Dell Desktop Computer worth it?

[MK3XXX]

Im looking for a new desktop computer and want i7-10700 processor, 16gb memory, 512 SSD, looking to spend somewhere around $1000-1200 for the desktop alone. In the past I have mostly run HP and was looking at the HP Envy line but heard some bad reviews about it freezing up all the time. So as my search continues I keep seeing Dell pop up with the specs I am looking for, the XPS 8940 in various setups and today I saw this Vostro that is currently on sale.

Dell Vostro 5880 Desktop Computer | Dell USA

Harness the power of a professional-grade desktop featuring Intel 10th gen Core™ i7 Processors and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card.

www.dell.com

I have never used Dell and dont really what else is out there that I should be looking at for the price. I see a few Acer aspire with good ratings around the $700-900 range but i5 processor, the all in one HP Envy has better raiting but not sure if I want to spend 2k, even the imac is only 8gb and i5 unless you want to upgrade and spend $2500. So are Dell decent or keep looking?

 

[Bigfatcock]

Can't say on the Dell, but I can say without a doubt that the IMac is worth the price of entry.

 

[W54/XM-388]

Get the XPS one and not the Vostro one.
If you can, buy it cheap without the SSD, just get the smallest HDD, get your own SSD and put it in yourself.
Get at least a 1TB SSD when you buy one.
Also if you don't immediately need the low end graphics you listed, you might just run base processor graphics (if getting the XPS one) and then buy one of the RTX 3060 cards that should be available soon (just make sure to choose the larger power supply on the XPS chassis).

 

[MK3XXX]

Get the XPS one and not the Vostro one.
If you can, buy it cheap without the SSD, just get the smallest HDD, get your own SSD and put it in yourself.
Get at least a 1TB SSD when you buy one.
Also if you don't immediately need the low end graphics you listed, you might just run base processor graphics (if getting the XPS one) and then buy one of the RTX 3060 cards that should be available soon (just make sure to choose the larger power supply on the XPS chassis).

So graphics is where i get lost, I dont know what is good bad or what, im not a gamer I have my own business and just want something future proofed, with enough to do some photo editing or video editing for my business.

 

[W54/XM-388]

So graphics is where i get lost, I dont know what is good bad or what, im not a gamer I have my own business and just want something future proofed, with enough to do some photo editing or video editing for my business.

Then don't bother getting the add in graphics card option for more money.
Just stick with the processor onboard graphics and then once you start doing something and notice the need for faster or more complex video, it can be added.

Chances are you might never see the need for the higher end graphics if you are casually doing most of what you said.

 

[theLBC]

if you have a costco card or know somebody, this one is $300 off starting on 3/10.

https://www.costco.com/dell-xps-8940-tower---10th-gen-intel-core-i7-10700---geforce-gtx-1660ti.product.100572115.html

 

[MK3XXX]

Thanks guys I think I have the answers I need, going to dig deeper into the xps 8940

 

[HiDesertELR]

+1 on the biggest SSD you can up front. My used Dell workstation still smokes through 3D rendering and 3DS Max after three years.

Keep the dust out! CPU heat will kill anything.

 

[W54/XM-388]

+1 on the biggest SSD you can up front. My used Dell workstation still smokes through 3D rendering and 3DS Max after three years.

Keep the dust out! CPU heat will kill anything.

Which one are you using?

I'm currently using Tower 7920 at home and then the Tower 7810 and Tower 5820 as my work machines in the office.

 

[kenny1773]

Dells are good to go, the Vostro you linked is pretty powerful, however, there is no such thing as future proof

It jus depends on your needs, I have a 5 year old Dell that I use daily (I don't game, this is all office use) and it does everything I need and works perfectly.

 

[Bmghunter]

Before going out to buy a new computer, what do you need it for, and how does your current one not meet your needs? The prices im seeing these days are way too steep due to supply shortage. My 4 year old laptop has an i7 processor of that vintage, 16GB ram, 1TB ssd, 4k screen, nvidia 1050 graphics, and was a sale costing only 1200 at that time. You are asking for a current gen desktop that is realistically not better than my laptop at a price similar to my laptop of 4 years old, so it's hard to recommend buying today unless there is an immediate need.
A quick hard drive swap to a ssd can make all the difference in perceived speed if that's why you need a new one.

