Cool
it, gamers, and let me reassure you: this is not an article trying to sleight
computer gaming in any way. Rather, it is an article focused on informing the
non-gamers among the computer community what their options for a powerful
computer are if they aren’t interested in a preconfigured gaming computer. If
you’re one of those non-gamers that is still looking for a cost-effective
computer solution without all the bells and whistles (like a great graphics
card or a flash computer case) then read on! Finding a powerful computer that isn’t
optimized for a special purpose (like computer gaming) can be a bit difficult,
and oftentimes those viable alternatives are overshadowed by the popularity of
those gaming computers. So where can you begin while keeping costs low?
Consider the Dell Dimension 8400.
Dell Dimension 8400
The Dell Dimension 8400 is a powerful and affordable
computer in the high performance market. There are several reasons the
Dimension 8400 is an optimized machine, but not
optimized for gaming. For starters, the 8400 doesn’t come stock with a
high-performance graphics card, nor does it require multiple fans (as many
gaming computers do). Gaming computers oftentimes require a single fan that
sounds like a jet engine or multiple fans that fill the room with white noise
like an overhead fan. While there isn’t necessarily a problem with a noisy fan
(I would disagree, personally) the Dimension 8400 runs very quietly considering
the degree of performance it puts out.
The Dimension 8400 has a Intel Pentium 4 560 processor with
a clock rate of 3.6 GHz. Intel Pentium may sound old now, but consider that the
first generation of i7 processors had 2 GHz with a boosted 2 GHz for a total of
4 GHz. Having nearly 4 GHz of engaged processing speed is an excellent choice
if you’re planning on business applications which require fast performance.
With one gigabyte of RAM standard (expandable to 8 gigabytes), the Dimension
8400 should probably receive a memory upgrade if you plan on multitasking.
Despite this, a full RAM configuration does not add that much cost to the
overall build. Many of these parts can be ordered refurbished at a fraction of
the cost. In addition to the processor and memory included in the basic
configuration, the 8400 standard build comes with two 160 GB SATA drives, a DVD
+ RW dual layer drive, a CD-RW drive, eight USB ports, a FireWire port, and a
decent sound card.
Why Not New?
If you’d like to find a brand new performance computer, be
prepared to spend quite a bit of money. Most high performance business
computers on the market today run in the area of a few thousand dollars. A
Dimension 8400, on the other hand, can be purchased refurbished at a fraction
of the cost. While refurbished is a more cost-effective alternative, you must
be certain that your reseller offers a warranty on refurbished computers, and
has a great history of customer satisfaction.
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