CHKDSK don't fail me now

[RunningMn9]

Performance-wise, the M varieties are generally a good bit slower than even the previous generation of chips (i.e. I have a laptop with an 870M that is no where close to as fast as the GTX 760 in my desktop). So to echo TheMix's link, I would expect at 1050 (non-M) to be a good deal faster.

[Kraken]

Are you a Costco member by chance? They have some great deals on gaming laptops pretty regularly. They are often the top deals on some of the deal sites.

Good point.

Costco sells The Wirecutter-recommended Inspiron 15 7000 configuration for $799 + $14.95 S&H. That's a great price for a gaming laptop with a 6GB GTX 1060.

Costco's site has been down all morning. The linked page loads, but I can't do anything with it. IDK if they sell to non-members, or how much a membership costs, and I can't find out. If I can get that machine at that price I'll pounce on it. It looks to be north of $1000 elsewhere.

[Kraken]

Performance-wise, the M varieties are generally a good bit slower than even the previous generation of chips (i.e. I have a laptop with an 870M that is no where close to as fast as the GTX 760 in my desktop). So to echo TheMix's link, I would expect at 1050 (non-M) to be a good deal faster.

That brings me back to the Dell that I linked yesterday.

At the moment, this is the deal I'm trying to beat -- either with the better 1060 card for the same-ish price, or this configuration at a lower price, or a better/cheaper variation from a different manufacturer or seller. Haven't found anything that beats the linked deal though.

Computer shopping is hard.

[JCC]

The Costco Dell's video card is MUCH better than the 1050 in the Amazon Dell. I think a Costco membership costs $50. However, they do sell some stuff on their web site to non-members. One down side to the Costco Dell is that it appears to only have the 256G SSD drive. So, you wouldn't be able to install more than a few games at a time on it.

[Kraken]

The Costco Dell's video card is MUCH better than the 1050 in the Amazon Dell. I think a Costco membership costs $50. However, they do sell some stuff on their web site to non-members. One down side to the Costco Dell is that it appears to only have the 256G SSD drive. So, you wouldn't be able to install more than a few games at a time on it.

Their website is STILL down so I might never know. Can't even load the linked page anymore. "A few games" would be adequate, although I'd like to have a big fat hard drive for all my business stuff. This laptop will only be my primary gaming machine until I can afford to replace my desktop PC later this year. After that, it will only need to do occasional vacation duty. (This is why I'm not obsessed with maxing out its capabilities, although I obviously do want to get the most possible for my $800).

I'll give Costco a few more hours to get their site together. I hope to buy something by early this evening. Still haven't found anything to beat the Dell on Amazon.

[Kraken]

Well, poop. After mostly settling on that Dell I've seen two reviews mention its crappy keyboard. Typing is what I do for a living. Now I'm afraid I might have to go back to the drawing board. Suggested alternatives in one review were MSI GE series, ASUS ROG, and Lenovo Legion. All of these appear to be over my price limit. (sigh) Might have to start over tonight.

[Daehawk]

Have you tried Craigs List? Not trying to get you killed but I see tons of laptops on there at good prices.

[TheMix]

CostCo is working for me. I noticed a number of the laptops specifically state that they are member only. That Dell does not.

[hitbyambulance]

Their website is STILL down so I might never know. Can't even load the linked page anymore.

http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/

[Daehawk]

Costco's Google link said temporarily unavailable but it loaded anyways.

[Anonymous Bosch]

It's looking like anything with that 1060 video card is out of my price range. What do you think of the 1050 vs. the GTX 960M? I'm finding a fair number of machines with either of those cards in the $800-900 range. Looks like they are both 4GB cards. Is one better than the other?

The best bang for your buck is to go with The Wirecutter-recommended Dell configuration, which includes a 6GB GTX 1060, for $799 + $14.95 S&H from CostCo.com.

If you're not a CostCo member, have your wife ask around and perhaps one of her friends/colleagues could order on your behalf. Failing that, basic Membership costs $60, or you could order direct from Dell.

[hitbyambulance]

After mostly settling on that Dell I've seen two reviews mention its crappy keyboard. Typing is what I do for a living.

if you're really set on a gaming machine (which it sounds like you are), why not get a decent external keyboard for it?

[Anonymous Bosch]

Well, poop. After mostly settling on that Dell I've seen two reviews mention its crappy keyboard. Typing is what I do for a living. Now I'm afraid I might have to go back to the drawing board. Suggested alternatives in one review were MSI GE series, ASUS ROG, and Lenovo Legion. All of these appear to be over my price limit. (sigh) Might have to start over tonight.

I wouldn't sweat it if I were you.

Realistically, you're not going to get a state-of-art mechanical keyboard at that price range, and The Wirecutter review said it was "decent" relative to other models in that price range. Worst case, adding a bluetooth keyboard later shouldn't break the bank: a Logitech K380, The Wirecutter's recommended wireless keyboard, is $26 on Amazon.