The vostro you linked to costs that much due to having the graphics card and the extra hard drive. Your initial requirements did not list the need of the graphics card, so take that into consideration for the price you are asking about. For 1000-1200, definitely have a discrete graphics card.

 

[S197]

Have you considered looking into Mac product? There is a small learning curve, but they are so much simple. I no longer have software problems or failures... and my macs have lasted longer.

 

[HiDesertELR]

Which one are you using?

I'm currently using Tower 7920 at home and then the Tower 7810 and Tower 5820 as my work machines in the office.

It's an old T3600, 32gb ram, AMD Firepro 4gb(?) Graphics, Xeon 8 core? I forget, I'd have to look again on all the specifics.

Paid $500 on eBay, still cranking.

But... I wish I splurged on the biggest SSD drive. I was just starting out on my own, flat broke and needed a new box ASAP.

 

[theLBC]

dell is having their yearly clearance so there are some models 40% off.
agree that you shouldn't buy more power just because it is on sale.
that said, more memory and ssd is good for rendering graphics or editing any large files. just make sure your apps use the ssd drive.

 

[W54/XM-388]

Here is a quick guide to how currently available video cards for PCs and workstations stack up, so you know a rough idea of what you are getting performance wise for your money:

(5) Quick guide to video card speeds | Sniper's Hide Forum

 

[W54/XM-388]

It's an old T3600, 32gb ram, AMD Firepro 4gb(?) Graphics, Xeon 8 core? I forget, I'd have to look again on all the specifics.

Paid $500 on eBay, still cranking.

But... I wish I splurged on the biggest SSD drive. I was just starting out on my own, flat broke and needed a new box ASAP.

That one is pretty ancient and not much of an upgrade path any more.

You are limited to SATA SSDs only because it won't support NVMe boot paths, but you can still get some pretty good high end SATA enterprise SSDs at good prices.
You are kind of going to be limited on video card upgrades depending on what your power supply configuration is, but you could probably get into one of the P4000 series cards and such if you needed more rendering power.

If you need to upgrade, try jumping to a 5810 or 7810 which can be had for pretty cheap prices and then you can kit them out pretty fancy and such.
(Unless of course you want to spring for the 5820/7820/7920 expensive series).

 

[MK3XXX]

Before going out to buy a new computer, what do you need it for, and how does your current one not meet your needs? The prices im seeing these days are way too steep due to supply shortage. My 4 year old laptop has an i7 processor of that vintage, 16GB ram, 1TB ssd, 4k screen, nvidia 1050 graphics, and was a sale costing only 1200 at that time. You are asking for a current gen desktop that is realistically not better than my laptop at a price similar to my laptop of 4 years old, so it's hard to recommend buying today unless there is an immediate need.
A quick hard drive swap to a ssd can make all the difference in perceived speed if that's why you need a new one.

The vostro you linked to costs that much due to having the graphics card and the extra hard drive. Your initial requirements did not list the need of the graphics card, so take that into consideration for the price you are asking about. For 1000-1200, definitely have a discrete graphics card.

Currently I dont have a computer, I do a ton of stuff on my iphone and want to get away from it. I want to be able to do 3-4 things at once and it to be fast, I have a business and would like to start creating better content, pictures, videos, and alot of them, I surf the internet alot, youtube, researching thing etc, work on my website, there are things I want to improve and start doing and I dont want to be held back by a slow system or not enough space if that makes sense

 

[MK3XXX]

Have you considered looking into Mac product? There is a small learning curve, but they are so much simple. I no longer have software problems or failures... and my macs have lasted longer

Yes I have considered Mac, are they that much better? I see $1799 with i5 and 8gb, like $2500 if i want i7 and 16gb, I know totally different systems but if a Dell/HP/whatever brand is half the price? I guess this is why I ask questions because I don’t know

 

[Bmghunter]

The vostro you linked to costs that much due to having the graphics card and the extra hard drive. Your initial requirements did not list the need of the graphics card, so take that into consideration for the price you are asking about. For 1000-1200, definitely have a discrete graphics card.

