Find cheapest computer challenge

Discussion in 'Computer Science & Culture' started by dsdsds, Aug 30, 2004.

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  1. dsdsds Valued Senior Member

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    1,678
    I found the cheapest computer from dell.ca @ CA $374.00 (shipping included). I challenge anyone to find a better deal with the following requirements:
    Must be NEW.
    Any brand (celeron, AMD, ..), any speed.
    Legal Windows XP OS
    shipping included in price
    no monitor
    Can be build-yourself system.

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    Dimension 2400 Series P4 Intel® Celeron® Processor at 2.4GHz with 400MHz front side bus BC244C [221-3162] 1

    Operating System Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition WHXP
    Memory 256MB Shared DDR SDRAM at 333MHz 256M3 [311-2075] 3
    Keyboard Dell™ Enhanced Multimedia Keyboard EMK [310-1696] 4
    Monitor No monitor N [320-3000] 5
    Video Card Integrated Intel® 3D Extreme Graphics IV [430-3900] 6
    Hard Drive 40GB Ultra ATA/100 7200RPM Hard Drive 40 [340-9481] 8
    Mouse Dell Optical USB Mouse OM [310-4037] 12
    Network Interface Integrated 10/100 Ethernet IN [430-0441] 13
    Modem 56K PCI Data/Fax Modem DFAX [313-2279] 14
    48x CD ROM Drive CD48 [313-1476][462-7804] 16
    Sound Card Integrated Audio IS [313-0847] 17
    Speakers Altec Lansing® ADA215 Speakers ADA215 [313-1874] 18
    Bundled Software WordPerfect Productivity Pack CCOREL [412-0555][412-0674][412-0701] 22
    Security Software Norton Internet Security, 90 day trial NIS90 [412-0626] 25
    Hardware Support Services 1 Yr Ltd. Warranty, 1 Yr In-Home/On-Site Service, 24x7 Phone Tech Support HSBW1OS [950-9797][930-1320] 29
    Dell Media Experience™ Dell Media Experience™ DMX [412-0660] 115
    TOTAL: $374.00

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    Total Price
    Sub-total CA $374.00

    Shipping $0.00 Estimate Shipping and Tax

    GST $26.18

    PST $30.01

    HST $0.00

    Total Price CA$430.19
     
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  3. rGEMINI Fallen Entity Registered Senior Member

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    =_ i mean i could show you a cheeper comp but it won't be better... if i want to get a better one i would ahve to look ^^^...
     
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  5. GuitarToadster Packin' six-string heat! Registered Senior Member

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    Just about anything would be better than buying a Dell... what a proprietary piece of PCB! You can tell these guys really know how to make computers... the CPU runs at 400 Mhz but the RAM runs at 333? Makes perfect sense to me.

    Why would would you want Wincrap XP?

    Personally, Dell would have to pay me $400 to buy that computer! It would cost that much for me to take it all apart and find a use for the parts! J/K

    On the upside, for those who don't really want to build a system and seem to like to have OEM computers with warranties (that are pretty useless from what I have heard, better hope nothing really goes wrong with it) it would fit the el cheapo mould quite well!

    You're gonna need a new video card (as long as that board has an AGP) and in order to get the system running a smooth as it should be 400 Mhz DDR would be recommended (again, if the board supports it). Obviously a monitor would help.

    So you're gonna end up spending close to $1000 dollars in the end anyway, which is about what I paid for mine when I built it.

    Long story short, you're better off building your own...

    Here's what I built about a year and a half ago....

    10 bay tower (came with 300 watt power supply that I removed) $40 +10 shipping (NewEgg.com)

    Abit Kd7 motherboard $66 + free shipping I believe (NewEgg.com)

    AMD Athlon XP 1800+ $60 + $5 shipping (NewEgg again)

    Western Digital 60 GB 5400 rpm hard drive $80 at Best Buy in store purchase

    Sony 48x24x48 CD RW $50 at Staples in store purchase

    US Robotics 56k v.92 modem $20 Walmart In store

    Thermaltake 420 watt power supply $48 + $5 shipping

    Thermaltake Volcano 11 Xaser Edition $22 + $6 shipping

    Radeon 9000 Pro 64 MB 4x AGP $129 at Best Buy in store purchase

    Crucial 256 MB 333 Mhz DDR $40 + $4 shipping

    Mag 15" flat panel monitor $250 at Best Buy in store purchase

    Altec Lansing 2.1 Speakers $50 at Best Buy in store purchase

    I bought that CPU because it is an overclocking wizard (thus the Volcano) and I run it at 2.2 Ghz @ 333 Mhz FSB to match my RAM. It will do 400 Mhz and I have the RAM (DDR 3200) but my board won't do 400 FSB so I wait to buy a new board and up the system a little more.

    As for window$, I bought 98 SE for $40 on eBay (Dell oem coincidently) with free shipping and I use Linux.

    Total cost with everything I need to use my computer:

    $925

    Your $430 with shipping plus $250 for my monitor and $99 for the same graphics card now comes to $769.... If you sync your RAM with the CPU... another $50 totalling $819 with inferior equipment for the most part.

    I would buy my own stuff and build one.
     
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  7. rGEMINI Fallen Entity Registered Senior Member

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    LOL so true!!!
     
  8. dsdsds Valued Senior Member

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    1,678
    I agree with all that. The point is that most people buy computers for wordprocessing, e-mail, and net browsing.. (office use). The "crappy" Dell system I posted is sufficient for all that. Most people go out and BUY Windows XP ALONE for about $150 +tax. Not everyone (acually, very few people) really need gamer systems. And I would also argue that the Dell system meets the requirement for most games (Fine.. not Doom 3). .. Think of it as setting up your grandparents, or your 10 year school kid (who already has 50 games on his x-box).
     
  9. river-wind Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    2,671
    so far, the cheapest I've come across was a machine I built for my roomate last month.
    Athlon XP 2100+
    Soyo K7VME board
    case
    300W PS
    cheap KB, mouse, speakers
    50xCDRW
    80 gig HD
    15" POS monitor (free from my basement)
    Radeon 7000 AGP
    512megs RAM
    Win 2k OEM

    All for $259 after rebates via Tiger Direct. <<--sticking point, stupid rebates. Stupid Tiger Direct.

    It's a low-end machine, but for sure its a low-end price.
    So far, the only problem is the crap sound card - when playing games, it makes this odd clicking noise. *shrug* he'll get a proper sound card once he gets paid again.

    Its an upgrade from the Dell 66mhz PI from my office dumpster he *had* been using.

    edit: forgot the price of Windows & MB number
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2004
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