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General discussion

HP M7680Y or Dell XPS series - HELP!?

by hickmanj Aug 16, 2006 3:17PM PDT

I have about 1700-2000 for a new desktop system. I'd like to maximize my gaming potential for the years ahead (and am willing to wait a month or two if people feel it's worth it) but was enticed by the HP M7680Y tonight due to its affordable cost especially when compared to Dell; whose systems seem incredibly expensive compared to HP with similar specs.

I had a HP M7680Y with 2.3 GHZ Core 2 Duo processor, 2 gig of ram, a 512MB Geforce 7600GS (or, didn't know if I should go for the 256MB 7500LE?) for around $1800 which included a 19" flat panel and a 3 year at home service warranty.

I would appreciate any thoughts, advice etc.

One clarification: I am a total noob when it comes to anything "tech" and will rely on their repair service (whichever company) if anything goes wrong. My last system was an Alienware and they totally screwed me even though I had their top warranty when I bought an Area-51m laptop from them. So I feel cautious and would like that taken into account in terms of any opinions you might have?

Thank you!

J

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2 Posts

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gaming wise...the setup is decent

by nerdyboy1234 Sep 18, 2006 5:25PM PDT

although 7600gs wont allow max settings. but u can upgrade later. otehr than that hp is a good company that has good support as i own 2 computers from them, they are relatively reliable, although i highly suggest getting an upgraded powersupply unit when it arrievs as it comes with a cheap 400watt-450watt psu that i dont think is sufficient.

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Dell, w/o a doubt

by nathanpsz2 Sep 23, 2006 10:56PM PDT

A 7600GS can play games okay right now, but you can forget about future games. Besides, HP doesn't give you a Windows reinstallation CD, like Dell does. You can get an XPS 410 with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, GeForce 7900GS (which will totally own the 7500/7600), and a 19-inch UltraSharp monitor (these are very highly regarded by review sites, such as Cnet), for $1630, which still leaves you room for good speakers, a sound card, another hard drive, or whatever else you might want.

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