Currently I dont have a computer, I do a ton of stuff on my iphone and want to get away from it. I want to be able to do 3-4 things at once and it to be fast, I have a business and would like to start creating better content, pictures, videos, and alot of them, I surf the internet alot, youtube, researching thing etc, work on my website, there are things I want to improve and start doing and I dont want to be held back by a slow system or not enough space if that makes sense

The only thing in that list that requires anything powerful is the video creation and that will have very specific needs. You want fast and big SSDs or and lots of HD space for lots of videos. You want lots of cores on the cpu, and amd is king right now on that. Graphics card can help with some video editing but it depends on the editor software.

 

[HiDesertELR]

That one is pretty ancient and not much of an upgrade path any more.

You are limited to SATA SSDs only because it won't support NVMe boot paths, but you can still get some pretty good high end SATA enterprise SSDs at good prices.
You are kind of going to be limited on video card upgrades depending on what your power supply configuration is, but you could probably get into one of the P4000 series cards and such if you needed more rendering power.

If you need to upgrade, try jumping to a 5810 or 7810 which can be had for pretty cheap prices and then you can kit them out pretty fancy and such.
(Unless of course you want to spring for the 5820/7820/7920 expensive series).

Yup. This one was meant to be disposable for $500, but it does everything I need it for. Left me more money for this poor man's sport we all enjoy

I get paid to design houses and produce construction documents, the fancy renderings just make people go "ooo" and "aaah" and then hand over their money

 

[MK3XXX]

The vostro you linked to costs that much due to having the graphics card and the extra hard drive. Your initial requirements did not list the need of the graphics card, so take that into consideration for the price you are asking about. For 1000-1200, definitely have a discrete graphics card.

The only thing in that list that requires anything powerful is the video creation and that will have very specific needs. You want fast and big SSDs or and lots of HD space for lots of videos. You want lots of cores on the cpu, and amd is king right now on that. Graphics card can help with some video editing but it depends on the editor software.

Ok thanks, so external 1tb SSD, and Ryzen 7 would be a decent way to go?

 

[HiDesertELR]

If it's business use machine, and you have the funds, get what you want and take the depreciation.

I got overwhelmed looking at the latest greatest hot shit rigs knowing in six months they'd have something better and faster and more Gucci...

If you're limited on funds, using last years tech isn't going to hold you back. Save the money, buy more ammo.

 

[Bigfatcock]

Iphone? Stick with an apple product. I say this because I use all apple products and they all sync up effortlessly. iPhone, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Ipads are what I use for my stuff. Easy, effortless, and they look good which makes girls more likely to want to do the big nasty with you. Just sayin'. I keep most shit stored on the cloud and can access it from any of my devices, so if I ever forget a document or something I can just pull it off of the cloud anywhere. The iPad with pencil for mark ups makes documents so easy, and also makes it really easy to draw dicks on stuff.

I throw that out there because it was a major determining factor for me going full Apple. Everything I have effortlessly syncs. I can also make calls from all the devices as well, which I have found incredibly useful. For a business, look at future needs beyond just a fast computer.

This is the last I'll pimp Apple on this thread.

W54/XM-388 has really good information.

 

[Bmghunter]

Iphone? Stick with an apple product. I say this because I use all apple products and they all sync up effortlessly. iPhone, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Ipads are what I use for my stuff. Easy, effortless, and they look good which makes girls more likely to want to do the big nasty with you. Just sayin'. I keep most shit stored on the cloud and can access it from any of my devices, so if I ever forget a document or something I can just pull it off of the cloud anywhere. The iPad with pencil for mark ups makes documents so easy, and also makes it really easy to draw dicks on stuff.

I throw that out there because it was a major determining factor for me going full Apple. Everything I have effortlessly syncs. I can also make calls from all the devices as well, which I have found incredibly useful. For a business, look at future needs beyond just a fast computer.

This is the last I'll pimp Apple on this thread.

W54/XM-388 has really good information.

If you want to go the apple route, now is a bad time because they are changing cpus and all current ones will be outdated VERY soon and become unsupported sooner than later.

 

[Bmghunter]

Ok thanks, so external 1tb SSD, and Ryzen 7 would be a decent way to go?

Ryzen 7 only goes to 8 core, and while competitive with the Intel part, the ryzen 9 can go higher core count so that will be better if you can find it.

