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  1. #1

    alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    I know nothing about building computers. I have a few guides saved explaining what to buy,but dont actually know what any of the parts do or what the numbers mean,etc.

    My question is, would I be better off trying to build one without knowing what I am doing, or just buying one from alienware?

    The main goal is price effeciency and balance between reasonable performance and reasonable cost. I will have around $1k to spend,but a little over wouldnt be too bad.

    With that in mind, is it worth learning to build my own computer, or should I just buy one from alienware to make sure i dont mess something up/buy the wrong parts/etc?

  2. #2
    Mechagnome loveshack's Avatar
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    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    I dont know much about Pc's, but i can tell you one thing, alienware is wayyyyy overraided and overpriced. Go to Newegg.com for the best deals for computer parts, and build the pc yourself. I guarantee you, it will be much cheaper then buying an alienware, and much better.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mad_Murdock View Post
    Dictonary, get one!
    Irony at its best ^^^

  3. #3

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Everybody builds their "first" computer.
    I was nervous as hell when I built my first, but I wasn't clueless. I knew what the different pieces did and where they go on the motherboard.
    The hardest part I had on my first build was figuring out that the POST code I was getting was because the default ram voltage on my board was to low.

    It would be good if you knew someone you could call if you run into issues..
    Quote Originally Posted by kumduh View Post
    @Wingwraith: You can haz a point too, but only because you admit you're a tool!

  4. #4
    Mechagnome loveshack's Avatar
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    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    GEEK SQUAD! BAM

    I am pretty sure Geek Squad does homecalls lol, might cost you though, but no doubt they could help if your new at building pcs.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mad_Murdock View Post
    Dictonary, get one!
    Irony at its best ^^^

  5. #5

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Quote Originally Posted by Wingwraith
    Everybody builds their "first" computer.
    I was nervous as hell when I built my first, but I wasn't clueless. I knew what the different pieces did and where they go on the motherboard.
    The hardest part I had on my first build was figuring out that the POST code I was getting was because the default ram voltage on my board was to low.

    It would be good if you knew someone you could call if you run into issues..
    I dont know anybody that knows any more than I do about computers. If I do go for the building one, I will be frequenting forums to make sure I have good pieces/etc,before I order them,etc. Speaking of which, does anyone know a good site for that?

    Thanks for responses so far :]

    Ohh I didnt even think of geek squad. I will give them a call, I think

  6. #6

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    I wouldn't go for Alienware if you don't know how to build a PC.
    It isn't exactly hard but not something you want to mess around with.
    I'd go buy a Hewlett Packard ready made, they do some excellent PC's for the price and more than powerful enough for gaming.

    You'll save some money that way.

  7. #7
    Mechagnome loveshack's Avatar
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    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Quote Originally Posted by Brailiem
    I dont know anybody that knows any more than I do about computers. If I do go for the building one, I will be frequenting forums to make sure I have good pieces/etc,before I order them,etc. Speaking of which, does anyone know a good site for that?

    Thanks for responses so far :]

    Ohh I didnt even think of geek squad. I will give them a call, I think
    good site, with the best prices, as i mentioned in my post above newegg.com

    enjoy, and good luck with it =)

    Quote Originally Posted by Mad_Murdock View Post
    Dictonary, get one!
    Irony at its best ^^^

  8. #8

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Quote Originally Posted by loveshack
    GEEK SQUAD! BAM

    I am pretty sure Geek Squad does homecalls lol, might cost you though, but no doubt they could help if your new at building pcs.
    lol @ geek squad... they charge like $200 to install/setup a home network last time I checked, so I can only imagine what they would charge to put together a PC.

    Anyways, what I would recommend is ibuypower.com or cyberpowerpc.com
    They have the most reasonable prices and they don't overcharge you for putting it all together. It's pretty much like building your own PC, you get to choose just about every single component, except that they do it all for you and ship it to your door + it comes with a warranty.
    [23:43:22] [P] [85:Bowsjob]: If its between 2 holy pallys its gonna be a gear fight most likely

  9. #9

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    It's better to learn than to waste $200 - 300 for names and brands that will have a shorter lifespan simply because they were assembled en masse.

    Tomshardware is a decent website for forums, but their news and articles are bad. If you tell us what you need we could probably help as well.

    Preferably post whether you need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and an operating system. And if there are any brands you prefer that would help.
    Shop around, use price comparison websites to find the best deals, there are websites with people who are always looking for really great deals. I recently found a few 40gb SSDs for $60 each which would usually cost upwards of $100 .

