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Time for a new tower


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Is the $700 XPS tower a good buy for a new tower or should I look for something else?  I'd like to buy something that will last me more than 5 years :S  I believe you have said previously that I should be looking for something that has windows pro vs home?  I have a dell u2412m monitor if that helps.

 

Thanks!!!

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If you want something to last more than 5 years, I'd try to increase the budget slightly or be prepared to do some upgrades down the line, like around the three year mark. Your Dell U2412M monitor should be fine, though you might have to get a DisplayPort cable / adapter, which isn't that much. Here are the current models of the Dell XPS tower. If money is tight, I would get the $832.99 model. The $979.99 model will get you more than 5 years, probably around 7.

As far as the difference between Windows Home and Pro, I personally like getting the Pro version, and for a $49 difference, it doesn't break the bank. I also will do more than the average person who would do crazy things like setup his own server and promote it to a Domain Controller, among other things. It used to be that Windows 7 Home Premium maxed out at 16GB of RAM, even though you would install 24GB or 32GB, whatever, in your computer. Windows 7 Home Premium maxed out at 16GB. Period. You needed Windows 7 Pro to go higher. These days Windows 10 Home Edition goes up to 128GB, so its not that big of a deal anymore.

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Let's have some fun. Pretend it's me that would be buying a new tower, and I am seriously in the market.

I would start with the $979.99 Dell XPS model and click customize:

  • Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro (add $49)
  • Upgrade the Hard Drive from 1TB to 2TB (add $49)
  • Add one year Premium Support (add $87.22)
  • Purchase TWO Dell 2417H DIsplays (More on this later)
  • Skip Microsoft Office 2016 Home and Business from Dell. Purchase this from Microsoft directly, it's on sale for $119.99
  • Purchase this Monitor Stand to make the two Dell Displays into a "Command Center."
  • I wouldn't worry about McAfee that it comes with. For my system, that would be the 1st thing I'd uninstall and then install Webroot Internet Security Plus. Hell, the free one from Microsoft is actually pretty good, Microsoft Security Essentials. Combine that with the paid version of Malwarebytes, and you are covered for the most part. I don't like Norton/Symantec or McAfee. They are the 1st two to get circumvented and are typically resource hogs.

For the final price, I'd say we are probably around $1700 or so. I'm too lazy to add this up tonight. My next Windows system setup will be a "Command Center" style. I haven't decided if I'm going to stick with Mac or not.

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The prices change on these things all the time!!!  lol  Basically go with the 3rd xps tower from the left when you click the dell link, second from the left is eh, okay too...As for a monitor, I just got the one I'm using 2 years ago, so I have to wait a bit before getting a new one of those ? Thanks for all your  help!!!!

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If you are editing photos and your 2 year old monitor is IPS-based, there is no need to replace a perfectly good and working monitor.

Yes, prices change all the time, in fact Amazon does it all the time!!! With them, prices are based on your zip code...live in a "Rich" area, and you will pay more. Same thing with Travel websites. Visit multiple times going back and forth, and I will almost guarantee you that the prices will go up.

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Dell's prices are all over the place. When you save up enough money, swing by this thread and let's have a look. I'm almost 100% sure that the prices will be different than what they are now. $1200 is a healthy budget for a computer, with $1000 being a good budget as well. With Adobe's products today, having more RAM and a beefy / upgraded video card is just as important, if not more important, than the CPU chip. Right now as I type this, the computer that is $1126 is a better buy than the one that's third from the left.

Save your pennies and get back to me when you are ready to buy.

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