it, it's great, really, no complaints there.

Desktops though, specially gaming desktops, build your own, it's not hard (I was sure I'd screw up my first build since I had never done it before), everything has a logical place to go, you can get some good top to bottom lists on eggxpert, and I like I said earlier, I spent literally $1600 on it, and that included the software (vista 64 and some office software), forgot to do the mail in rebates (about $150 worth), and when I priced the EXACT system on alienware and dell, it cost twice as much!!

Just upgrading from their base CPUs to the CPU I bought cost more then the CPU itself!! It's nonsensical. Buying Alienware is just money down the drain, they may be good quality parts but the prices are just insane.

I'll take 50%-75% off any day...

Plus I actually was having issues upgrading my old Dell XPS, it had the PCI-E slots, but the power supply didn't have a rail for upgrading the GPU, I wanted to get a GeForce 8800GT but couldn't, it sucked :down:

And the RAM was just god awful, I can't believe they charged me good money for it, slowest RAM ever.

I'd go back to Dell for a new laptop, but I'll be building my desktops from now on, it's much cheaper, easier to ugprade (I can SLI in 3-4 years and keep the system current for another several years after that) and if needed I can just swap whatever parts I need out of it, which will be easy, I'll probably never need to buy a case again unless this one breaks. Can't say that about my Dell (sadly, really liked that case :cry: )

Good advice, I would just add one thing. It you deal with a good company, check their prices. A lot of people I know buy OEM thinking they are saving money. I have noticed that with a lot of internet companies (I only deal with one) the difference between OEM and Retail is sometimes not a big difference and you get a full warranty and all the parts you are suppose to. OEM doesn't always give you everything that comes with Retail. For example the Intel CPU OEM doesn't include the Heatsink, I don't use it anyway but the one I bought was only $5 more than OEM so I got heatsink, directions (for those who need it) and full warranty. Some video cards don't come with adaptors on OEM, and if the part is $10 more but you need to go out and buy an adaptor or cable for svideo for $25 it doesn't make sense.

And info for beginners, if you go water cooled make sure you do some research, all Cooling packages don't cool everything that needs cooling so you still need fans. Just make sure you do your homework before you build.

Peabody

Just do what I did. My wife does graphic design for a living, and I mean she is a magician with it, allthough I can't get her to understand 3d modeling, which I think is so much easier. Anyways, she decided that because she does work from home sometimes, and when she has to take me to the V.A., she needed a laptop that could handle most of CS3 running all together. Umm, she ordered the laptop, a D830 with a Nvidia Quadro NVS 140M card, and I had made sure it would run SH4 before she ordered it, and to this day i can run the SH4 full tilt boogey and can run up TC to around 8k and no lag, jaggies, nothing. and thats with everything runnin in the background. I still have yet frappsed anything with it, but I cant complain for a puter under 2k. And the best thing of all, its a tax deductible gaming laptop that my wife bought of her own accord :)

Derrek

I love a read with a happy ending :up:

See, I can understand if things dont work right. It happens. Alls I ask is that if it aint right then you make it right. I work in a Harley-Davidson dealer and we go out of our way to "Make it right" when folks have problems. Man, if we treated our customers like this we be out of buisness quicker than you can say HOG. Ya know, one perk about where I work is we get pre-paid legal services. Hmmmm, I think all this has caused me some mental anguish:hmm:

It may be time to let slip the dogs....:ping:

That is so true. I cant really think of any other customer service like the mass marketed computer industry. Well, I take that back, the IRS is just about as bad :damn:

Well being that i just sent those bastards a check that I really didn't want to send, let call them the worse ever.:mad:

Whats even worse is when I have to pay as a disabled veteran. That one really blows my mind.

MAN! If this was happening to someone else I'd think it was funny. :damn:

So the I finally get hold of the service guy to schedule an appointment. He shows up to replace my mobo and GUESS WHAT????

The damn mobo they sent to him from Dell IS BAD!!!!!! :damn: :damn: :damn:

I kinda feel bad for the poor tech now. He almost didnt make it out the door after telling me that. :arrgh!:


This is what I feel like... :lost:

You mean the "stock parts" they have are bad? That is scary!