Of courrse, if you're really serious about typing, it's likely worth spending a little more for a full-blown mechanical keyboard.

[Kraken]

After mostly settling on that Dell I've seen two reviews mention its crappy keyboard. Typing is what I do for a living.

if you're really set on a gaming machine (which it sounds like you are), why not get a decent external keyboard for it?

I only need and can easily afford a simple business laptop. Since my last three business laptops were boring, cheap, disposable Dells, I want to break out a little bit and get one that can handle some casual gaming when I need to be away from home. None of its predecessors could stretch that far.

My problem is that what I really WANT is a gaming machine that I can coincidentally use primarily for business, and I'm asking for advice from a bunch of gamers. You guys are enablers. It doesn't help that my actual gaming desktop machine is 8 years old. Almost any laptop with a dedicated graphics card is going to surpass my nominal gaming machine, at least until I can afford to replace it. The idea of finally being able to play Fallout 4 makes me tear up.

It's looking like anything with that 1060 video card is out of my price range. What do you think of the 1050 vs. the GTX 960M? I'm finding a fair number of machines with either of those cards in the $800-900 range. Looks like they are both 4GB cards. Is one better than the other?

The best bang for your buck is to go with The Wirecutter-recommended Dell configuration, which includes a 6GB GTX 1060, for $799 + $14.95 S&H from CostCo.com.

If you're not a CostCo member, have your wife ask around and perhaps one of her friends/colleagues could order on your behalf. Failing that, basic Membership costs $60, or you could order direct from Dell.

I just put that bad boy in my shopping cart and I think it's going to let me check out without becoming a member. I spent enough time shopping to know that the price is unmatched anywhere else. I've been using Dell laptops for more years than I can count...can this one's keyboard be any worse than what I'm already used to? Unlikely. And as you say, if it proves to be intolerable I can buy a peripheral. The only thing about this machine that disappoints me is the lack of a big honking hard disk. After the OS and Dell's bloatware and my necessary business apps that 256GB SSD drive might feel kind of tight. But realistically speaking I wouldn't need to keep more than 2-3 games on it at a time. And my gaming desktop is currently only using 203 GB after accumulating cruft for 8 years.

One last question: I have never owned a SSD. How reliable are they? All I know is that if they fail, everything's just plain gone. There's no repairing them or recovering data. I have 30+ years of experience using hard drives and 0 with SSDs. Somebody hold my hand and tell me it's going to be ok.

EDIT: $40 surcharge for non-member. With tax and shipping it's $908. Ouch. Oh well, I did say I could spend up to $1000...I just didn't intend to actually do that. Maybe I should drop $60 on a membership instead...Wife is all excited about that...dammit, I gotta think some more.

[Anonymous Bosch]

The only thing about this machine that disappoints me is the lack of a big honking hard disk. After the OS and Dell's bloatware and my necessary business apps that 256GB SSD drive might feel kind of tight. But realistically speaking I wouldn't need to keep more than 2-3 games on it at a time. And my gaming desktop is currently only using 203 GB after accumulating cruft for 8 years.

Don't forget PC Decrapifier provides a quick, easy, and free way to clean off most of the annoying and unwanted bloatware from a new system. From the sounds of it, a 256 GB SSD should be plenty. But you can always add additional storage later, should you find it necessary -- hard drives are pretty cheap these days (e.g. you can buy a decent 2TB Portable Seagate hard drive for $65 from Amazon).

One last question: I have never owned a SSD. How reliable are they? All I know is that if they fail, everything's just plain gone. There's no repairing them or recovering data. I have 30+ years of experience using hard drives and 0 with SSDs. Somebody hold my hand and tell me it's going to be ok.

There's really nothing to be afraid of, and you'll be blown away by the difference in speed and performance. To address your reliability concerns, I'll quote PCMag's SSD vs. HDD article:

Durability: An SSD has no moving parts, so it is more likely to keep your data safe in the event you drop your laptop bag or your system is shaken about by an earthquake while it's operating. Most hard drives park their read/write heads when the system is off, but they are flying over the drive platter at a distance of a few nanometers when they are in operation. Besides, even parking brakes have limits. If you're rough on your equipment, an SSD is recommended.

...

As far as longevity, while it is true that SSDs wear out over time (each cell in a flash memory bank can be written to and erased a limited number of times), thanks to TRIM command technology that dynamically optimizes these read/write cycles, you're more likely to discard the system for obsolescence (after six years or so) before you start running into read/write errors with an SSD. If you're really worried, there are several tools that monitor the S.M.A.R.T. status of your hard drive or SSD, and will let you know if you're approaching the drive's rated end of life. Hard drives will eventually wear out from constant use as well, since they use physical recording methods. Longevity is a wash when it's separated from travel and ruggedness concerns.

