Jim..wow..thats a lot of info thank you. I looked into the Optiplex and an All in one is not my style I guess. I did look at the XPS 8700.. and I did look at the costco site and saw they had a good deal.
Not the Optiplex 9020 AIO (which is an all in one), look at the Optiplex 9020 Mini Tower.
Dell makes a variety of Optiplex models including the Optiplex 3020, 7020 and 9020. They're available in multiple form factors (Small Form Factor, Desktop and Mini Tower). See some of the new system offerings here:
http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/optiplex-desktops?~ck=bt
Note the new Optiplex 9020 Mini Tower offerings right now:
http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/o...RM_FACTOR=MTWR&3x_page=1&filterCollapsed=true
You can get one from Dell Outlet like the one that's selling for $1029 on sale for only $607 after a coupon code right now (as you'll find some equipped like it for $759 in the refurbished listings, with an available 20% off coupon code you can apply at checkout).
The refurbished machines have the same warranty as a new machine (3 years with next business day onsite service in the case of the Optiplex 9020). I've bought 5 refurbished computers from Dell Outlet so far, and they've all arrived in perfect, like new condition. If they have any cosmetic blemishes, they list them as "scratch and dent" versus refurbished.
There is no down side to buying them refurbished in my opinion (especially when they have a coupon code for 20% off the already lower refurbished pricing right now).
Again, you want the Optiplex 9020 Minitower. It's got more internal room compared to the smaller form factors, and the 9020 has 4 DIMM slots (where as the cheaper 3020 and 7020 only have 2 DIMM Slots for memory).
See my first post, and I had a screen capture showing an example of an Optiplex 9020 Mini
Tower with a Core i7 4770, 8GB of DDR3 (2x4GB leaving two lots open for more memory), 64 Bit Win 7 Pro, 1TB 7200rpm Drive, dedicated Radeon HD 8570 Video card, etc. for $759 before any coupon code. After the coupon 20% off coupon code (also linked to in my first post this thread), the price would only be $609 (and a 3 year next business day on site warranty is standard with the Optiplex Mini Tower).
A 9020 Mini Tower config equipped that way (Core i7 4770, dedicated HD 8570 video card, 8GB of DDR3, 64 bit Windows, and 1TB Drive sells l for $1029 discounted when new. I linked to a new system like that in my first post, too. This one:
http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/o...mo9020mt7p0032&model_id=optiplex-9020-desktop
Look... to see the Optiplex 9020 listings at Dell Outlet, use the check prices button from this page:
http://www.dell.com/us/dfb/p/optiplex-9020-desktop/pd?~ck=anav
Then, under the "form factor" section on the left, click on the check box for "Mini Tower". That way, you will only see the Mini Tower configurations for it (instead of the Small Form Factor, Desktop, etc.; since the Mini Tower has better expandability).
IOW, note how the boxes on the left side of screen capture below are checked.
The second screen capture below shows an example of a system with Win 8 Pro, Core i7 4770, 8GB of DDR3 (2x4GB with two slots free for more memory), dedicated HD 8570 video card (some listings only have integrated graphics), 1TB Drive and more for $769 (although I saw some for $759 last night with Win 7 Pro, as in the screen capture I included in my first post to this thread). The available listings change fairly often, and you'll see a variety of different price points for similar configs.
Again, they have a 20% off coupon right now you can apply at checkout. So, you could pick up a system like that for closer to $600 right now (around $607 for a system listing for $759), and they have a standard 3 year warranty with next business day on site service. You'll see that code this page (linked to in my first post to this thread,. too):
http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/28/...?c=us&l=en&s=dfb&dgc=SM&cid=63952&lid=5329912
Again, a system equipped like that would cost your $1029 (with the current 30% off sale price) if looking a new systems. Yet, after a coupon code, you could get one exactly like it in refurbished condition from Dell Outlet for a bit over $600.
So, do you want to spend $1029 for a new one (on sale, as it's over $1400 retail), or get one for around $607 from Dell Outlet after a coupon code? I can assure that you would not be able to tell it was refurbished versus new (I've purchased 6 machines from Dell Outlet so far, and I could not tell them from brand new boxes), and you get the same 3 year warranty that you'd get buying one new.
