Screwed by Dell: AGAIN

The BBQ Pit
1

I fucking hate Dell, it’s like dealing with the Nazi Germany of Computer retailers.

I’m trying to upgrade my computer, specifically I’m trying to add 512 megs of ram to my system.

Now, I’m sitting here looking at the order form I filled out to order the system.

It SPECIFICALLY says I can upgrade up to 1 gig of ram.

I call dell to get the specifics on what what type of ram it uses, and I find that they have a sale, and I ask what the cost of an additional 512 meg dimm would cost.

“How much ram do you have?”

“512, that’s why I want another 512”

“I’m sorry dell doesn’t support more than 512 megs on that system” and hung up on me.

Arrg WTF is wrong with these assholes.

All I EVER wanted when I ordered a computer from them was a decent system I could then upgrade myself at a later date.

I can’t upgrade the intergrated sound card, because the second I do, all of the serial ports and usb ports stop working and dell tech support REFUSES to help.

So, I’m wondering of those tech savvy dopers out there, am I well and truely fucked or can I just add a 3rd party ram dimm and run with that?

2

What model machine is it?

3

4300

4

Ya know, let this be a lesson.

If you actually care about what your computer does and want to be able to upgrade it, BUILD THE DAMN THING YOURSELF. Or actually go with a company with a REPUTATION… I think I’m going to call Falcon NorthWest during my lunch break.

5

Yeah, it supports 1024 megs of ram.

Try here: http://www.crucial.com/store/listparts.asp?Mfr%2BProductline=Dell%2BDimension&mfr=Dell&cat=RAM&model=Dimension+4300+Systems&submit=Go

Crucial kicks ass.

6

I can’t believe they HUNG UP on you! You’re interested in upgrading your PC and they hang up??? Even if they were just confused about what model you had, you represent a potential sale, why treat you so rudely?

Knuckleheads.

7

Just to let you know not everyone gets screwed by Dell, I bought a Dell back in 98 with 128meg of ram. Dell said I could upgrade that by 3, i.e., adding two sticks of 128 meg each which I did last year making it a total of 384mb ram. I’m happy with Dell.

Hey, they had a sale on too at the time I ordered, cost me something like $20 with free shipping because I ordered online.

So, YMMV.

8

One complete idiot on the tech support phone lines does not a Godwin-worthy tech company make.

9

That splash screen after you exit Wizardry 8 finally sold you, huh. :wink:

10

I’m going to stay away from bashing Dell (cuz you know, some of you people here are pro-dell for some reason) but can’t you just open the case anc check it out? A stick of ram isn’t that hard to find. What type is it? SDRAM? DDR? Pull the stick that’s inside and take it with you to any computer store and they’ll be able to tell you…
…and of course, next time, BUILD IT YOURSELF! CRorex, you’ve always struck me as a very intelligent guy. What were you thinking???

11

The guy from Dell very carefully told me that I have to use Dell memory…

My problem is that I’m not horribly computer savvy.

Yeah I can replace a power unit, install new fans upgrade boards and all that other stuff, but I have no idea how it works. For all I know they burn something into their ram so it’s system specific.

I’m going to go call Crucial and talk to them. Thanks guys.

Actually lno: All of my friends who got Computer Sci degrees rave about Falcon NW. And they do build REALLY nice systems.

12

But if his mobo doesn’t support a gig of RAM then installing that second chip will, at best do nothing, at worst make the system go screwy. Always better to make sure from the manufacturer what there product supports.

13

They’re most definitely bullshitting you.

Here’s Crucial’s page for the Dimension 4300. Apparently it uses plain old PC133, and they’ve got a 512MB DIMM for a hundred bucks. You can probably find it even cheaper than that on http://pricewatch.com.

14

Ok I got it sorted out.

This really pisses me off.

One of the reasons why I bought the computer I did was because it was supposed to be upgradable to 1 gig of ram.

Now, I bought my system right when they were discontinuing the 4300 for the 4300System

However, since I selected a system when I bought it with the default 256 ram, I was shipped a 4300 Series with a max capacity of 512 megs…

Not the 4300 System (same price) with the higher capacity.

I fucking hate dell.

15

Muuuch cheaper.

http://www.pricewatch.com/1/33/2425-1.htm

$35.99 shipped.

16

CRorex, are you sure that your problem isn’t that you have 2 256 MB sticks in your computer currently, and your computer only has two dimm slots, so to upgrade to 1 gig you’d actually have to buy 2 512MB sticks instead of 1 512 MB stick and use what you already have?

-lv

17

I am in the process of building a computer. I have a 600mhz P3 from Dell, that’s getting a bit long in the tooth. It first started when I eyed that P3s were on sale for dirt cheap. I said hmmmmm maybe I should buy one and upgrade my box. Well I was out of luck because my motherboard only supports up to a certain speed. Why upgrade if I can’t get a decent MHZ increase ya know? I started doing research on motherboards, and let me say I have a new found appreciation for them. I’ll spare you the rest of my long winded story and tell you to go buy a new motherboard.

Check out http://www.tigerdirect.com.

Any questions let us know.

18

Well, I know from experience that there are at least six or seven idiots at Dell, and I have documentation to prove it. :mad:

I will NEVER EVER but another Dell product.

19

CRorex, you can purchase Dell-specific memory from places other than Dell. Tiger Direct is a good place, and their prices are usually decent.

I worked for Dell–I’ve seen their “world class customer service”. It’s going downhill faster than you can blink.

20

LOL I can go to office depot and buy Dell specific memory for 50% what dell charges.

AAAAAARRRRRGGGG I fucking hate computers! Virology, microbiology, molecular biology, chemistry, particle physics: ALL that shit is EASY to understand I pop open a computer and I can’t figure a single freaking thing out.

And I can go to bestbuy and use the foundation’s account to buy EVEN CHEAPER memory.