system dying

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ArtGirl

Re: system dying

Post by ArtGirl »

Just to warn any newcomers: https://www.consumeraffairs.com/compute ... tml?page=2
Monitor I purchased was fine, but not honest customer service/lied that tower shipped when not booked in the sale, then saw the trustpilot reviews ... emailed to cancel formally, and arranged bank block any further payments, and will be looking elsewhere for pc.
lmuserx4849

Re: system dying

Post by lmuserx4849 »

Whatever you purchase, I'd also suggest buying a battery backup with surge protection to protect your investment.

Bought a couple of Dell XPS 8920 at a local Costco (US). Just wanted the hardware and they have a reputation for good customer service/exchanges, which is a good thing since one was dead out of the box. Don't expect to deal with Dell itself, hopefully. Although, I suppose if we ever need/want to update the firmware we'll have to get it from their site. I'm not 100% sure they'll provide an update for a pure linux system.

We have a local Best Buy (US) and have had good luck with them. They will match most prices. I dislike that all these places push service plans. I mean, the hardware is either built well, or junk, no.

I've gone to a small regional place with a shopping list. It was hit or miss with them too.

We installed Linux Mint successfully, but after some Dell bios changes. It's been awhile since I examined a bios in detail and was amazed at all the code at that level now. Actually kind of scary. I don't want the bios communicating with the outside world! I'm surprised that we don't hear more about this from the open source community.


From the Dell Community Forum:
Dell has not tested/validated the 8920 with Ubuntu, it also isn't listed as being certified by Ubuntu ( certification.ubuntu.com/ )

This doesn't mean that it won't work, just that if you have any issues installing or running it, you will not be supported.

Can I use ubuntu on dell xps desktop 8920?
At https://certification.ubuntu.com/deskto ... ndors=Dell, checkout supported desktops. If it works for Ubuntu, it certainly will work for Linux Mint.

You could try: PC Mag gaming review.

Since this thread started in Sept, what did you end up buying?
ArtGirl

Re: system dying

Post by ArtGirl »

lmuserx4849 wrote:Whatever you purchase, I'd also suggest buying a battery backup with surge protection to protect your investment.
We have a local Best Buy (US) and have had good luck with them. They will match most prices. I dislike that all these places push service plans. I mean, the hardware is either built well, or junk, no.
I've gone to a small regional place with a shopping list. It was hit or miss with them too.
We installed Linux Mint successfully, but after some Dell bios changes. It's been awhile since I examined a bios in detail and was amazed at all the code at that level now. Actually kind of scary. I don't want the bios communicating with the outside world! I'm surprised that we don't hear more about this from the open source community.
You could try: PC Mag gaming review.
Since this thread started in Sept, what did you end up buying?
Thank you lmuserx4849; great ideas and links. Yes, I think some of these places like 'broken' and FUD, so they can sell more service plans! Nice if you can know what to look for in the deals at places, and great that Costco sorted out the one that was faulty.

Glad you got Mint installed successfully (I had to make some Lenovo bios changes when I came over in May). I agree; maximum privacy/security is critical ... with all the kernel/microcode patching at this time, issues such as this really are getting a much bigger spotlight, and large companies surely realise they get found out and people start to migrate elsewhere. AMD is certainly doing well from this, and, as far as I've read around, seems to have a decent reputation. That's where I'll buy next.

I actually actioned an order cancellation asap, and was lucky ... everything was sorted within a couple of days. In hindsight, doing that has been a good thing twice over, as the Dell system would have needed patching and that hardware would have been there in future years, whereas a new AMD, especially later on this year, won't contain that hardware. Glad to wait for the AMD purchase. This system is working excellently on the kernel updates, while waiting for the microcode update, so luckily no panic needed.
Allison

Re: system dying

Post by Allison »

I'd also suggest buying a battery backup with surge protection
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