 

[W54/XM-388]

If it's business use machine, and you have the funds, get what you want and take the depreciation.

I got overwhelmed looking at the latest greatest hot shit rigs knowing in six months they'd have something better and faster and more Gucci...

If you're limited on funds, using last years tech isn't going to hold you back. Save the money, buy more ammo.

Basically, CPU speeds as far as actual work accomplished per core at the same speed in the same amount of time really haven't changed in years on the Intel side (On the AMD side, the generations before their Ryzen / Epic were pretty garbage), they just add more cores, which for most, don't show much use once you get over 6. So if you get a 4 or 6 or 8 core high end CPU, it will do what you need for a long time. Same with the memory, if you get 32gb, you'll be good for the foreseeable future.

Video cards however are where some significant performance gains are had generation to generation, but if your system is setup correctly from the go, you can have many generations of video cards put in and run them fine.

SSDs are getting bigger, cheaper and crappier by the day.
So buy a big one, just make sure it's not total garbage and make sure it's tailored to your specific workload if you have an edge use case.
I would however recommend at least 1TB if you can swing it, as a 512gb is fine, but you'll find it getting filled up faster than you think.

If you have room toss in a big 6TB or greater 72000rpm SATA drive for all your backups and never ending downloads and such.

 

[S197]

Yes I have considered Mac, are they that much better? I see $1799 with i5 and 8gb, like $2500 if i want i7 and 16gb, I know totally different systems but if a Dell/HP/whatever brand is half the price? I guess this is why I ask questions because I don’t know

for me it seemed like every two years my dell would crap out, after three desktops and two laptops we made the switch to Mac. In the last 10 years we just bought our second laptop, and we ran both laptops like they are a desktop.
go to a Mac store and check them out. Plus we haven’t had to buy an anti-virus.

 

[W54/XM-388]

Ryzen 7 only goes to 8 core, and while competitive with the Intel part, the ryzen 9 can go higher core count so that will be better if you can find it.

A high clock speed 8 core processor is in my experience a better fit for a large percentage of users as compared to a higher core count one that runs at a slower clock speed, unless you have an edge use case where your software can actually use more than the first 8 cores effectively.

My suggestion is to look for the highest clock speed you can afford around the 8 core range before worrying about core counts unless you specifically know you need high core counts.

 

[Bmghunter]

A high clock speed 8 core processor is in my experience a better fit for a large percentage of users as compared to a higher core count one that runs at a slower clock speed, unless you have an edge use case where your software can actually use more than the first 8 cores effectively.

My suggestion is to look for the highest clock speed you can afford around the 8 core range before worrying about core counts unless you specifically know you need high core counts.

Video editing from his list of uses.

 

[W54/XM-388]

for me it seemed like every two years my dell would crap out, after three desktops and two laptops we made the switch to Mac. In the last 10 years we just bought our second laptop, and we ran both laptops like they are a desktop.
go to a Mac store and check them out. Plus we haven’t had to buy an anti-virus.

Buy the high end Precision workstations and run Linux and you get all that but get more power for your money.
Not that there is anything wrong with apple, but you are paying over the odds for the apple name on the higher end stuff.
Running Linux instead of Windows will also fix a large amount of your virus problems.

 

[HiDesertELR]

Basically, CPU speeds as far as actual work accomplished per core at the same speed in the same amount of time really haven't changed in years on the Intel side (On the AMD side, the generations before their Ryzen / Epic were pretty garbage), they just add more cores, which for most, don't show much use once you get over 6. So if you get a 4 or 6 or 8 core high end CPU, it will do what you need for a long time. Same with the memory, if you get 32gb, you'll be good for the foreseeable future.

Video cards however are where some significant performance gains are had generation to generation, but if your system is setup correctly from the go, you can have many generations of video cards put in and run them fine.

SSDs are getting bigger, cheaper and crappier by the day.
So buy a big one, just make sure it's not total garbage and make sure it's tailored to your specific workload if you have an edge use case.
I would however recommend at least 1TB if you can swing it, as a 512gb is fine, but you'll find it getting filled up faster than you think.

If you have room toss in a big 6TB or greater 72000rpm SATA drive for all your backups and never ending downloads and such.

