Speed Kills - This Dell Precision Thrills
Written: Aug 23 '00 (Updated Sep 12 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Speed and more speed.
Cons: It wasn't cheap.
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| dlamarrx's Full Review: Archived Computer Hardware Reviews |
What I demanded was a fast computer. What I got was a Dell Precision 420. Mission accomplished!
I purchased the Dell for three main reasons. I could get the computer I wanted, for the price I wanted with an unparalleled level of dependability. I can not afford to have problems with a computer – as we all know, time is money. I have had no problems with ANY of the four Dell's I've purchased - they have all worked tirelessly night and day - taskmaster that I am.
As a professional 3D animator & digital artist, I can never have too much speed, memory or power in a computer. I have four computers in my office, though I only do serious graphic work on two of them. On those two computers, I often work simultaneously, rendering on one computer while I shift to a different project on another.
One of the things I like so much about Dell, is how easy it is to get exactly the computer you want. I went to their web site, selected the base model I wanted, then customized it until I had the computer I wanted at the price I was willing to spend. I could choose from four different processor speeds with either single or dual configurations, up through one GB of memory, and standard IDE, SCSI or RAID hard drive configurations up through 64 GB’s. Finally, and most importantly to me I was able to select from the most up-to-date, professional OpenGL graphics cards.
After I was done configuring, I pressed order, entered my PO #, and a few weeks later, presto, I was animating & rendering with ease.
After using it now for about four months, I can say that this is the fastest computer I have ever used. If you work in CAD, 3D animation, graphic design, or as a non-linear editor, then this computer is the one for you. It’s important to note, that the dual processor configuration is ONLY viable if your software takes advantage of that second processor (multi-threaded).
Configuration as purchased
This is the configuration I purchased. With the rapid increase in processor speeds, the available machines are constantly changing.
Dual 733MHz Pentium III processors (w/133MHz front side bus )
Intense3D Wildcat 4110 Pro OpenGL display card (4X AGP Pro Bus)
1GB Rambus® memory (2 RIMMS)
40GB 10,000 rpm SCSI Hard drive
250MB Zip
Additional Components & Software
Adobe After Effects on UltraBlueICE render accelerator card
DPS Velocity Engine DDR/Non-Linear editor.
Lightwave 3D
Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator
ViewSonic PT813 21” Monitor
Benchmarks
For those of you interested, and familiar with Lightwave 3D, I have put together some benchmarks based up the standard benchmark scenes. Overall, this Dell is almost three times faster than my previous computer, a TriStar Dual 300MHz, and over seven times faster than my old PentiumPro 200.
Scene (all times in seconds)
Depth of Field - 18
Raytracing - 170
Texture - 10
Zbuffer Sort - 20
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dlamarrx
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Location: Seattle, WA
Reviews written: 32
Trusted by: 65 members
About Me:
Video Production Manager for an Advertising firm, my favorite time is spent with my family.
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