29 replies to this topic

[DJ Night Force 9]

Re-opened.I think it is a perfectly fair question to ask the Dgemu community for opinions to supplement the numerous reviews out there (especially since the other alienware topic on this board hasn't been touched since Novemeber 2007).I will start with my opinion. Personally, I think they are far too overpriced. The cases do look very aesthetically appealing but it is not worth paying double price even for that. I have seen the specs on say an $8000 computer from alienware and I had a friend build me one with similar specs for half the price. Building is the way to go if you want a high end PC at minimal cost and if you don't know how to build one, try and find someone who does (preferably they will have excellent taste in choosing hardware to suit your needs). Now with laptops, that's a different story. While they are still very pricey, they do seem to make some pretty darn good laptops and I can't say I know many people who build laptops from scratch (it's likely way harder to accomplish).Another thing to mention is that I have heard far too many horror stories about Alienware to make me feel comfortable doing business with their company. Everything from a ludicrous restocking fee (even if the thing doesn't work no matter how many times it's sent back to them for repair) to people not receiving exactly what they ordered (check consumeraffairs.com and you'll see a whole slew of these "stories").So yeah, if you're getting a laptop, have LOTS of money to invest, and don't mind the risk of dealing with poor customer service, then go for it. However, if you want a desktop PC and want more freedom to choose your parts, then I recommend building one yourself (or as I said before, finding someone who can).

[Shadow]

Building is always cheaper and you usually get better parts (ex: a real branded mobo instead of Alienware's custom crap). I just wish they'd sell the cases separately. I love those things.

[Poison Shroom]

I like Alienware, but I would never pay for one.If you are not good with computers, but need a fast one for whatever, Alienware is a good choice. They have good looking case design, good tech support from what I've heard and they offer a fair bit of customization.

[atomicknight]

Probably easier for building a laptop, but not really worth the price for building a desktop (so pretty much what DJ said). With regular sales and rebates on individual components, you're pretty much guaranteed to pay significantly less for a system built from scratch.

[Ragamuffin]

^ Don't tell the poor lad to take a look at Dell's stuff. :PI've been through 3 Dells in 5 years, what does that tell you? Besides the fact that I'm an idiot for buying the same crappy brand three times in a row, but I digress.Like DJ, AK, and others have said, just build one or have someone build it for you, even if you have to pay someone to do it. I recently bought a mid-level HP 9402f for $850 USD and you know what? I coulda got something much closer than what I actually wanted spec-wise if I wasn't too lazy to just buy the parts myself and assemble the damn thing. Now, I'm stuck with an underpowered PSU, a "meh" quad-core, and roughly 235345423 memory/HHD slots that I'll likely never use, though having wireless on a desktop is kinda convenient and sexy.A good way to start a new one from scratch is to junk an old one for any useful parts, like the hard drive, RAM (if it's even worth it), and the DVD drive, and the tower itself if you can.

[Shadow]

Laptop building is doable apart from the case. Getting a case for a laptop is not intended for the end user market, instead you'll find better luck buying a "barebones" laptop.Personally I prefer cyberpower pc over alienware if you absolutly MUST buy a computer. Laptops can vary, remeber Alienware is just Dells "upper tier" brand, so have a look at dell to.

CyberPower PC is definitely much better than Alienware. They actually give you a choice of parts and their prices aren't exorbitant.Yeah, don't tell him to look at Dell...

^ Don't tell the poor lad to take a look at Dell's stuff. :PI've been through 3 Dells in 5 years, what does that tell you? Besides the fact that I'm an idiot for buying the same crappy brand three times in a row, but I digress.Like DJ, AK, and others have said, just build one or have someone build it for you, even if you have to pay someone to do it. I recently bought a mid-level HP 9402f for $850 USD and you know what? I coulda got something much closer than what I actually wanted spec-wise if I wasn't too lazy to just buy the parts myself and assemble the damn thing. Now, I'm stuck with an underpowered PSU, a "meh" quad-core, and roughly 235345423 memory/HHD slots that I'll likely never use, though having wireless on a desktop is kinda convenient and sexy.A good way to start a new one from scratch is to junk an old one for any useful parts, like the hard drive, RAM (if it's even worth it), and the DVD drive, and the tower itself if you can.