    As mentioned above, Ibuypower and Cyberpowerpc are pretty good, but you're not always guaranteed to get quality brands.
    Errors using inadequate data are much less than those using no data at all. - Charles Babbage

  10. #10

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Quote Originally Posted by None

    As mentioned above, Ibuypower and Cyberpowerpc are pretty good, but you're not always guaranteed to get quality brands.
    Of course, but if you don't end up getting quality brands then you only have yourself to blame because you are the one picking out just about every single component inside the PC. I agree that they may not offer the widest selection of brands, but when it comes to most components they do offer a decent variety of quality and budget brands.
    [23:43:22] [P] [85:Bowsjob]: If its between 2 holy pallys its gonna be a gear fight most likely

  11. #11

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Thanks for all the replys, looks like building it myself is the way to go. I will look into those sites, and try back here if I get stuck or cant get help from them. Thanks again for the advice =]

  12. #12

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Maybe I was doing something wrong, but when I added all the parts to the cart it ended up being roughly the same cost as a BTO computer :S (including halfway decent peripherals and software). Plus, I'd rather have the piece of mind buying a BTO computer under warranty... let some one else fix it. Wouldn't have the time (or patience) otherwise :-\

    Anyway, I found this when I was interested in building a computer, so maybe you'll find it useful!

    http://electronics.howstuffworks.com...a-computer.htm

  13. #13

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    How much money do you have? I'm sure this forum could make a list of parts that fit together if you are unsure on what parts you want.

    My advice is, get at least 800 euro before buying a pc. If you pay less then that you'll probably end up with a system and gets old very fast and it will probably cost you more in the long run.


  14. #14

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Quote Originally Posted by nwo
    Of course, but if you don't end up getting quality brands then you only have yourself to blame because you are the one picking out just about every single component inside the PC. I agree that they may not offer the widest selection of brands, but when it comes to most components they do offer a decent variety of quality and budget brands.
    "Corsair or other major brand" pretty much speaks for itself?
    Errors using inadequate data are much less than those using no data at all. - Charles Babbage

  15. #15

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Don't go for alienware or any other ready built rigs. Those are always over-rated and overpriced for some branding and cool neon lights.

    Go on google, type in search terms like "Best CPU for gaming" or "Best mobo for gaming" and you'll get thousands of reviews on what brand and what model to buy.

    The installation is super easy, only tricky part is connecting the stupid cables from the case to the motherboard, but that isn't really hard either, just requires good eye sight...

    Always build your own if you can, you will end up with a computer of much higher quality and will save a lot of money.

    If you're still in doubt as to what parts to buy, just search or look through the countless number of "Is this computer good enough for wow" threads that's already in this Computer forum.

  16. #16

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    These threads are always full of people insisting you build your own. I used to be the same way, but eventually realized that some people just don't want to be bothered. And while assembling the pc is pretty easy, there are a few things that could seem too complicated for the beginner; front panel connections, OS tweaking, drivers and, if you get unlucky and get a bad part, troubleshooting and finding out what it is.

    Alienware is very overpriced but not all prebuilts are. If you get in on a good deal with a coupon you can find some good prices on Dells sometimes (you can also overpay with Dell, so buyer beware here). CyberPowerPC has very reasonable prices on prebuilts as well, and are sold through newegg - no tax unless you live in Jersey or Cali. Not sure how you Canucks do your taxes, but as of a few years ago newegg ships there too.

    If you have an interest in technology and would like to build your own but are afraid you might run into problems, go for it. It's not that hard and if you do run into problems online forums are a free source for help. If you aren't into tech and just want a working PC for WoW, look into the prebuilt options I suggested.

  17. #17

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Only build your "First" computer if you dont mind spending some time on learning about them.

    They are easy to assemble if every thing goes to plan just install drivers and happy days. If some thing goes wrong it will take time to solve.

    If you dont mind putting the time into it you will get a much better bang for your buck when self building.

  18. #18

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Quote Originally Posted by loveshack
    GEEK SQUAD! BAM

    I am pretty sure Geek Squad does homecalls lol, might cost you though, but no doubt they could help if your new at building pcs.
    No. Never. Never give business to Geek Squad.

    They are terrible, most of them shouldn't even be working there.

    They also charge INSANE prices.

  19. #19

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Stay away from alienware unless money isn't an issue, even so you can save much more building your own, Personally I'd never buy an alienware again, although it was a laptop, the overheating problems was unreal.

  20. #20

    Re: alienware vs building a gaming computer?

    Building your own computer for gaming used to be the only way to go still few years back to get the best bang for your buck, but that advice does not really hold anymore.

    Currently big brands like Dell and HP for example have setups that are designed for gaming with high performance components all the way up to SSD boot discs and SLI/Crossfire GFX cards and you can actually get the whole rig cheaper than DIY guys in the end. Remember that big brands offer much better warranty than you get by buying bulk components off from some parts shack in the middle of nowhere, and the operating system comes along bundled at very low cost even if the rest of the bundled software sucks ass.

    Even if you buy OEM version of Win7 it's rather expensive for single copy and will in most cases negate whatever you're saving by DIY. And before somebody mentions pirating the OS... It's not really recommended anymore and bigger pain in the ass than just bying it. Win7 is locked down so hard that if you pirate it you will miss updates, and not updating your OS with current abundance of trojans/malware/hacks is just plain stupid. Free alternatives such as some distro of linux just isn't an option for gaming rig either.
    Never going to log into this garbage forum again as long as calling obvious troll obvious troll is the easiest way to get banned.
    Trolling should be.

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