[JCC]

Looks like the Costco price is $150 below the ($50 off) sale price from Dell. Pretty good deal.

[Kraken]

Looks like the Costco price is $150 below the ($50 off) sale price from Dell. Pretty good deal.

The out-the-door price for the identical machine is $1009 directly from Dell vs. $908 at Costco ($928 if I buy their membership). At Dell I could add a secondary hard drive for an additional $50, but I'd have to drop to a 128GB SSD; that configuration isn't available thru Costco. So Costco wins by $101.

Now I'm just poking around Costco's website to see if I would ever order anything else from them. I'm not much of a shopper. I see that they sell Cyberpower desktop machines and have a link to configure a Cyberpower from their page. I wonder if there's any price advantage over buying directly from Cyberpower. I do intend to buy a desktop later this year, and I am predisposed toward Cyberpower. If a Costco membership gives me any price advantage it is a no-brainer.

EDIT: A bit of quick research indicates no advantage over buying directly from Cyber, and in fact it complicates returns/warranty/service issues to have two retailers involved. Costco's liberal returns policy apparently doesn't apply to custom-built PCs. So that's not an argument for a costco membership.

[JCC]

If you have a Costco warehouse in town, a membership is well worth it IMO. My wife and I primarily use it just for "bulk" recurring necessities. (ie. paper towels, toilet paper, cat litter, laundry detergent, dishwasher liquid, etc.). Costco typically has lower prices for gas as well. Generally, there are many bargains to be had there depending on the day. And, there are often some good deals on electronics (like laptops, tablets, phones, etc) when you are in the market for one of them (like right now).

[Kraken]

Well, the bottom line without a membership was $908.37 vs $925.87 with the membership. For $17.50, I'll take the membership. Just hope that I can set it to not renew automatically.

The trigger is pulled and the computer will be mine in 3-5 business days. I appreciate everybody's help, especially Mr Bosch for finding this deal and gently steering me back to it when I strayed. I spent enough time shopping to satisfy myself that there is currently no better deal out there on a gaming laptop.

[RunningMn9]

Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Anonymous Bosch]

If memory serves, Costco tacks on a 5% surcharge for non-Costco members when ordering from their web site (hence the increase in price you saw).

While Costco.com does have some great deals, a Costco membership is more about shopping at their warehouse stores. That's where your savings really add up, if you shop intelligently (i.e. avoid overbuying and wasting what was purchased). Costco's policy is to mark up its goods by a maximum of 15% over its cost, which is a fairly good indicator of how reasonable their prices usually are. Their petrol is typically also signifcantly cheaper than anywhere else, too.

So I'd suggest finding the nearest warehouse in your area and taking a look around sometime (you don't need membership just to browse around the store).

Anyway, glad I could help, and I wish you all the best with the shiny new rig.

[Kraken]

There's a warehouse just a few miles from home. One of these days I'll stock up on enough paper goods and the like to earn back my $60. These things are only a good deal insofar as they don't encourage you to spend a lot of money that you wouldn't have spent anyway...meaning that I must never take Wife there with me.

[Anonymous Bosch]

Heh. Wait until you see how affordable their beer and alcohol tends to be (not to mention their meat and produce, which tends to be of top-notch quality)

But yes, trouble n' strife + Costco = Danger, Will Robinson!

[Isgrimnur]

In Texas, they have to sell alcohol to anyone. No member restrictions permitted by TABC.

[Daehawk]

Dont forget to get your $1.50 hotdog and drink.

[Kraken]

In Texas, they have to sell alcohol to anyone. No member restrictions permitted by TABC.

And in MA, minimum prices are set by the state. If they're licensed to sell alcohol at all -- grocers cannot -- Costco might be a little lower than my usual packie, but it won't be stoopid cheap.

[TheMix]

The key for me with CostCo is to go all the time. I found that the more I shopped there, the easier it was to stick to the basics. We still will splurge, but it's more likely to just be one "new" item to try, Most of what we pick up is well established for us. (Oh... avoid the "cheese" filled pretzels appetizers like the plague!)

Our store often has really good deals on clothing. $13 for a pair of jeans is pretty nice.

I've always heard really good things about the quality of their meats there as well. I'm pretty clueless when it comes to steaks, but we really like their steelhead trout.

And as Daehawk mentioned, their hot dogs are pretty tasty, and very cheap.

[Carpet_pissr]

I was just about to post that Costco has these Dells on sale quite often, but since you had already ordered...
https://slickdeals.net/f/11281943-costc ... x-1060-799

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming Laptop: i5 7300HQ, 256GB SSD, GTX 1060
$800 + Free In-Warehouse Pickup or $15 S/H

Walmart also had the upgraded version of this (i7 CPU, and higher res screen) for $999. Amazing hardware for that price.


