XP is on its way out. get used to it. they will clean up VISTA. just give them time you realize just how complex OS code is? :eek:
I guess I am unusual. I have had Vista since 02/07, it came on my laptop, and it has been great. I wouldn't have upgraded a system to vista though, only on a new system. I used to work support at Compaq many moons ago, and it made me realize the benefits of new os releases combined with new hardware, and the headache of upgrades.
I used newegg to get my parts. I had priced out the system I wanted (a DDR3 1333fsb system with Intel QX6850 the day that cpu came out) and the price was around $10k from the major cpu manufacturers (Dell still does not sell DDR3 systems). I spent $3,500 and today coulld build that system again for around $2500. Even if I had paid double the money for a Dell XPS it would have been a DDR2 system loaded with Vista and lots of crap that holds you back, not to mention you can't do any timing on a Dell system. All the parts I bought come with warranties, and some are lifetime at that. All I wanted was a heavy duty trading system which would be much more system then I ever need so that I know when volatility gets pumped up my pc will handle it. I refused to get taken to the cleaners by Dell, HP, etc. and buy an inferior system at double or tripple the money. Just looking at their markup as you configure a pc on their system is insane. Not only don't they credit you for the base component, but the markup is around 500% on much of it.
Is this like what you have? 1 SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black PATA Model SH-S202N - OEM $26.99 Item #: N82E16827151155 1 XCLIO Windtunnel Fully Black Finish 1.0 mm SECC Chassis ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail Item #: N82E16811103011 $109.99 1 Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM SATA 1.5Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Item #: N82E16822136011 $174.99 1 EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail Item #: N82E16814130312 $299.99 1 Patriot Extreme Performance 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1200 (PC2 9600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model PDC22G9600ELK - Retail $129.99 1 GIGABYTE GA-EX38-DQ6 LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813128326 $269.99 1 Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 Kentsfield 3.0GHz LGA 775 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562QX6850 - Retail Item #: N82E16819115026 $979.99 Subtotal: $2,101.92
No, but close. The QX6850 was $1,195 when I bought it. I got a full ATX case w/ 2x240mm fans. 2xAsus DVD+/-RW lightscribe drives, 2x(2x2gb) OCZ plat DDR3 1333 ram, EVGA 8800 ultra, 5xSeagate ES series 250gb HDD's, Asus P5K64WS DDR3 1333fsb mobo w/ PCIeX16 times 4, 950 power, and a 19 in 1 card reader, some dvi to hdmi connectors, wrist strap, etc... The bill was $3,560 and change. Today the cpu alone is a couple hundred cheaper and the price of the board came down another hundred. And the RAM, I paid $860 just for that and today it's about $239 per pair ($480 for what I bought). The OS was free. I run WinXP Pro x64. That system I built is a dedicated trading system. For e-mail I use my old Dell Dimension which I format about every 2 years and put a clean OS install on. It makes it like new again. I think before MS stops supporting WinXP I'll go ahead and do one more clean install and mirror the OS disc, and/ or create an image of it, so I can have clean reinstalls for life without worrying about MS not having SP2 available in the future if I need it.
quote from paden "Curious, where did you buy your parts, or was it multiple places? I was looking at pcmall and newegg " The best Iâve seen is Fry's in CA, TX and elsewhere. They have the mb's displayed and usually have knowledgeable help in the components stand; less so in the other sections. The best part is no hassles on returning merchandise in exchange. Once I bought all components for a build, went home and put it together and tried to flash the mb online as billed by the manufacture- CRASH. After a couple of attempts at help from the manufacturer, I stuffed it back in the box, grabbed my receipt and exchanged it for an mb from a different manufacturer -no problem. They sell online but don't know that exchange policy and wouldnât have the patience for shipping. My advice is to be sure of exchange/return policy before you buy anything for a build. http://shop4.outpost.com/ac/storelocator/index.jsp
Just completed the build below...STRONGLY recommended for those "Do it Yourself" types seeking rock solid stability and power. High performance/cost ratio: ~$950 plus cost of LCD's. I'm rather anal, vetted components for a great deal of time, been building my own systems since the late 90's. Extensively stress tested and is nothing but bliss. Use caution when looking at current Asus motherboards. For years I have been an Asus die-hard given their inherent stability, but the last year has shown a significant decline in quality. Abit/Gigabyte have come out with winners for P35 chipsets. X38 chipset still too immature for my taste. 03/2008 Trading System Build Processor: Intel Quad Core Q6600 G0 SLACR @ 3.2GHz OverClock ($199) www.microcenter.com Motherboard: ABIT IP35 PRO ($135) http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127030 Memory: 2 x 1GB G.SKILL DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual ($45) http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098 CPU Cooler: Tuniq Tower 120 ($40) http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154001 Video Cards: 2 x eVGA 8600 GT PCI-e x16 (2 x $60) http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130085 Hard Drive: WD Raptor 150GB WD1500ADFD 10,000rpm 16mb SATA ($159) www.microcenter.com 20x DVD Samsung SATA Burner ($30) http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151154 Antec P182/P180 Case ($100) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129025 Power Supply: Corsair HX620 ($115) http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-620w-sli-certified-modular-atx-power-supply/q/loc/101/203270718.html Made by Seasonic. Very high quality, server-grade components. XP Pro SP2 ($0) System powers (3) 24" Samsung LCD's. System is virtually dead silent. And to be relevant with OP topic: Vista can suck my...
You can also splipstream the latest SPs. Basically you copy the XP CD to your hard drive and apply the SPs. You can even add your drivers (like SCSI). Then burn a bootable CD with the new installs. When you use the new CD, you'll also install all the stuff you added. No need for long painful waits while installing all the fixes after the OS. Plenty of info on the web, just google slipstream XP.
The XP updates will be on Windows Update sites for years after "extended support" has ended... probably longer than the life of your hardware.