If you play Civ V, please post here if you use a Dell PC, other PC or a self built rig and if you had problems running the game on whichever rig you used.
I use a Dell PC and have had no problems running Civ V.
Self built PC and no problems running Civ V
Self built PC and had problems running Civ V
Dell PC and no problems running Civ V
Dell PC and had problems running Civ V
Other PC than Dell or self built and no problems with Civ V
Other PC than Dell or self built and had problems with Civ V
If you play Civ V, please post here if you use a Dell PC, other PC or a self built rig and if you had problems running the game on whichever rig you used.
I use a Dell PC and have had no problems running Civ V.
May I ask what the point of this poll is? Or is it just for fun?
Self-Built PC, Haven't upgraded in six years, runs Civilization V perfectly.
This poll stems from another thread: Looking to buy a new desktop
I have an HP that I have built as I went...added a new PSU, Graphic card, added memory...no problems what-so-ever...
I have a Vista (*queue scary music*...I got it for a really good deal, ok!), and so far it's got no problems running steam games.
Do I sense an attempt at argumentum ad populum? I think I dooooooooo....
This thread is stupid.
Originally Posted by stethnorun
Yep, that's about my reaction too...
XPS8300 apart from MP bugs no problems also
I don't understand what the purpose of this thread is... What is special about Dell that warrants a thread to examine game performance?
My rig is Alienware - do I count it as Dell or not?
The purpose is research pulled from Civ V players as to how to proceed on the next PC upgrade. I'm open to building my own rig and moving closer and closer to that objective for next year's upgrade.
All of us here play Civ V. All of us here will have to upgrade soon to play Civ VI which I'm sure most of us will do when it becomes available.
The game of Civ VI will cost about $ 60 in all probability. The cost of the PC will range from $ 1,000 to $ 2,000.
This poll will help everyone learn from the experience of others on how to proceed. Everyone should have an open mind in the PC upgrade path and use the research gleaned here to make a decision.
By the way, Alienware IS Dell. I had to limit the choices to fit within the 10 allowed as a maximum.
Yes, but Alienware is very different to a bog-standard Dell.
This poll does nothing to resolve that issue for you.
As stated multiple times by a number of people who are far more experienced than even I am: A custom built system can beat any OEM on the market for performance or reliability.
I don't see how. Performance and reliability are only a part (potentially a small part) of the factors to use when considering a new computer. Even if web polls weren't a totally horrible way of gathering statistics, the results of this poll wouldn't come close to helping you figure out what you wanted to do.
Only you can do that.
It used to be, but more and more, it is becoming a Dell with performance components added. Alienware PCs are already moving to non-standard, lower quality PSUs and lower quality motherboards. Yes, they still have brand-name video cards and (largely unnecessary, these days) water cooled components, but their reliability has gone downhill since they started using Dell's suppliers.
And they've always been overpriced, but they're also the only mass-market gaming computer you can buy from a store.
Perhaps you don't understand the word "research". It involves looking at reality and facts and coming to conclusions. It doesn't mean taking a poll and seeing what's popular. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum <- Look it up. This whole thing is asinine, even if you ARE being genuine about a desire to one day build a rig, which I sort of doubt.
Also, leaves no freedom for those with OEM boxes with noticeable self-modification. An awful lot of PC gamers do buy off-the-shelf PCs and add a decent graphics card. I'll probably do that next time I get a new box - I'll lose out on better components, but get the basics cheaper than I could on a self-build without feeling dirty at using crap components (ain't the human mind weird?). Actually covers my current box, as I didn't start playing games that made real demands on video until I after I got this box (on a special offer in the first place, in fact). It's an Acer desktop with added graphics card and memory boosted as far as the motherboard will let me.
If you build a solid PC, it can last for a long time, with minor hundred-two hundred dollar upgrades thrown in every few years (2-3). You can spend 700-800 USD to build a medium quality PC and add new parts (You really only need to add a new Processor and/or Graphics card if you build a stable rig).
The poll is asinine? I have seen more engaging ones - but it's more useful to me than, for example, the current one on the non-existent Inuit UA. With sufficient input, the actual numbers may lead me to conclude that I should seriously consider building a PC, or that the people who use Dells encounter no more problems than those with self-built PCs. The thread itself provides even more opinion - "research" if I were trying to decide which way to go - regarding the pros and cons of what to buy. The Looking to buy a new desktop thread obviously has a lot more information, but given the staggering amount of idle speculation in this forum, I wouldn't single this thread out for being pointless.
It's anecodtal, taken from a self-selected sample. That makes it all but useless as a poll (this applies to most internet polls). The fact is, both Dells and custom PCs will run Civ 5 without any problems 9 times out of 10. If that's the measuring criteria, it's a statistical insignificance. The point isn't whether it will run Civ 5, the point is quality for money (the real topic of other, useful thread). But hey, if you consider this information "research", have at it.
This is entirely accurate.
This just isn't true. You will NOT get the basics cheaper. Please look this stuff (or refer to slowtarget's many detailed posts in the other thread) for actual facts. Your perception is based on a deeply flawed understanding of the economics involved.
I do hope that wasn't sarcasm.
It's based on the actual UK market at the time I bought this PC. I looked around, and found that to get the basics cheaper I'd have to use crappy components, and my self-knowledge of my own psychology told me that wasn't worth the money saving, due to the discomfort of building from crappy parts. It may be that this PC uses crappy components (I know some are, some aren't, some I don't know), but at the time it was the best bet comsidering all factors, for me. The fact the unit was significantly reduced affected that, and the fact I needed a new monitor (needed to have the PC somewhere a CRT wouldn't fit).
This was all about 4 years ago, I think.