Dell Inspiron 15 7000 4K Gaming Laptop: i7-7700HQ, GTX 1060, 16GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 15.6" 3840x2160 4K Ultra HD Anti-Glare IPS LED Display
$999 FS

[Kraken]

It's setup time.

[Daehawk]

I know its too late and a little over budget but had to show you this from my email just now.

[Anonymous Bosch]

It's setup time.

Spiffy! Remember, The PC Decrapifier is a great way to get rid of any unwanted preinstalled bloatware.

[Kraken]

Same video card. Twice as much RAM but a smaller SSD and $400 more than I spent. Not impressed.

I am beginning to understand why you guys like your fast internet connections though. Windows has been updating for 3 hours and it's still only at 92%. Ordinarily I don't care that mine is slow...but dayum. A year ago my ISP told me that I could get 30 mbps instead of the 5 that I have if I wanted to trade in my modem. I have not bothered, because who needs all that speed? Well, I guess I do now.

[Kraken]

It's setup time.

Spiffy! Remember, The PC Decrapifier is a great way to get rid of any unwanted preinstalled bloatware.

There wasn't much, to Dell's credit. I uninstalled McAfee AV but left the McAfee web whatever-it-is because it seems harmless. Probably should have uninstalled the Office 365 trial, too. Just installed Office 2007 without any problems.

Do you like Decrapifier better than CCleaner?

[Anonymous Bosch]

It's setup time.

Spiffy! Remember, The PC Decrapifier is a great way to get rid of any unwanted preinstalled bloatware.

There wasn't much, to Dell's credit. I uninstalled McAfee AV but left the McAfee web whatever-it-is because it seems harmless. Probably should have uninstalled the Office 365 trial, too. Just installed Office 2007 without any problems.

Do you like Decrapifier better than CCleaner?

PC Decrapifier is better for removing the annoyances most PC vendors tend to preinstall with a brand new PC. CCleaner is better for cleaning temporary files and the detritus left over by other software.

[Kraken]

Well I'm down to "only" 170GB free and I'm not done installing and moving files yet, so I'm going to keep things tidy. I have always done so anyway, just a lifelong habit dating from the days of 5.25" floppies. I did nuke the Office 365 trial after I was sure Office 2007 is happy.

There's a fair amount of WTF? items (like RTHDVCPL, RtHDVBg_PushButton, etc) that I assume are better left alone.

[Daehawk]

Thats your Realtek audio stuff.

[Carpet_pissr]

It's setup time.

Spiffy! Remember, The PC Decrapifier is a great way to get rid of any unwanted preinstalled bloatware.

There wasn't much, to Dell's credit. I uninstalled McAfee AV but left the McAfee web whatever-it-is because it seems harmless. Probably should have uninstalled the Office 365 trial, too. Just installed Office 2007 without any problems.

Do you like Decrapifier better than CCleaner?

Remove McAfee crap completely and watch your computer feel 45% faster instantly. I wiped the drive of a Dell XPS 15 that I got recently, and just removing the McAfee goo sped it up immensely (this was before I upgraded the SSD).

[Kraken]

I think I munged the setup for Outlook 2007. I can't quite figure out how I did that, so I can't look up how to undo it.

All of my email accounts are writing to separate .pst files (e.g. outlmarketing@curiocityonline.com-0000000c.pst) and displaying individual inboxes. I want everything going into the same inbox in plain old outlook.pst, the way they always used to.

Do I need to reinstall outlook and start over, or is there a setting that will change this? First I had a bitch of a time getting the new install to load my old .pst file, and now I'm having a bitch of a time recreating all of my email accounts.

EDIt: Nevermind, I'm reinstalling. Pretty sure I answered a question wrong when I was setting it up.

EDIT2: It ain't that easy. Uninstalling/reinstalling did not reinitialize as if the program were new. Even manually deleting the Program Files (x86)/Microsoft folder did not get rid of that; must be a registry thing. So I'm back where I started: Outlook is functional, but each mail account has its own set of folders and its own .pst file.

I don't have any more time to bang my head against this today, but ultimately I still want to fix it and would appreciate help. In short, I want all of my email accounts to use the same set of personal folders and the same outlook.pst file. I am willing to uninstall/reinstall and start over again, but only if it will work!

EDIT3: OK, I think I got all new messages to appear in my general inbox when I set up the Send/Receive group. At least it looks like it's working right. Time to move on....

[JCC]

The Dell you ordered is such a good deal, Gamespot made it a news article!

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cheap ... 0-6456914/

[Kraken]

Here's an easier question (I hope).

I have a folder called Favorites containing (almost) all of my bookmarks from Firefox. Where do I drop that folder to make the bookmarks appear?