Dell to offer overclocked XPS 700

It looks like Dell is intent on keeping up its in-house rivalry with Alienware, upping it's top-of-the-line XPS 700 gaming PC to include overclocked Intel Core 2 Extreme CPUs -- but still no AMD processors, overclocked or otherwise. The desktop is also getting a significant upgrade on the graphics side of things, with the highest-end option now hitting up two Nvidia GeForce 7900 GTX cards operating in SLI mode, replacing the earlier single GeForce 7900 GS card. Availability appears to be dependent on Intel actually delivering the goods, but Michael Dell himself says that the system will be available the second Intel announces that it's good and ready. Exact pricing hasn't been announced, but we're guessing it should come in somewhere below $10,000. Just how far below 10k is yet to be seen.

[cycomachead @ Jul 13th 2006 5:41PM]

oh c'mon
why not build your own PC for the price
and its only in red
even if you like the look- just buy the empty case

Dell is making Macs look cheap

[Craig @ Jul 13th 2006 5:53PM]

I say 1 cent under 10k, $9999.99. Companies always do that.

[Spyvie @ Jul 13th 2006 6:03PM]

Dell has destroyed its reputation in the enthusiasts community by refusing to acknowledge AMD‘s significant performance advantage over the last 2 years. Now that Core 2 is out and that advantage is apparently reversed, the damage has already been done… Dell simply doesn’t know anything about high end PCs. I’m more than a little suspicious of Alienware after the buyout as well.

The current performance leader in graphics is a pair of “dual core” 7950 cards, or even ATI’s X1900XT in crossfire. A rig with these options can easily be built for under $2500, Dell will never learn, and I will never recommend Dell for the home user.

[Wal Nuts @ Jul 13th 2006 6:13PM]

cycomachead
There are also 7900GX2 that only available in such top-gaming PC. They aren't selling in shops

[Joey @ Jul 13th 2006 6:35PM]

When you overclock a cpu doesnt that void the warrantee on the cpu itself. So if the cpu were to fail does Dell then pick up the tab for this or do they give you the middle finger for having an overclocked cpu?

[Chris @ Jul 13th 2006 6:49PM]

Spyvie, you can't "build you own" 7950 SLI rig. nVidia deosn't enable it except to VAR's that build systems with them in it

however, you can still build a faster, and better looking, system for well under $5k

[Spyvie @ Jul 13th 2006 7:02PM]

Chris,

Newegg has 8 different 7950 cards in stock, ranging from $559 to $599... (link in my name)

Your thinking of the 7900gtx their using, it's not for resale

You could easily build a system with 2 $600 dollar cards, a top-o-the line mobo and processor for under $2500

[skantilous @ Jul 13th 2006 7:09PM]

you people are painful.

i'll stick with my Pentium 2 566 MGhz and play Broodwars. later

[Spyvie @ Jul 13th 2006 7:23PM]

OK, I did the math, it's more like a little over $3000 if you want extras like fast RAM or drives

[SHAUN707 @ Jul 13th 2006 7:23PM]

10k like someone would buy that, ha i would just buy a mac, way cheaper but i have my own gaming rig so yeah

[Guruboy @ Jul 13th 2006 7:26PM]

I say wait for exact pricing to be announced first before you whine.

Spyvie:"A rig with these options can easily be built for under $2500, Dell will never learn, and I will never recommend Dell for the home user."

ok #1, $2500 is a huge chunk of money, #2, no "home user" would ever spend $2500 on a computer. That's where you look towards companies like Dell. Hell no "home user" knows how to put together a computer. I build now but our first home computers were all Dells and they were great, never had any problems. They all costed $1300 tops.

Dell didn't use AMD at first because Intel blackmailed them and made threats so they would use and advertise Intel. Don't you guys read the news?

[Alex @ Jul 13th 2006 9:01PM]

I wonder when they'll make just the case available to buy on its own. I love that thing.

[cycomachead @ Jul 13th 2006 9:16PM]

I dont know but I never mentioned anything about 2.5k

And PcMac.com has more than one good artice about building a nice PC
I'm no gamer but I'm pretty sure that the differences between 7900 and 7950 are different enough to make a visual difference when playing gmaes.

Also the term "home user"- what exactly does that mean
One of the teacher @ my school has built like 3 compys- he would be a home user

its not that hard- you can also buy a book too

[cycomachead @ Jul 13th 2006 9:17PM]

Alex- that case is avaible- but they charge

[Guruboy @ Jul 13th 2006 10:34PM]

Yes because Spyvie mentioned the 2.5k smart one.

The difference between a 7900 and a 7950 FYI is about 70 bucks favor of the 7900. Some 7900s have a higher memory clock, in the ballpark of 1600Mhz to the current 7950's 1200Mhz. Of course there's the fact that the 7950 has double the memory. The difference in graphic quality would only come up in the newest games or games that are yet to come out.

Building a computer takes absolutely no skills whatsoever. If you can build LEGOs, have some common sense, and have some money you can easily order some parts and throw together a computer.

Yes, of course I realize that this computer is certainly not worth ten grand. But we don't even actually know the price yet...

