Building new PC from sratch vs Alienware

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jarlaxlecq

Weaksauce
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Jun 23, 2003
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I want to get a new PC but i'm been torn as to if i build a new one or buy one from a PC shop. I'm been building systems for myself others for years now and i'm kind of burnt out of it. it doesnt excite me like it use to so i'm thinking i may just pay a little extra and have one build for my from Alienware. I build one on newegg and build almost the same thing on Alienware site here is how they list

Here is a complete system from Newegg

Antec Nine Hundred Computer Case - Retail
$109.99

EVGA LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$259.99


2 * EVGA GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
$479.98

Antec TPQ-850 ATX12V / EPS12V 850W Power Supply - Retail
$179.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
$244.99

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ - $46.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$79.99

Saitek PZ30AU Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail
$34.99

SAMSUNG 245BW Black 24" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with Height Adjustment - Retail
$449.99


RAZER Copperhead Blue 7 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Laser Tempest Gaming Mouse - Retail
$55.99


LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM
$25.99

Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
$111.49

ZALMAN CNPS9500 AT 2 Ball CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink - Retail
$44.99

Logitech THX Z-5300e 280 Watts RMS 5.1 Speaker - Retail
$134.99

Subtotal: $2,260.35



Here is the alienware

Area-51® 7500

Processor: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E8400 3.00GHz 6MB Cache 1333MHz FSB

Alienware P2 Chassis: Alienware® P2 Chassis with AlienIce™ 3.0 Video Cooling - Space Black

System Lighting: Alienware® Standard System Lighting - Astral Blue

System Cooling: Alienware® Standard System Cooling

Power Supply: Alienware® 1000 Watt Multi-GPU Approved Power Supply

Graphics Processor: Dual Graphics Cards - