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Originally Posted by rcentros
That's basically the one I'm thinking of upgrading to -- well, actually, one that's slightly older (Optiplex 755) but with almost the same specs. I've already got a hard drive and don't need Windows 7, so mine will cost me about $50 locally.
Taking a closer look -- the one you're thinking of getting also has a DVDRW in it (I think I have to pay a bit extra for that) and a year warranty. With Windows 7 Pro -- which costs somewhere around $100 on its own -- it's a good deal. (And I almost forgot the 1 TB hard drive -- really good deal.)
I like the design of this box (I think Dell still uses this design, but it looks a little different now). A big open screen on the front and back so air is pulled directly through case over CPU. The design allows the big fan to run slowly, so it makes very little noise. And, except for the front grill, it hardly collects any dust at all. All my kids and my wife have variations of this model.
If you're thinking of using it as a game machine at any point be aware of two things. The power supply is really not sufficient for most high powered video cards and it uses the PCIe card slot, which limits your choice of video cards. The Radeon Silent HD 5450 works well for the kids -- for my wife (and potentially me) there is no need to add a video card. The built-on Intel video port would be all I would need.
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Thanks rcentros. No, wouldn't be using it for gaming. But I've got a friend warning me off it. Says I should build my own. Thing is, like you said in your next post, I don't really need a new computer if mine's working good. I figure it's old and I should upgrade but why not wait--as several of you have said--until it makes me. I still might get it though. And if I do I'll feel much more comfortable with all the info. you supplied about it. Appreciate it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rcentros
Heck, I think Gregg also mentioned a significant speed improvement on his computer after going to Xubuntu.
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I was simply amazed at how much faster the Xubuntu was. I mean, I was ready to toss the computer because it had XP and couldn't run Win7. Then it was like pow--Xubuntu! Brand new computer. And so fast. (XP was like molasses.) And it hasn't lost any speed in the year plus I've been using it.