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  1. #1

    Looking into Alienware Desktop.. Thoughts?

    Hey guys,

    I'm looking into buying a new desktop computer since my current one is pretty old and I'm ready to upgrade. I've always admired the Alienware products and while they may not be as good as some custom built gaming computers, I feel like they're a good entry level gaming computer even though the price tag may be a bit higher. I was just wondering on every ones thoughts about this and whether or not I'm making a mistake by purchasing one. To specify, I'm looking into the X51 equipped with the 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3770 (8M Cache, up to 3.4 GHz), NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 660 1.5GB GDDR5 and 8GB2 Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1600MHz (And yes I copied straight from the website ) I have read up on it and know about the external power source, which really doesn't bother me, and I've read some reviews about it's performance, But I figured the best thing to do is talk to the masses and see what they think.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Stood in the Fire CoolHwip46's Avatar
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    for the money you would spend on an alienware, you could build yourself a VERY nice setup. building computers is not hard at all, just gotta take the leap and try.

  3. #3
    Deleted
    You are much much better off buying from another retailer, or building one yourself. Alienware are notorious for overpricing. You could, in some cases shave off 1000 euro if you went and just built it yourself.

    A better question to ask would be what do you want to do with the system? You say entry level gaming, what games do that include, the specs on the pc you linked aren' all that bad but that system, could be built quite cheaply and then you can get exactly what you want from it.

  4. #4
    Mechagnome Spalding's Avatar
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    Have a look at Origin computers (check on google) They're very flashy like alienware but better for price!

  5. #5
    The Lightbringer Bluesftw's Avatar
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    search for same components (exept case i guess since its alienware unique?) and compare how much you overpay for just components , then decide if its worth it for flashy case.

  6. #6
    Blademaster
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    If $$ isn't an issue, do what you would like to do. I absolutley love mine. Got it in OCT2013, 24" dell monitor, GTX690 is beast, way too much for WOW, but I kinda just went all out on the GPU. Yes, cheaper to build your own, my thing was having the extended warranty on the whole thing as opposed to having individual 1 year part warranties...preference I guess. Do what you want man! If you want to save a few bucks, make your own or pick a different company. yes, alienware is up-priced, but looks sick....all up to the individual.

  7. #7
    Typical Alienware gaming build there, selling you an i7 when you really do not need it. If you are not doing heavy video rendering or things of that nature and i7 is pretty much completely wasted on gaming. In the world of buying it yourself that adds about $100 to a build, in the Alienware world it's probably adding closer to $250 to the build. What they then do is use cheaper PSUs and MoBos and other components to cut corners then charge you full price. It's not too big of a deal since they come with warranties, but personally I'd rather use higher quality components, that cost less since I am doing it myself and have less of a chance something goes wrong.

    Just in general, especially around here, you will hear a lot of advice to stay away from Alienware. If you have the disposable income and really just don't care though, it's not a bad choice. If you could use a few extra dollars in your pocket and have a little free time though, you can save yourself quite a bit.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by CoolHwip46 View Post
    for the money you would spend on an alienware, you could build yourself a VERY nice setup. building computers is not hard at all, just gotta take the leap and try.
    ^^Agreed 100%. I recently took the leap and built my very first rig, and it’s not nearly as difficult as you may think. I was hesitant as well, but just couldn’t bring myself to spend the kind of money that custom PC builders want to charge. To each their own, but in all honesty I am so incredibly happy that I decided to build mine myself. Do your research, as for help on these forums or others, and take your time. Once you understand it all, you are going to save MASSIVE amounts of money…

  9. #9
    Thanks for the responses guys, It's much appreciated! While I do like the look of the Alienware cases alot, I'm not completely afraid of tapping into building one either (my brother built his, so I have some help if needed) and sacrificing the case. That being said, does anyone have a good link to a site where I can look at and review components I would need

  10. #10
    Yeah Alienware is pricy for paying for the brand. You could always try http://www.ibuypower.com/lobby.aspx. They arent to crazily priced and have warranties. And you could always build a rig yourself

  11. #11
    Not sure what alienware cases look like now, but you should be able to find a really sleek case with a similar style
    something like http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156078 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811146025 just off page 1 of best rating on newegg

  12. #12
    I would really recommend assembling your own, but if you really want a pre-build, there is a lot of cheaper options.

  13. #13
    The Unstoppable Force Belize's Avatar
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    Just to clarify the whole "Alienware is overpriced" point, only their desktop are too expensive (which sadly is what you're looking at). Their laptops are very well built and have very goo hardware for the price.