You might just be like me. My parents have said that products should have a seal of approval or disapproval by me, with the seal of approval indicating someone like me could somehow not screw it up beyond repair within a month. :PDon't worry, your Quad Core isn't actually "meh," but for Quads, all I'm saying is that C2Qs are generally better than Phenoms. But yes, you'll never, ever use the amount of memory they give you. Unless you play Flight Sim X + Oblivion + Crysis + Crysis Warhead simultaneously while doing photo and video editing...Reusing the RAM is generally not advisable. The RAM is most definitely at a lower speed and/or higher latency than what you can buy 2GB of for $20 at the time, and as a result, ALL of your RAM will set itself to the speed of the slowest stick. Also, why recycle the case? Obviously, if he was interested in Alienware, he wants the sexy case...

[Ragamuffin]

You might just be like me. My parents have said that products should have a seal of approval or disapproval by me, with the seal of approval indicating someone like me could somehow not screw it up beyond repair within a month.

Problem is, when I buy an upgrade, it takes me forever to actually get the motivation to put it in. I bought a DVD/RW like 2 years ago and I never put it in, and sold it for 11 dollars last week. ;S

Don't worry, your Quad Core isn't actually "meh," but for Quads, all I'm saying is that C2Qs are generally better than Phenoms. But yes, you'll never, ever use the amount of memory they give you. Unless you play Flight Sim X + Oblivion + Crysis + Crysis Warhead simultaneously while doing photo and video editing...

I know the RAM is a bit excessive, but you gotta remember how memory hungry Vista 64-bit is, it needs 4GB of memory to even run at full speed on full "bells and whistles" mode.Oh, what would you score my CPU, since you know what it is: phenom x4 6150 QC running at 2.4 (roughly) each? I've read anywhere from "bleh" to "it's ai'ight"I just wish Pscx2 would implement QC mode.

Reusing the RAM is generally not advisable. The RAM is most definitely at a lower speed and/or higher latency than what you can buy 2GB of for $20 at the time, and as a result, ALL of your RAM will set itself to the speed of the slowest stick. Also, why recycle the case? Obviously, if he was interested in Alienware, he wants the sexy case...

Well, that's why I even said "if it's even worth it", because its' generally not. But, it is a good way to shave off a few bucks if you're on a real tight budget.As far as the case goes, why not just paint it or self-customize it? I mean, I know you won't get the same results (unless you got the tools/knowhow, which admittedly few people do), but is a sexy case really worth it? It won't change the performance any. =/

[Shadow]

Problem is, when I buy an upgrade, it takes me forever to actually get the motivation to put it in. I bought a DVD/RW like 2 years ago and I never put it in, and sold it for 11 dollars last week. ;SI know the RAM is a bit excessive, but you gotta remember how memory hungry Vista 64-bit is, it needs 4GB of memory to even run at full speed on full "bells and whistles" mode.Oh, what would you score my CPU, since you know what it is: phenom x4 6150 QC running at 2.4 (roughly) each? I've read anywhere from "bleh" to "it's ai'ight"I just wish Pscx2 would implement QC mode. :weep:Well, that's why I even said "if it's even worth it", because its' generally not. But, it is a good way to shave off a few bucks if you're on a real tight budget.As far as the case goes, why not just paint it or self-customize it? I mean, I know you won't get the same results (unless you got the tools/knowhow, which admittedly few people do), but is a sexy case really worth it? It won't change the performance any. =/

Nah, Vista seems to barely need 2GB to run full speed. I guess your processor is okay, there's certainly better ones out there for the money though. I've thought of customizing my own cases, but it would probably look like crap. Sure, it doesn't change the performance directly, but my case has four 120mm fans blowing air inwards, two 120mm fans blowing air outwards, and one 80mm blowhole fan on top to blow air outwards. That lets me overclock to values I wouldn't be able to reach with poorer airflow. Plus, the case does look sexy. =D

[wiredbomb0]

Overall, the Alienware PC's are just not worth the money. You can save 2 or 3 times the cash, if you build it yourself. You're only really buying the Brand. Although, I would admit the cases are awesome.