Ok, you're spec'ing my next box. Maybe this year... $1000 for everything CAD / 3DS Max.

Or I'll trade you primers

 

[W54/XM-388]

Ok, you're spec'ing my next box. Maybe this year...

Consider buying a used higher end Precision chassis a generation or two back, and then buying the best used parts for it (CPUs and memory) online and a couple new parts (SSD and video card and HDD possibly) and enjoying putting it all together yourself & loading the OS the way you want it.

You'd probably be pretty amazed at how much fun it is and how much performance you can get for the price.

 

[MediumSpeed]

I used to work in IT. There is a big difference in quality between the for business system verses the price point home systems - I have found the home systems to generally be a crapy headache whether from Dell/HP/other... A used business system is generally better than a new home system. Apple iShit works well enough but the components are adverage for a high price. A fast SSD should work well for you, very few people need the speed of a NVMe (if you get a NVMe solution, be sure it is native support on the MB, the cards on the PCIE bus aren't much faster than a SSD...) FWIW we used to use the shit out of the Dell stuff and it held up well...

Good luck
-Chris

 

[Franko]

We are right in the middle of a shortage of computer components. So try really hard to make sure whatever package deal you buy has everything you need. Trying to source individual components could be extremely hard.

 

[W54/XM-388]

, very few people need the speed of a NVMe (if you get a NVMe solution, be sure it is native support on the MB, the cards on the PCIE bus aren't much faster than a SSD...) FWIW we used to use the shit out of the Dell stuff and it held up well...

Good luck
-Chris

"Native on the motherboard" for NVMe simply means that they routed 4 PCIe lanes (assuming they didn't skimp out and just do 2) to a dedicated M.2 connector on the motherboard. There wouldn't be any speed difference between that and one that plugs into a 4x 8x or 16x slot, assuming same drive and the connections are done correctly and good quality. But I do agree that having a dedicated slot on the motherboard for an M.2 drive makes it easier for most folks.

NVMe drives are coming way down in price, especially the consumer M.2 ones (which is what everybody usually thinks of) so for a lot of systems, it makes sense to go with one of them instead of a SATA one.

For my own use, I usually go with U.2 format or HHHL because I want high sustained multithreaded performance which generally M.2 can't provide without having to throttle.

 

[MK3XXX]

Get the XPS one and not the Vostro one.
If you can, buy it cheap without the SSD, just get the smallest HDD, get your own SSD and put it in yourself.
Get at least a 1TB SSD when you buy one.
Also if you don't immediately need the low end graphics you listed, you might just run base processor graphics (if getting the XPS one) and then buy one of the RTX 3060 cards that should be available soon (just make sure to choose the larger power supply on the XPS chassis).

Im on Dell’s website looking into XPS, picked i7 processor 8 core 2.9-4.8GHz, Intel uhd 630 graphics which are the base im assuming (lowest option) 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, I cant see anywhere to choose different power supplies? 16gb memory. So hows that list look

 

[W54/XM-388]

Im on Dell’s website looking into XPS, picked i7 processor 8 core 2.9-4.8GHz, Intel uhd 630 graphics which are the base im assuming (lowest option) 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, I cant see anywhere to choose different power supplies? 16gb memory. So hows that list look

Near the bottom:

Get the 500W one for sure, the 360W version will leave you short of power in a hurry.

 

[Bmghunter]

If you are going to customize a dell, do you still get any of the sale and clearance discounts? That vostro is probably worth the money after the discount, just not the original price. If you want to customize it and you lose the discounts , maybe a full custom might be better.

 

[MK3XXX]

Near the bottom:

View attachment 7576180

Get the 500W one for sure, the 360W version will leave you short of power in a hurry.

I see it, thank you!

 

[MK3XXX]

If you are going to customize a dell, do you still get any of the sale and clearance discounts? That vostro is probably worth the money after the discount, just not the original price. If you want to customize it and you lose the discounts , maybe a full custom might be better.

I upgraded a few things and the current 17% off XPS line still works

 

[W54/XM-388]

Personally I'd just get the HDD and then get a Samsung 970 EVO Plus ($165 for 1TB) or SAMSUNG 980 PRO ($200 for 1TB) and put it in yourself as you'd get better performance.