The Optiplex models from their business lineup like that have much better build quality than the consumer line, too (Inspiron, XPS, etc.), which is one reason a 3 year warranty with next business day on site service is standard with them.
Read my first post and I explained all of that (look for Optiplex 9020 mini tower, check the boxes for that form factor when viewing the listings for them, etc.).
Look at the original size of this new screen capture (click on the original size link beneath it) and note how I have the boxes checked on the left side (Optiplex 9020,
not the Optiplex 9020 AIO); Mini Tower checked in the forum factor section:
Here's a sample system for $769 (and if you use the 20% coupon code at checkout, that would bring the price down to only $615.20 (for a system config that sells for $1029 *on sale* when new). Just click on the link below these photos to see the larger size. You'll see listings for $759 at times, too (as in the screen capture I included in my first post to this thread).
I dont know if you have been reading but yes I do that the L501X model with the i5 and 8 gb of ram with the Nvidia 420 card.. should this model with the specs be able to run LR5 with 24mb images smoothly? Do you think Im better getting a cheaper non gaming computer vs a computer with gaming capabilities?
How can trouble shoot to see what exactly is my bottleneck problem? or is it simply that the computer just cant do it?
You'll find plenty of even less expensive configs with Core i5 4xxx CPUs in them (although most do not have a dedicated video card, some do). IOW, you could find a decent machine for around $500 after using the available 20% off coupon code at checkout.
For example, I see some configs with a Core i5 4570, 8GB of DDR3 (2x4GB leaving two free slots for more memory), 500GB drive, dedicated Radeon HD 8570 video card and 64 Bit Win 7 Pro for $630 right now (meaning that one like that would only cost you $511 after applying the available 20% off coupon code at checkout).
But, I'd go for the Core i7 4770 instead, as the price difference is very small now when looking at the refurbished listings. IOW, for an extra $100, you'd get a faster Core i7 4770 processor (that tests about 30% faster on most benchmarks compared to the Core i5 4570), and larger hard drive.
From what you're telling us, your CPU utilization becomes maxed out when processing the larger 24MP files. So, that sounds like you need a faster processor to me.
I can remember when I was helping to review a Sony A850 with 24MP raw files, and I was shocked at how much trouble they were to process and view on an older desktop I had with a CPU about the same speed as your laptop's; even though that machine worked OK with 12MP raw files from my older Sony A700
LR5 taxes a system even more than the older LR3 release, too. So, it's a good idea to have something faster than what you're using unless you're just a very patient person. ;-)
BTW, if you buy a machine with 8GB installed (2x4GB leaving two free slots), you could bring it up to 12GB total by installing 2x2GB in the two free slots (so you'd end up with the 2x4GB that shipped with it, + 2x2GB for 12GB total) for approx. $49:
http://images.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=3AD6C345A5CA7304
IOW, for around $49 (or less if you for similar memory on sale elsewhere), you could buy a machine with 2x4GB in it (8GB) and add 2x2GB and have 12GB. total. That's enough for most purposes. But, if budget permits, I'd go 16GB total instead. Just see how well one works with 8GB in it, and buy more later based on what you see for resources used when processing.
Or, if you buy one with 2x4GB (8GB installed), you could bring it up to 16GB total by using a kit of 2x4GB in the two free slots for approx. $89 (so you'd end up with 4x4GB in the 4 slots). For example this kit:
http://images.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=EB0D3D48A5CA7304
Or, you could bring it up to 24GB total by installing 2x8GB in the two free slots (so you'd end up with 2x4GB + 2x8GB) using a kit like this for $159:
http://images.crucial.com/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=76F7DE3BA5CA7304
Or, if you bought one of the configs at a decent price that only came with 4GB total using 2x2GB, just add one of those kits to expand it (it can use 2GB, 4GB or 8GB DIMMs in it's slots -- just buy memory in matched sets of two DIMMs).
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JimC
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