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New PC 690 or 490
Hello all,
This is my first time to this forum. I am getting a new PC either the Dell 690 or the Dell 490.
I don't know if my post already got sent or what happen but I have to write this over again. Sorry, if this post get posted twice.
I would appreciate anyone's two cents on which way I should go.
The following is the Software I will be using....
Adobe Production Suite.
I already have Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 and Adobe Photoshop CS.
The following is the hardware I plan on getting...
RAM - 4GB 667 DDR2
CPU - (1) Intel Xeon Dual-core 2.66 if I get the 690 or the 3.0Ghz version if I get the 490.
HD - (2) SATA 500 7200RPM drives RAID 0
Sound Card - Soundblaster ExtreemMusic
DVD writer drive.
Graphics card - (1) Quatro FX3500
I see that the 690 is about $1000US more than the 490. I could use the extra money and get the Higher CPU or a second Dual Core CPU.
Is there any real reason I should get the 690 over the 490? Is the 690 a much better board as in performance over the 490 or are they identical except for the # of slots and HD max size?
I do not think I will need any more than 3 HDs or more than 2 External drives. ie: two DVD drives, etc. In my experience I never really upgrade that much. My hardware lasts me about 4 years and by the time I really need to upgrade it is really time for a new PC.
Thanks for any advice in advance,
John
- Thanks a lot for the reply. When you said "I bet the 490 would be better its a bit smaller in size but power wise is the same." can you elaborate any more on this? Are you thinking it is a better system in my situation or overall a better system and why?Thanks,John
tphillips63
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Posted May 4th, 2007 17:00
The 690 is a huge system that is why you pay more but the 490 has all the speed capability and good expansion as I listed.You said you did not need a lot of internal drives and that is the main difference in the systems.- You are correct I don't see needing more than 3 drive online at any one time. But what about the 1KW Power supply and a second graphics card. I probably will not need a second graphics card but I have to think about that one for a while. I wondered if the 490 can use the Card Riser to add a second Graphics card? I think the answer is no but I am not sure.So, what system do you have?Thanks,John
tphillips63
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Posted May 4th, 2007 21:00
Hi John I answered some of these in a different post you found.No card riser in the 490 but nvidia and amd both make x1 graphics cards and hopefully soon will make some x4 models.My 'signature' lists my home play and work computers and at the office I have a fairly well decked out 490 with,2 Xeon 5150 CPU's, 8x1GB FBDDR2, boots off of a 160GB Raptor, and has RAID1 300GB SAS for storage, it has a x16 Nvidia 7900 GTX, and a nvidia quadro nvs 285 x1 PCIe, I use a 20" wide screen on the first card and the second card I have two 19" Lcd's.HeadachefromHDD
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Posted May 16th, 2007 13:00
I'll put in my 2 cents:I use 3D CAD software. A magazine I receive reviewed the 690 and 490 with the same hardware. The results were close, but for whatever inexplicable reason, the 690 was slightly faster.2 things against 690:1. It's a colossus; gigantic; huge; massive; a beast. You'd better have room.2. With high-RPM hard drives, it's LOUD, requireing the user to provide his own fix to mitigate the noise:tphillips63
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Posted May 16th, 2007 21:00
Here is a fan control program you both should look into.
http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/
This guy actually took the time to write a fan control program that works very well indeed to control the noise the system fans can make.- Hi all,Thanks for the replies!!I decided on the 490 (mini-tower version) and getting the Dual core xeon 3.0ghz cpu over the 690 with the 2.66 cpu. I did not think it was worth it to spend $1000US more when I could spend the money on a faster CPU. The computer was supposed to arrive today but only the 24" Wide Flat Panel display arrived. The computer will be here tomorrow.The monitor look good from a case perspective but it is still not as nice looking as my sister's 21" MAC screen. It looks like the monitor has a lot of inputs though.John
tphillips63
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Posted May 4th, 2007 02:00
The 690 has more expansion slot, more internal hard drive bays, more external hard drive bays and IMO since it is larger has better cooling since the 490 internal space is very tight.
Both are dual socket Xeon systems
Both have 8 FB DDR2 DIMM sockets (the 690 with 1kw power supply can be configured with 16 FB DDR2 DIMM sockets.
I bet the 490 would be better its a bit smaller in size but power wise is the same.
Just make sure you get 4 1GB FBDDR2 DIMMs not two because the RAM is four channel not two so with two modules memory access in all ways is not good.