When I do sarcasm, I make it pretty obvious. No, everything you said was dead-on.I do hope that wasn't sarcasm.
I agree, when Steth uses sarcasm, you know it...you read his post and say to yourself, 'What an...'well, you get the picture...
If I'm not offending most people, most of the time, I'm doing something wrongNot a troll, just a correlation I've discovered.
No, don't get me wrong...you're my favorite antagonist...If I'm not offending most people, most of the time, I'm doing something wrong
Hey thanks, that's the best I can hope for.No, don't get me wrong...you're my favorite antagonist...
As a professional statistician and researcher, I'm calling foul on this little trope. Inductive reasoning is entirely valid and everybody uses it every day. There really ought to be a Godwin-equivalent for references to so-called fallacies.
Yes people use it every day. No it's not a great way of living life. You just used argumentum ad populum to justify argumentum ad populum. Amazing.
Chris, if you were a professional anything, you'd know that "fallacies" are Argument 101. Well, English 101 and 102, at least for me. You would also know that in the particular case of this fallacy, there are of course instances where it still has useful application. Pointing out this fact does not make it, or you, any more correct. Appealing to popularity does not , and never will, establish a thing as a fact. Therefore, it is false to attempt to do so, and a sign of a weak argument.
If I were to hazard a guess, I imagine you might follow up with something regarding philosophical and pragmatic truth, and try to pass that off as the definition of a fact. My only reply, in that case, would be that I don't see them as the same thing. It causes me headaches.
I self built mine...my specs are in my profile.
This poll makes no sence at all. The only thing that is certain - Alienware (Dell) cannot compete with anyone when you do a performance to budget comparison. In many cases you will end up paying more for less (at least in my country).
Anyone who will not grasp that OEM systems are built for profit (and mostly from barely adequate parts), whilst self-built rigs are a labour of love, deserves to use a Dell all their days.
You may lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink.
This poll is useless. How can you consider all self-built PCs to be the same?
I agree on that statement. Each self built PC is done by a different person, different budget, different parts and different parts supplier. They are NOT the same.
However, it should be noted that at this moment in time it appears 19 folks are using self built rigs to play Civ V and only 14 are using OEM's. That tells me that this small sample does show a tendency for many folks to ASSEMBLE their own PC's these days. Maybe that is why Dell's profits seem to be falling. I notice that even Dell now sells separate parts for those who want them for self assembly.
Assembly is really what is happening. No one is bulding their own parts.
Its possible that OEM's may now drift to All In One's as their main products and leave the desktop assemblies to most of the customers.
Its also possible that even the Dell Support Center software could be run to test self assembled units. Its available for download by anyone at an internet site. If a failing part was detected, one could just buy a new part and replace it. Once we assemble a unit on our own it will probably be far easier to remove a defective part and replace it without anyone's help.
Wait, you thought people were fabricating their own parts or something? LOL.
Yes... but... they are more similar than you think they are. Standards make for a more homogenous ecosystem than you imply here. Timing and the specific abilities of components take this even further. There are literally thousands of systems that are functionally identical to mine (i7-2600K, P67 mobo, GTX-560 Ti, 8+GB DDR3-1333 RAM, Seasonic X-Series PSU). Things like the case I used or my addition of a second gigabit NIC or the fact that I have 16GB of RAM rather than 8GB have no real impact on how they handle most usage patterns. At least, they have no more impact than the various customizations offered by the major OEMs.
Oh.. and parts suppliers have no impact at all. My MSI GTX-560 Ti from NewEgg is the same one sold by TigerDirect, Amazon, Microcenter, and Fr
No, it tells us that Internet polls are trash, and that you didn't take a college level course in statistics. Not only is the sample far too small to act as a representative, it is horribly biased in a dozen different ways. Most notably, system builders are drastically over-represented on internet forums.
It's probably more to do with the growing commoditization of mid-level consumer computers and surge in tablet computers.
And buying computer components from Dell is like going to a furniture store to buy lumber.
Er... In nearly all cases, no one builds their own parts. Dell never has. They have always contracted with other companies to either supply or have parts custom-built for them. I know that Foxconn has made a good number of Dell's motherboards, and at one point they were actually using Intel-manufactured boards.
One notable counter-example is ASUS, who do actually manufacture a large portion of the components in their computers (motherboards, video cards, sound cards).
I don't see all-in-one's as the future of the market. They have the same lack of mobility of a desktop, but lack the power of a desktop. You might as well get a laptop. I think we'll see wireless video-to-TV before all-in-one's ever take off.
For now, desktops are getting smaller and more compact. At some point, that will make it harder and harder for builders to build. We're not there yet, and we'll probably move to SoC (System on a Chip: full systems on a single chip) before building becomes impossible. What we'll do in an SoC world, I do
Nope. For very important reasons, software cannot properly interrogate hardware for much of the low level information it would need to do such things. No matter how skilled your programmers are, you can't properly test memory from inside a Windows (or Linux) OS. A requisite part of the OS is that usermode software is not allowed to directly interact with hardware. So, you can do stress testing, and you can do some sanity checks, and you can see that all of the functionality that is supposed to be there is responding properly, but you'll never be able to truly test RAM, video RAM, hard drives, or motherboard integrity. I suppose its worth noting, though, that modern sensors do allow you to check for things like undervolting, overheating, and some forms of power-quality issues.
(Note: you can certainly run some tests from windows that will show that something isn't working, however, due to the hardware abstraction layer, you have a non-zero chance of a false-positive ... or false-negative... er.. you have a chance of having the software say that everything is fine when it really isnt.)
Where all-in-ones do seem to be strangely popular is public-access (or nearly public) PCs - universities, libraries, that sort of thing. Fewer things to bolt down, I suppose.
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