[Guruboy @ Jul 13th 2006 10:43PM]

More on topic: You CAN get the dual 7900GTXs RIGHT NOW at Dell. I did a customization and ended up with:

Pentium 965 EE dual core 3.73GHz, 4MB Cache
XP Home
A Terabyte worth of storage
High-quality dual opticals
Dual 7900 GTXs
Floppy Drive/Media player...w/e
24 inch flat screen monitor
Nice Saitek backlit keyboard
Logitech G5 laser...'nuff said
Logitech Z5500 500 Watt 5.1 (nice)

All for just under 6 grand shipped. FYI it also includes that nice case ppl keep talking about!

[Guruboy @ Jul 13th 2006 11:15PM]

So here's everything you get with that Dell but the prices on Newegg (some are averaged)

CPU: $1,039.99
OS: $90 depending
Video Cards: 2x ~$325 (average of 7900s)
16x DVD ROM: $20
16x DVD +- RW: $50
Sound Card: $112
Mouse: $46
Card Reader: $10
Speakers: $300
Monitor: $1000
Case: $100...you know it's worth that much!
PSU: $400 minimum (there's a 1 kw beast in the XPS!)
Keyboard: $43
Ageia PhysX (I forgot but was in the Dell): $300
RAM: at LEAST $1000
2x 120mm fans: $40
a year of Dell Warrenty: $100
Adobe Acrobat 6.0: $50
Shipping for all that garbage: $50

Total: $5311

Not the astounding difference you were thinking of, huh? $700 is not necessarily worth the labor of ordering all the products on the internet and having them delivered seperately and you building the PC with the risk of destroying something, overclocking (voiding your warrrenty, unlike the upcomming Dell system) and having no free tech support, but it's the price to pay for service. And yes, Dell wants to make some mulah out of all this.

[Spyvie @ Jul 13th 2006 11:49PM]

Guruboy you left the HDDs outta that list, a terabyte=about $500, you’d prolly want 2 raptors as your boot drive as well, another $500 or so. I don’t know about $1000 worth of RAM though, I think the fastest sticks are still 1GB X?… I must confess I don’t know much about DDR2 yet.

So I guess it would come to more than I thought for the whole deal. The thing is you could equal it’s Super Pie or 3D Mark performance with a carefully spent $3000 or so. Not to mention the satisfaction and customization you get from assembling a rig yourself.

[Spyvie @ Jul 13th 2006 11:58PM]

PI, it Pi dammit

And Agea physics is already obsolete

[Mars10 @ Jul 14th 2006 12:53AM]

saw this model at the intel summer chapionships, it pushed over 11k on 3dmark 06 out of box.

[Mr Pink57 @ Jul 14th 2006 10:25AM]

Spyvie,

How do you figure the PPU is already obsolete? They have not even begun to start on this, about a handful of games support it at this point but in the future when they make a PCIe card we will see some huge improvements. Also it seems that Nvidia and ATi will incorp a PPU with a SLi or Crossfire setup in the future here.

And as far as this PC goes, I think its great personally. Its for people with a ton of disposable income who dont know how to build a comp but want to impress there friends I guess. Big deal let 'em I still think my TT Armor case looks and cools better (with 25cm fan) but hey thats just me. Plus at this time until AMD full releases reverse Hyper Threading they will be lagging behind (I personally use AMD).

Also the X1900XTX would be a better choice for the top o' line for ATi vs the x1900XT.

pink

[Jaimesh @ Jul 14th 2006 12:25PM]

What are you on about rivalry with alienware, dell actually own alienware, no really.

[Guruboy @ Jul 15th 2006 12:29AM]

Yeah PhysX is being supported by manufacturers like Asus and BFG, and by 60 developers with over 100 games in production that better utilize the technology. Either way, the card is a choice on the Dell, you don't have to get it.

Go to Newegg and search for 4 GB RAM packages and average the prices of the 4.

Yes the addition of the HDDs that I forgot make the total extremely close to the 6 grand! Dell is looking like an even better choice. The 1TB option from Dell (there is also a 1.5 TB option for about double the price) is actually 2 500GB HDDs. All of the HDDs Dell uses are 7200RPM - aka reasonably fast - and 3Gb/s transfer, which is pretty good too.

It's true Dell aquired Alienware in May I believe. Not sure what Engadget meant by that. Alienware is a subsidary of Dell that fully functions by itself.

[Greg @ Jul 15th 2006 12:35AM]

hey guruboy, how did you get
Speakers: $300
Monitor: $1000
and RAM at least 1k?
ram is getting so cheap nowadays, even for faster, bigger amounts...also, why would the moniter be 1k for this..listed in the article above, it was ONLY talking about the PC. also, speakers are an add on...though the rest of your prices are correct in the main

[Spongebob Fan @ Jul 17th 2006 8:01AM]

I brought a dell xps laptop and upgraded it a lot which took its total price to £2800, after buying it I feel I got a raw deal as many desktops that dell sell seem much cheaper and have much more power.
$10,000 is a bit steep, but I know £1500 can get an amazing desktop at dell.
Anyway who would need all that power anyway, or is it a kind of "I have it thing".

[Freddy @ Jun 28th 2007 11:37PM]

SLI will prolly be "enabled" on the consumer 7950s by the time this ships. X1900XTs are working better right now though

Then they'll be obsolete in 6 mos when the DX10 cards come out

[Daniel Elmore @ May 8th 2009 3:28AM]

Who would willing subject themselves to such an inefficient economy of scale. 10K, it will be under 6K in one year. That's faster depreciation than most cars.