That is, IF you are comfortable installing stuff yourself and doing a from scratch OS install yourself.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

I'm going to say that running Linux is FAR BETTER than running any winHELL. We've been flying on Linux here for almost 2 years, and I wish we'd done this at least a decade ago.

YMMV, some assembly required, batteries not included, for external use only, professional driver on a closed course.

 

[MK3XXX]

Personally I'd just get the HDD and then get a Samsung 970 EVO Plus ($165 for 1TB) or SAMSUNG 980 PRO ($200 for 1TB) and put it in yourself as you'd get better performance.

That is, IF you are comfortable installing stuff yourself and doing a from scratch OS install yourself.

HDD is $175 less than adding the 1TB M.2 SSD so I could do that and it would be a wash with buying one of the Samsung. Ive never installed anything like that though would have to be some good step by step instructions for me somewhere.

 

[W54/XM-388]

HDD is $175 less than adding the 1TB M.2 SSD so I could do that and it would be a wash with buying one of the Samsung. Ive never installed anything like that though would have to be some good step by step instructions for me somewhere.

XPS 8940 Service Manual | Dell US

However you'll also need to be comfortable doing a from scratch OS installation.

 

[chutinlead]

I wouldn't hesitate to get one from the dell outlet. Refurbished is fine and can save you a chunk of change.

Refurbished Laptops and 2-in-1 PCs: Dell Outlet | Dell United States

Avail great deals on Dell Outlet refurbished laptops, computers & monitors. Buy our best budget gaming laptops & 2-in1 PCs at affordable prices. Ships Free!

m.dell.com

 

[MK3XXX]

XPS 8940 Service Manual | Dell US

However you'll also need to be comfortable doing a from scratch OS installation.

I will look into it, I may have someone local that can help with that, any recommendations on a 27-32” monitor?

 

[W54/XM-388]

I will look into it, I may have someone local that can help with that, any recommendations on a 27-32” monitor?

Get a 42" 4K monitor.
There are lots of different brands to pick from.

 

[W54/XM-388]

I will look into it, I may have someone local that can help with that

If you are not comfortable doing an OS install yourself, then just get it from Dell with their 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD and call it good.

In my case, doing OS installs are something so easy it requires almost no attention, unless there is some crazy compatibility problem.

 

[MK3XXX]

If you are not comfortable doing an OS install yourself, then just get it from Dell with their 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD and call it good.

In my case, doing OS installs are something so easy it requires almost no attention, unless there is some crazy compatibility problem.

Ok I may just get the 1TB from Dell as I have never messed with anything like that before. Thanks again for the help

 

[*Nine]

Just for the sake of discussion, consider a Mac Mini with the M1 chip. You mention your use cases are "some photo and video editing."

Grab a M1 Mini with 16GB of RAM if you want a little more "future-proofing" though 8GB in the M1 Mini is more than fine (you can't really directly compare on-paper specs between the M1s and Windows computers.) I'd stick with the base 256GB of internal storage because the storage upgrade prices are not a good value. But, go grab an external TB3 drive from Amazon or somewhere and simply plug it in and you can easily add 1TB or more of fast storage, and that storage can be used with other computers if desired and when it comes time to upgrade from this computer you still benefit from keeping that storage as well.

For peripherals it's no different than a Windows computer, so go grab a nice 4k monitor and mouse and keyboard (it's nice to have a Mac-specific keyboard with the Mac shortcut buttons, but they're easy to find and don't cost any more than a comparable quality Windows keyboard.)

Video and photo work is the bread and butter of Mac use, if you're doing really simple videos you can probably use the free iMovie software, or if you're more serious than that you have the free and paid versions of DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, or Adobe Premiere Pro. For photo editing unless you need specific advanced features of Photoshop you can more than likely use Affinity Photo, which is a one-time purchase rather than Photoshop... which is of course an option too if you really want/need it.

If you're not familiar with the M1 powered Macs and you're curious about performance, take a look at some of these video links, or search Youtube as there are tons of videos that cover specific use cases...

Apple Destroyed my Expectations.

Apple M1 Mac Review: Time to Recalibrate!

M1 MacBook Pro and Air review: Apple delivers