Certified Refurbished. System Identifier: EEB9H2DG $729 Comes with a E4400 Duo-Core 2.00 Intel processor, 2 gigs of DDR2 667 memory, 160 GB SATA hard drive, 16X DVD ROM, Broadcom Net Xtreme PCIe Gigabit Networking card, Windows XP Pro, AND TWO Nvidia NVS-290 graphics cards! http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnline...line/en/InventorySearch?c=us&cs=28&l=en&s=dfb
You need to define the function you wish to serve.. then get hardware to support it. That is... are you building a "trading rig"? Or, do you want one machine to be both "trader" and "gamer"? 1-2 monitors, or more? Are you interested in "value", or is "money no object"?
For starters, the above unit has not one, but 2 NVS-290 graphics cards in the PCI-Express 16x slots ( the Precision comes with 2 PCIe slots ) that will allow you to support a total of 4 monitors with the DM-59 cables that are included. Windows XP Pro ( as opposed to Vista ) is also a huge PLUS in my opinion.
This same unit is now being shown for SALE on the Dell Outlet site for: $689.00!!! :eek: http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnline...line/en/InventorySearch?c=us&cs=28&l=en&s=dfb
Hi, gnome Would you recommend a 10,000 rpm Raptor over the latest 7,200 rpm SATA2 drives for a trading rig? Do you use a Raptor for any of your PCs? Would the choice depend on whether charting, as opposed to trade execution, is a main function of the PC? No gaming, video encoding, etc for this PC. Storage capacity isn't a consideration. Thanks! Max
Right on about the hard drive when the box is a trading machine. I have older intellistation IBM with a 18G (eighteen) scsi. Granted i do not use this box today except in closet as emergency if others go puff. Point being: A super capacity drive is more useful for teens that store movies etc. But for a trading box, you will only have a couple, few apps saved to the hard drive. I do not think i could fill up a 74g raptor if i tried. 36g raptor will do just dandy....save a few bucks.
I wouldn't recommend against a Raptor. Disk access will be a bit faster, but heat and noise will be higher... though some say it's not enough to be a bother. However, there are no disadvantages to 7200 RPM drives. Most trading activities do NOT have heavy disk access... once programs are loaded into RAM, the CPU and hard drive mostly just stand in wait. (Certain software and custom applications/features may be different... if such is yours, you should hopefully already know.) Faster CPU and hard drive usually only get you faster boot, faster shutdown, faster loading of programs... generally not worth the extra money for high powered equipment. I have no Raptors. My trading apps run off of a cheapo eMachines with Celeron, 1G RAM, on 865G chipset. Even when I used this rig to trade on dialup, it was never a problem. (My data and charting apps run from a newer C2D, 4-monitor rig.) If you want to "deluxe up" your trading rig, you'll get more use out of high quality workstation video cards and better monitors than you will out of faster hardware. BTW... the new Dell T3400 appears to have more power and function than we normally see at that price point. I'm planning to get one myself.
As of 8:10AM Mountain time Saturday, outlet has one for $519... even has upgraded 525W PSU. One of the better deals around.
Any recommendation for a good 20 inch monitor, non-widescreen? I have been waiting to see if Dell introduces a 2008FP with HDCP but nothing so far. I was thinking of buying four, is there a high quality 20" you can recommend?