New computer

[buggs_moran]

Finally, after many years, I am updating my system. I have a budget of around $1000. I homebuilt my last two systems, but have little urge to do it a third time. Time being an issue. Anyone have any insight on newer systems. It's been a while for me and I want something that will give me good graphics processing for photography, video and Celestia (perhaps I'll finish my cataclysmic binaries...)

I've been looking at the Dell XPS 8500 i5 3rd gen w/ 12 mb of ram and a Nvidia GT640... But haven't considered many alternatives (time again).

Thanks

[John Van Vliet]

--- edit ---

[selden]

Sadly, Dell has an impressively bad customer service. You might want to consider another manufacturer. Lenovo has a good reputation, for example.

[t00fri]

Sadly, Dell has an impressively bad customer service. You might want to consider another manufacturer. Lenovo has a good reputation, for example.

I never had any reason for complaints with the DELL service. Same for my lab (DESY) who buy > hundred Latitudes per year (!) from DELL since many years.
I figure, however, that the good DELL service only starts at the business class level upward (Latitude,...). There is also a special business service telephone number ... The guys there are highly competent and the service team usually arrives the next day and repairs the computers at work. The DESY standard is to buy a 3 year full service (24h) package (which I always exploited fully ).

As usual, one gets what one pays for.


Fridger

[buggs_moran]

What about Nvidia vs AMD? Way back when I was having issues with my AMD and Celestia, are there still issues or are either a safe bet nowadays?