Just bought a new PC

[Gabriel013]

Waiting for it to be delivered.


Now firstly I am really no good with the technical side of PC's so building my own was out of the question but I also didn't want a pre-prepared off the shelf model from the likes of PC-World or Dixons as it wouldn't have had everything as I wanted it so that left one option to me in the UK.. DELL.

Now I know a lot of you can't stand Dell but I really had no other option.

Dimension 9100 (P4 531 (3ghz, 800FSB, 1MB cache)
1024MB DDR2 400 (2*512)
3.5" Floppy Drive
250GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive
16x DVD+/-RW & 48x CD-RW
19" Flat Panel Screen
256MB ATI Radeon X850XT Platinum
Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 Soundcard
5.1 Speaker System
Standard Mouse
Standard Keyboard
Windows XP SP2 Home Edition
Microsoft Office Basic


Costing me £1187.61 Including VAT


Now I have no doubt it would have been cheaper to build my own but what I really could do with info on is this: Will it actually be any good for playing games on and if so, How far back in terms of years are we going to find some games for which this is a great spec machine. (I'm not really a big PC gamer anyway so I don't plan on running out and buying Doom 3 or any other game which requires a supercomputer.

This is the best spec machine I could afford to buy at the moment but if any one has any recommendations for upgrades I'll happily consider them when my Dell warranty runs out

Thanks in advance for your comments

[Norrec]

looks like, based on your processor, videocard, memory, and sound card, you have a good gaming machine there. at least it blows my computer out of the water

[hawkster]

Looks like you will be fine with that one for a while Gabe.

We have just got some Dell kit in at work to evaluate. It is pretty damn fine gear. Still I have always liked the kit Dell have knocked out. Strange all my pc's at home are Compaq

[Interceptor]

I just bought a new iMac, myself. I'm really loving it and I can still play most any game on excellent settings.

[Pocky Fiend]

The 5.1 speaker system came with it? Decent deal, even though I hate Dell. :P

I currently have a 2.1 Logitech system for my computer, I want to get a 5.1 system sometime, but is it possible to have my TV [for games and movies] and computer to be hooked up to it all at the same time?

[Gabriel013]

aargh.. Still waiting! Should be here today hopefully.

Thanks for the replies guys. I've been out of PC gaming so long I wasn't sure if my machine was up to it. Glad to know it probably is

[Dmitry M. (Lazer)]

Monster. goddamn look at your videocard. I want, i want!!! :drool:

And i want the speaker system. I got the same sound card as you. but a slightly weaker videocard and my CPU is 3.2ghz but you have the newer model, the non 478pin, in other words yours doesn't heat up like crazy, like mine does. And my sound system in older and only at 4.1. Need that 5.1 system...:drool:

Why so little ram?
that's the only thing i always seem to have more of. Everything else of your is to die for. Especially that videocard.

[Gabriel013]

Dmitry, it would have cost me an extra £300 to upgrade to 2048 MB and at the moment I just don't have the extra cash. At least I know that when I've had the machine for a while, that is something I need to upgrade.