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$739 (before $100 mail in rebate)

I need to know what you guys think about this computer for this price. I
can't spend more, and I won't be gaming on it. (my current computer has a
better sound and video card but I don't use it).

A big question is, does the video memory effect things like Photoshop?

Here are the specs...

P4 - 2.4 mhz (533 FSB)
Win XP home
256 MB RAM (333mhz)
80 GB HD
floppy drive
48x CD ROM
48x/24x/48 CD-RW
keyboard, mouse
17inch monitor (.27 dp)
modem and NCI card
1 year warranty

Is this a good deal? Please tell me I should pull the trigger on this
despite not having the money for it. I'm running a Win 98 700MHz model
right now.

Chris

What is your primary use of the computer and how is your present one
inadequate for your needs

JJ

ZForce wrote:
>
> $739 (before $100 mail in rebate)
>
> I need to know what you guys think about this computer for this price. I
> can't spend more, and I won't be gaming on it. (my current computer has a
> better sound and video card but I don't use it).
>
> A big question is, does the video memory effect things like Photoshop?
>
> Here are the specs...
>
> P4 - 2.4 mhz (533 FSB)
> Win XP home
> 256 MB RAM (333mhz)
> 80 GB HD
> floppy drive
> 48x CD ROM
> 48x/24x/48 CD-RW
> keyboard, mouse
> 17inch monitor (.27 dp)
> modem and NCI card
> 1 year warranty
>
> Is this a good deal? Please tell me I should pull the trigger on this
> despite not having the money for it. I'm running a Win 98 700MHz model
> right now.
>
> Chris

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 15:06:07 -0600, "ZForce" <>
wrote:

>$739 (before $100 mail in rebate)
>
>I need to know what you guys think about this computer for this price. I
>can't spend more, and I won't be gaming on it. (my current computer has a
>better sound and video card but I don't use it).
>
>A big question is, does the video memory effect things like Photoshop?
>
>Here are the specs...
>
>P4 - 2.4 mhz (533 FSB)
>Win XP home
>256 MB RAM (333mhz)
>80 GB HD
>floppy drive
>48x CD ROM
>48x/24x/48 CD-RW
>keyboard, mouse
>17inch monitor (.27 dp)
>modem and NCI card
>1 year warranty
>
>Is this a good deal? Please tell me I should pull the trigger on this
>despite not having the money for it. I'm running a Win 98 700MHz model
>right now.
>
>Chris
>

I don't do video or audio. So, to me, 80 GB HD seems excessive.

I would like finer dp on the monitor. Is your current monitor good?

Memory is an issue. I think there are 4 slots each capable of 512 mb.
So they will fill 2 slots each with 128. When you upgrade memory these
become pointless. Some might suggest a total of 512 to start - but
then you have 2-256 units.

Take a look at their lower end 4600 series with 800 fsb. Also comes in
2.4 mhz, but memory is 400mhz.

Watch Dell specials carefuly. They alternate between rebates and free
shipping.

Roy - Carpe Noctem

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 21:29:02 GMT, wrote:

>
>Take a look at their lower end 4600 series with 800 fsb. Also comes in
>2.4 mhz, but memory is 400mhz.
>
>Watch Dell specials carefuly. They alternate between rebates and free
>shipping.

The memory could be 200Mhz quad pumped!!

Well my current needs are

Internet
PhotoShop (my fiancé is a photo major)
Burning CDs (my computer just decided to stop doing that recently)
Eventually networking (when I go back to school)

Right now my computer just doesn't seem to be running well. Internet
crashes all of the time. Computer locks up on occasion, and like I said, it
won't burn CDs anymore. I'd rather not plug another dime into this old
model.

"Jeremy" <> wrote in message
news:...
> What is your primary use of the computer and how is your present one
> inadequate for your needs
>
> JJ
>
> ZForce wrote:
> >
> > $739 (before $100 mail in rebate)
> >
> > I need to know what you guys think about this computer for this price.
I
> > can't spend more, and I won't be gaming on it. (my current computer has
a
> > better sound and video card but I don't use it).
> >
> > A big question is, does the video memory effect things like Photoshop?
> >
> > Here are the specs...
> >
> > P4 - 2.4 mhz (533 FSB)
> > Win XP home
> > 256 MB RAM (333mhz)
> > 80 GB HD
> > floppy drive
> > 48x CD ROM
> > 48x/24x/48 CD-RW
> > keyboard, mouse
> > 17inch monitor (.27 dp)
> > modem and NCI card
> > 1 year warranty
> >
> > Is this a good deal? Please tell me I should pull the trigger on this
> > despite not having the money for it. I'm running a Win 98 700MHz model
> > right now.
> >
> > Chris

<> wrote in message
news:...
> On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 15:06:07 -0600, "ZForce" <>
> wrote:
>
> >$739 (before $100 mail in rebate)
> >
> >I need to know what you guys think about this computer for this price. I
> >can't spend more, and I won't be gaming on it. (my current computer has
a
> >better sound and video card but I don't use it).
> >
> >A big question is, does the video memory effect things like Photoshop?
> >
> >Here are the specs...
> >
> >P4 - 2.4 mhz (533 FSB)
> >Win XP home
> >256 MB RAM (333mhz)
> >80 GB HD
> >floppy drive
> >48x CD ROM
> >48x/24x/48 CD-RW
> >keyboard, mouse
> >17inch monitor (.27 dp)
> >modem and NCI card
> >1 year warranty
> >
> >Is this a good deal? Please tell me I should pull the trigger on this
> >despite not having the money for it. I'm running a Win 98 700MHz model
> >right now.
> >
> >Chris
> >
>
> I don't do video or audio. So, to me, 80 GB HD seems excessive.
--80 GB was a free upgrade

> I would like finer dp on the monitor. Is your current monitor good?
--I hope to sell my current computer with monitor, and it's nothing special

> Memory is an issue. I think there are 4 slots each capable of 512 mb.
> So they will fill 2 slots each with 128. When you upgrade memory these
> become pointless. Some might suggest a total of 512 to start - but
> then you have 2-256 units.
--I could upgrade to 512MB for $90

> Take a look at their lower end 4600 series with 800 fsb. Also comes in
> 2.4 mhz, but memory is 400mhz.
--not an option. I can barely afford this as it is.