  14. #14
    I am Murloc! crakerjack's Avatar
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    You'll regret it man... you'll just learn how to build computers eventually and you'll look back and compare the price ranges... 10/10 times you'll be pissed that you bought it... and take note, that card isn't the Nvidia 660 TI... it's the 660m... meaning laptop version of the card. For the same price, you can build a gaming computer with atleast a 660 TI which is WAY better than what you're getting. Just learn how to build computers... it's not hard... unless you're dumbfounded when ever you have to put things together. It's like legos... each piece has a designated spot where it can fit... you can't force it somewhere or else it won't fit.
    Most likely the wisest Enhancement Shaman.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Theprophecy2186 View Post
    Thanks for the responses guys, It's much appreciated! While I do like the look of the Alienware cases alot, I'm not completely afraid of tapping into building one either (my brother built his, so I have some help if needed) and sacrificing the case. That being said, does anyone have a good link to a site where I can look at and review components I would need
    PCPartpicker.com is an excellent site for building your own. It shops all the popular sites and gives you the cheapest, will include combo deal from certain retailers(newegg and Microcenter) and also has a Wattage estimator for PSU and checks parts for compatibility.

    On the other hand, if you have not built before and are a little lost, just go to the sticky and get the format for advice on building. Post it here, in this thread, no need to start a new one, and the helpful people here will put something together for you that will suit your needs.

  16. #16
    Don't go alienware. I implore anyone considering the company to NOT buy from them. They're overpriced and just not built well. It's clever marketing that makes people think they are the "powerhouses" of the PC gaming industry. But you can definitely build a cheaper computer or just buy one of comparable build and setup for a fraction of the price.

    With alienware you pay for a name and some keyboard lights.

  17. #17
    Deleted
    Quote Originally Posted by Durka View Post
    If $$ isn't an issue, do what you would like to do. I absolutley love mine. Got it in OCT2013, 24" dell monitor, GTX690 is beast, way too much for WOW, but I kinda just went all out on the GPU. Yes, cheaper to build your own, my thing was having the extended warranty on the whole thing as opposed to having individual 1 year part warranties...preference I guess. Do what you want man! If you want to save a few bucks, make your own or pick a different company. yes, alienware is up-priced, but looks sick....all up to the individual.
    YOU TIME TRAVELER!

    I, personally, wouldn't recommend it for the OP, because you don't really need the i7 and all that. For $40 more (before combo and rebates), you can get an unlocked 3770k CPU, a 7870XT and an SSD, as demonstrated below:

    PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

    CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
    CPU Cooler: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 45.0 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
    Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LE PLUS ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)
    Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($174.99 @ Best Buy)
    Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($153.30 @ NCIX US)
    Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($172.99 @ Adorama)
    Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($238.99 @ SuperBiiz)
    Case: Thermaltake Level 10 GTS (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
    Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
    Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($67.99 @ NCIX US)
    Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional (OEM) (64-bit) ($129.98 @ Outlet PC)
    Total: $1463.19
    (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
    (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-08 12:16 EDT-0400)

    EDIT: and even if you don't have a Microcenter within easy traveling distance, you'll still only be $20 more for a much better experience.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Belize View Post
    Just to clarify the whole "Alienware is overpriced" point, only their desktop are too expensive (which sadly is what you're looking at). Their laptops are very well built and have very goo hardware for the price.
    Laptop I wouldn't call that cheap, nor reasonable for those specs.

    OP: Just build yourself a comp, you can get an awesome one for half the price of an alienware one.
    ||i5 3570k @ 4.4GHz||H100 push/pull||AsRock Z77 Extreme4||16Gb G.Skill Ripjaws 1600MHz||Gigabyte Windforce GTX 970|| Coolermaster Storm Trooper||Corsair TX850 Enthusiast Series||Samsung 840 Pro 128gb(boot drive)||1TB WD HDD, 2x 3TB WD HDD, 2TB WD HDD||

    Bdk Nagrand / Astae Nagrand
    Pokemon X FC: 4656-7679-2545/Trainer Name: Keno

  19. #19
    Deleted
    I'm surprised noone has asked this yet:

    What do you actually want to do on the new computer?

    - Gaming? If so:
    -- Which games?
    -- At what resolution?
    -- At what desired graphic settings?

    - Will you be doing any streaming or recording while gaming? If so:
    -- At what resolution?

    Basically, give us an idea of what you want the computer to accomplish. This is all to get advice on what to buy, and I want to warn you ahead of time: It's not going to be an alienware machine. I know they look cool, I would buy a case from them if it was for sale (and reasonably priced), but basically... you're buying into a really, really, REALLY expensive Dell.

  20. #20
    I am Murloc! Cyanotical's Avatar
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    okay, lets clear a few things up:

    -in the $1300-$2000 range, Alienware are one of the least overpriced OEMs
    -for $1500 you can build a better computer than an Alienware Aurora, but if won't run games any better
    -Alienware is owned by Dell, meaning you get better support than just about any other OEM
    -Alienware computers are neither poorly built or cheap junk, they are actually pretty high in terms of build quality

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