Windows 7: Buying a quad core chip

On the flip side, even though I am an experienced PC Builder(done about 12 for myself, 10+ for friends and family and about 10 for work)...I did purchase 2 pre-built machines and both were Dells. I had and used these machines from about 2001 to 2006. I did experience a problem with a video card once. I did have to speak on the phone for about 2 hours with tech support, but ended up with a free upgrade from an Nvidia 6800 to an ATI Radeon X800XT. That was a jump from a $200 card to a $500 card. Then, near the end of my warranty, the fan in my X800XT started acting up. They immediately sent me another X800XT. Finally, I had a power supply go outside of warranty on a Dimension 4550. I called them and got a new PSU for about $30. Piece of cake.

So, just wanted to share that not everybody who has owned a Dell in the past feels like they have had a horrible experience.

Googling will reveal numerous guides. You could buy a book, but they are likely to be outdated due to rapidly changing tech, model numbers, etc.

General process:


Decide what your PC needs to be able to do, specifically. What tasks? How often? Are you impatient and want "speed"? Is PC noise an issue for you? Do you have any intention of overclocking?

Decide on your budget within $200 or so

Research and more research. The critical components are case, power supply, motherboard, RAM, and hard drives. Some brands have good reps, some don't. You aren't likely to need a fancy board with overclocking features galore. Identify the highly regarded brands.

Within those good brands, search for components in the mid to upper mid range price wise. You aren't likely to need a 600 watt power supply or a $250 motherboard. You wouldn't need to spend even $100 on a video card unless you are heavily into games.

Offhand:

Better motherboards: MSI, Gigabyte, Intel, Asus; Intel excellent if you won't overclock
Better RAM: Corsair, Crucial, Kingston; no need to get fancy here if you don't overclock
Better hard drives: Samsung, Western Digital, Seagate; all are a crapshoot and can be DOA
Better power supplies: Seasonic, Corsair, Antec
Better cases: Antec, Coolermaster

Just my opinions.

Thanks!