> Watch Dell specials carefuly. They alternate between rebates and free
> shipping.
--I got free shipping, free CD-RW and a free HD upgrade with this.

> Roy - Carpe Noctem

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 15:55:51 -0600, "ZForce" <>
wrote:

>
><> wrote in message

>> Memory is an issue. I think there are 4 slots each capable of 512 mb.
>> So they will fill 2 slots each with 128. When you upgrade memory these
>> become pointless. Some might suggest a total of 512 to start - but
>> then you have 2-256 units.

>--I could upgrade to 512MB for $90

I'd stick with the 256 (2x12 because later, when you upgrade memory,
the old sticks become worthless. Also, "Crucial" sells 512 sticks for
about $90. So why pay $90 to add only another 256.

Roy - Carpe Noctem

wrote:
> On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 15:55:51 -0600, "ZForce" <>
> wrote:
>
>>
>> <> wrote in message
>
>>> Memory is an issue. I think there are 4 slots each capable of 512
>>> mb. So they will fill 2 slots each with 128. When you upgrade
>>> memory these become pointless. Some might suggest a total of 512 to
>>> start - but then you have 2-256 units.
>
>> --I could upgrade to 512MB for $90
>
> I'd stick with the 256 (2x12 because later, when you upgrade memory,
> the old sticks become worthless. Also, "Crucial" sells 512 sticks for
> about $90. So why pay $90 to add only another 256.
>
> Roy - Carpe Noctem

I disagree. And I wouldn't order online either...make sure you talk
to someone to get exactly what you want. And what you want is a single
stick of 512, none of this two stick crap (it will cost a little more).
When you upgrade, you buy another stick of 512 and have a gig of ram.
If your going to go for 1gig of ram the 2 sticks is fine, but for 512
megs, you should get a single stick...if you don't ever plan on
upgrading...then forget it and take whatever they give you.
Also, I have been reading a few articles as of late, that suggest
your performance actually severly suffers with anything more than two
sticks of ram. Here's a link to the article, but the part about the
memory isn't until the end, so I am only showing that part of it:

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/...rt2/page14.asp

You'll have to click through a couple of pages to get the whole thing
but it is very interesting.

Video memory is mostly for 3D applications, but it wouldn't hurt.
Actually I would be interested in knowing how the video RAM affects
applications such as Photoshop, as I am not sure either. You definately
don't want integrated graphics and shared memory for using photoshop.
Your gonna love your photoshop at 512 megs of ram, and love it even more
at a gig. What about a dvd-rom drive, is this not necessary, if not
then that's ok.

--
Night_Seer

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 15:21:47 -0800, "Night_Seer" <ecamacho4 at hotmail
dot com> wrote:

>... what you want is a single
>stick of 512, none of this two stick crap (it will cost a little more).
>When you upgrade, you buy another stick of 512 and have a gig of ram.
>If your going to go for 1gig of ram the 2 sticks is fine, but for 512
>megs, you should get a single stick...if you don't ever plan on
>upgrading...then forget it and take whatever they give you.

Yes!

Roy - Carpe Noctem

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 15:21:47 -0800, "Night_Seer" <ecamacho4 at hotmail
dot com> wrote:

> wrote:
>> On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 15:55:51 -0600, "ZForce" <>
>> wrote:

>> I'd stick with the 256 (2x12 because later, when you upgrade memory,
>> the old sticks become worthless. Also, "Crucial" sells 512 sticks for
>> about $90. So why pay $90 to add only another 256.

> I disagree. And I wouldn't order online either...make sure you talk
>to someone to get exactly what you want. And what you want is a single
>stick of 512, none of this two stick crap (it will cost a little more).
>When you upgrade, you buy another stick of 512 and have a gig of ram.
>If your going to go for 1gig of ram the 2 sticks is fine, but for 512
>megs, you should get a single stick...if you don't ever plan on
>upgrading...then forget it and take whatever they give you.
> Also, I have been reading a few articles as of late, that suggest
>your performance actually severly suffers with anything more than two
>sticks of ram. Here's a link to the article, but the part about the
>memory isn't until the end, so I am only showing that part of it:
>
>http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/...rt2/page14.asp
>
>You'll have to click through a couple of pages to get the whole thing
>but it is very interesting.

So the truly smart thing is to order the box with NO memory. If this
can be done online, the zforce stills gets the online discount deal.

Then order a 512 stick from Crucial - 184 pin 333. A low CL # is
better than a high one, but I have no idea why. Put it in the slot
closest to the back of the box. Dell has a page describing the process
- very minor surgery.

Night, your article was enough to make me pull those two extra 128s
from my box (I added 2 - 512s to my Dell unit).

Zforce, if you are in the San Francisco area, I'll sell my 2-128s to
you for $40 total. They are about 3 months old. The are 400 mhz, but
underclocking won't hurt.

Roy - Carpe Noctem