Hello GH
I am with you all the way with your advice - if the PO can wait - big
changes are due in 2007.

TO BZ,
You may find that spending money now will be a waste.
And in the meantime, Google and do some research with those review sites and
performance forums - I did for my last two 'build to order' systems - have
not regretted it.
If you want some links/suggestions, come back.
Your current system should be OK - had you got a 3Ghz P4 then 400w would
have been minimum.  If yours has the Prescott chip they do run hot.
The 9800 is/was a cracking GPU in my opinion, but I think over the last year
or so, Ati have lost it a bit.  My latest has nVidia.
An upgrade of GPU with a 2.8 may not give any great increase in
performance - mind you there are two camps of thought - low to med CPU with
high end GPU no great increase in performance compared to a low to mid range
CPU coupled with mid range GPU - BUT  high end GPU needs a 3.2 or better
CPU(so the argument goes)for a better performance - but then you have not
said what is your usage of your system.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Rgds
Antioch

I don't have a Dell.  I have been building my own system(s) for at least 10
years now.  My office uses only Dell and HP.  And I really like their
designs.  They are fast (most of them in my office are 3.2g P4), and
absolutely quiet!

But the ones in my office can't run any game.  So, I check Dell and find
that the XPS 400 has a great design that I cannot build myself.  The design
of the XPS case and the use of BTX motherboard is absolutely wonderful.  The
interior is nice and clean.  All the Dell are much much quieter than any of
the HP in my office, or anything that I have ever built.

I don't know what motherboard they use for the Dell but I know the HP uses
Foxcon that is very solid... physically!!

One example for the design is that if you have a Creative sound card, you
cannot route the output to the jacks in the front of any case.  Becasue they
don't sell any cable to plug to the sound card.  On the other hand, they do
sell the cable to Dell and HP.

The second reason is that if I am going to build the same Dell, I will be
paying alot more.

I have a Cooler Master Centrior case, a Antec 350, Asus P4P800 with a 2.8g
P4, Sound Blaster Audigy 2, and ATI 9800Pro.  If I am going to upgrade to
PCI-E motherboard, I need to replace all of these and format the hard drive
to reinstall everything.

So... I think the reason  is:
1) I can't buy any off the shelf stuffs that can match the design of the
Dell
2) Dell is cheaper than DIY.

My second plan of buying a new Dell is to replace the 375 power suppy with a
450 or 500 one.  I did this once but the new power supply didn't fit their
case.  So, I needed to "made" it fit.... forcefully and phyically!! ;-)

The last reason for a new system is that I want to play GTR and the upcoming
GTR2.  (GTR runs horriblely slow in my system.)  I am running F1-2002 pretty
good in my current system... but... "pretty good" is not quite enough... I
guess... ;-)  I want more... more power Scotty!!

I don't play any FPS.  not a fan for those.  but simulations I like!

I play mostly simulations... like F1-2002, and GTR, and MAME.

Not a fan of FPS.  I got headache playing any of these.

But GTR really take a bite on my system.  So, I am thinking to just burn
some cash and get a Dell.

Oh...

Sorry... it is not 7600... it is ATI X1600Pro with 512Meg.

The XPS400 comes with a 375W power supply.  I doubt this guy can drive the
7900.  On the other hand, the XPS600 does come with a 600W ps.  But... I
think the XPS600 is not a bargin.  First of all, it is almost 2 grands...
and I think you don't really need a 7900 to play game.  For 2 grands, I
would buy a XBox or a Wii instead.