Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
5 Posts
0
14078
Aurora R4 Question
I purchased a refurbished Aurora R4 with the I73930 OC to 3.9ghz, 2x 1TB HDD's, 1x Nvidia 580 graphics, 16GB RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium, etc. It was delivered with an optical bay door that would not open. They sent an in-home repairman out who was unable to fix the problem. So under an exchange Dell sent out the following replacement: Same processor, RAM, optical drives and hard drives. The differences are there are 2 x Radeon 7950's with Crossfire, Windows 7 Ultimate, a built in media card reader, but no wifi adapter due to the addition of the extra video card. Also the keyboard and mouse are upgraded Alienware units over what came with the first PC.
It sounds like a no brainer, so many extras but does anyone have any input on this exchange? Good deal? I know the replacement unit costs more and is a more potent gaming rig but are there any considerations other than that?
Tesla1856
8 Wizard
8 Wizard
•
17K Posts
0
June 23rd, 2012 23:00
Sounds fine to me. Pop in a $25 USB WiFi dongle and you are good to go (although ... I would just run a real cable).
schneeball
104 Posts
0
June 24th, 2012 03:00
sounds like you had a good deal there !! as Tesla said i would just run it on Cable for gaming
Robonik
5 Posts
0
June 24th, 2012 11:00
Thanks guys :) Yes, I plan to go ethernet for my permanent Internet connection however, while evaluating, programming and setting up the new AWA R4 I am using a borrowed dongle from my wife's PC. Dell customer service has already promised to send a wifi dongle to replace the missing wifi feature. This will aid me in getting my PC programmed and ready to go.
I also bought the U3011 Ultrasharp 30" monitor to go with this system so the added horsepower in the video department should be put to good use. Frame rates on the COD 4 Demo are already ranging between 300-500 FPS (390 avg) on this monitor with the settings maxed out and at native resolution of 2560x1600.
Finally, I am impressed with the care and professionalism that Dell/AW has shown throughout this entire purchase experience. This is my first prebuilt system, other than laptops. For the last 15 years I have built all my gaming/video processing rigs myself. The quality of both the equipment and the people behind the equipment have been impressive. Thank you Dell - Job well done. :)
schneeball
104 Posts
0
June 24th, 2012 11:00
brilliant monitor you got there !! i fancy upgrading mine at some point to the U3011 its got some awesome reviews !!
Sounds like that they have looked after you well , i am currently trying to get my faulty R4 sorted my 7970m card is dead by the sounds of things , but they want me to wait till they get them back in stock which i aint too happy about considering the laptop is just a month old.
Robonik
5 Posts
0
June 24th, 2012 12:00
Now that those questions are answered what are your thoughts on an SSD OS drive upgrade? Worth the $/effort?
Robonik
5 Posts
0
June 24th, 2012 12:00
Sorry to read about your video issue. It sounds like they are out of stock on parts, but with the system only a month old they won't consider an exchange? Keep in mind that when I encountered a problem with my first system I had to call and get transferred to a few people to find a sympathetic ear. At first I was told "no exchange - repair only..." Even though the in-home repair person couldn't fix it the first time. When I did reach this sympathetic person not only did he exchange, but with numerous upgrades and overnight shipping on the replacement. My situation was different in that it was within the exchange period but it doesn't hurt to ask again...
schneeball
104 Posts
0
June 24th, 2012 12:00
oh yes , i would look at perhaps a raid 0 256GB x 2 upgrade ! or maybe just a straight SSD for your OS , and have them 2 x 1tb drives you got as storage
because i run alot of my games from steam ( Hard drive ) i have all my systems set with a SSD Raid setup .
if you shop about on the net you can get some fantastic deals , i use (ebuyer.com) always got some good offers on and with your setup i would go down the SSD route i am sure you will love the performance increase !
As for my video card i have been told i should receive a call tomorrow to sort it , but i gotta to be honest i would prefer a exchange no new machine should go faulty within a month .
schneeball
104 Posts
0
June 24th, 2012 13:00
i got a set of crucial M4's 256GB's in my R4 fantastic drives and come down in price loads as well .
www.ebuyer.com/267107-crucial-256gb-m4-ssd-ct256m4ssd2
schneeball
104 Posts
0
June 24th, 2012 14:00
Thanks Robonik , i am going to push for the replacement tomorrow , already spammed the life out of Twitter and tried here but with no success !! lol
i have the Alienware 23" at the minute , but its aging fast ...
Good luck with the SSD's they are expensive , but if your going to spend the money you have on that desktop you might as well give it the SSD performance.
Robonik
5 Posts
0
June 24th, 2012 14:00
Thanks for the confirmation and the link on the SSD's; will do. I agree with you, no new machine, especially a high-end unit, should go bad so soon out of the box. I would definitely push for that if you don't get taken care of tomorrow. Find the right person and you should be good to go. Persistance and polite attitude worked for me. Best of luck with the issue at hand Schneeball, I hope it works out to your complete satisfaction.
And regarding the U3011 monitor, it is worth every penny! The monitor is the window to the system's "heart and soul" so I feel it should be the best one can afford. My research indicates that the next best monitor beyond the U3011 costs considerably more. The 3011 is stunning, you can believe the reviews. When all is said and done it is the monitor we are looking at for hours on end, not the PC case.