Dell v.s. The Rest of the World

Hello everyone,

I've been reading the boards here for quite some time enjoying benefits of endless delight associated with the solutions presented here. I'd have to say my more recent thrill has been of CCleaner, which I never gave any thought until just a few hours ago.

I need to buy a PC, and I'm totally at a loss of the best manufacturers. Currently (below) I have a Dell laptop, which has treated me fair for the last two years...but it's time to get something with more room.

I never heard of the company Kingston, and wanted to know what others think of their quality. Also, can I mix parts from manufacturers and expect the performance of a PC to be just as good as if I used only parts from Dell, per se?

Thank you for your help!

 

Well, Kingston, as far as I know doesn't build computers. They are a memory manufacturer.

Secondly, you can mix and match parts. That is essentially what Dell does. They don't actually build any of the hardware. They just get volume discounts on different parts and sell the computer for cheap.

I would say, the computer you get will depend on what you use it for and how much responsibility you want when it needs fixed. Dell computers are pretty good computers at great prices. If you just want a PC to use for internet surfing, word processing, etc. then they do just fine. Check out www.slickdeals.net and www.techbargains.com/dellcoupons.cfm for the latest and greatest deals.

If you are willing to build your own computer, you will usually get better quality components for the same price. (excluding the aforementioned budget PCs from Dell)

There are some places that build top of the line computers for gaming, but you will pay quite a bit more for them. Like www.falcon-nw.com or www.abspc.com for some mid-level to high-end systems.

IMO, for a laptop, you can't beat a Dell. (I have 2) For a PC, the best way is to build your own if you want a high-end system. If you want a budget PC, I would also go with Dell since this is their bread and butter.

 

Hp and Compaq arent together...

 

I REFUSE TO ACCEPT THAT! Haha, ive got an hp. but i hate compaq.

 

Wow, thanks for the links and info Wyatt. And all this time I was thinking Dell was a manufacturer. I know several of the reasons why this company has a name for itself in every economics/business class, I didn't know all the reasons though.

Yes, I like the idea of building my own computer. Although new to the idea, I have to admit, I've found out quite a bit of stuff about computers in the last 2 weeks.

Always good to know how your toys work.

 

I would consider Dell a manufacturer, if that's what you call HP or Compaq or Toshiba or Sony. They all have mainboards and cases made for them, to their individual specifications, and use them together with third party components like processors, RAM, HDs, optical drives, floppies, etc, to create complete systems. The difference with Dell is that they mainly market directly to consumers, rather than through retailers.

 

So what you're saying is that when I buy a computer from Dell, all I'm reallying buying specifically from Dell is the tower and the mainboard?

Interesting. I'm guessing though, that if I buy a Dell Dimension 5150 Tower (just the tower and power supply) I can stick an Asus mainboard and a Hitachi HD.

Good to know!

 

Lets take the machine I'm sitting at, for example, a Dell PowerEdge SC400. It has an Intel P4 2.4 processor on a mainboard made by Intel for Dell (and the same one that came in the Dimension 8300). The RAM is Micron, the HD Hitachi, the CD Lite-on. The BIOS is to Dell's specifications, which means no over-clocking. The case has a Dell logo, of course, but Dell doesn't have a plastic molding factory, it has the parts it designs manufactured for it by someone who does, sort of like the auto industry.