Anything missing from this machine?

Pulled this of Bestbuy website just now. From my limited knowledge it looks comparable to Father X-mas's $1200 build with a less powerful graphics card (yet still able to run ultra mode, if I'm not mistaken). But I suspect I'm missing something. What do the experts think?

Does it have adaquate power and cooling?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dell+-+S...&skuId=9697488


Thanks

I don't see anything -wrong- with that rig. It's a respectable processor core, decent video card, and plenty to work with. Power and Cooling? Couldn't possibly say, based on what you linked to - you'll notice the "specs" sheet don't list either. The only way to find out about it would be to find the actual specs provided by the manufacturer.

For what its worth, I think you could probably build an identical machine for considerably less by going through Newegg.

8GB of memory

i7-860 CPU

ATI HD 5770 (mid range ultra mode according to Posi)

1TB HD.

Don't see anything missing.

For $685 I just built a new PC based on the mighty Father X-Mas build and it runs awesome. You should build it yourself and save the money.

You don't build your own computer so you can do it cheaper, you build your own computer so you have a say about all the parts.

Compared to my $1200 rig this Dell has twice the memory (probably slower), a faster CPU with 8 pseudo cores (but likely a stock heatsink/fan), the same size hard drive (but probably less cache), and a much weaker video card. It also comes with a copy of 64-bit Win 7, a keyboard, a mouse, a wireless card and a memory card reader. All for roughly $150 less.

It is also likely that it's PSU doesn't have a lot over extra power to spare. Also being a mATX motherboard there is no support for a 2nd video card. I'm guessing Dell lets the Alienware branch have the real gamer systems.

The $600 rig? Okay.

Short form, the Dell will stomp it into the dirt.

Long form, the CPU is 30-40% faster unless the app is suited for a lot of cores, then it can be 2-3x faster. That's what happens when you go from two to four/eight cores. Between that and double the memory, multitasking lots of apps should be smooth like butter. Graphics wise the HD 5770 is about 20% faster than the GTS 250, nearly the same performance as a GTX 260 (Ultra Mode at medium settings according to Posi).

Compared to the $1200 rig. The CPU is not that much faster, less than 10% unless the apps like lots of cores, then 20-30% faster. With only four cores, no hyperthreading and half the memory of the Dell, multitasking won't be as smooth. The graphics in the Dell is about a third slower but that's understandable, the HD 5850 in the $1200 rig is nearly the fastest single GPU graphics card on the market.

My remarks about some of the advantages in my $1200 rig, like faster memory, a more powerful PSU or that the Dell would have something akin to a stock heatsink/fan only makes a difference in overclocking the system, which was something I kept in mind when picking parts for it.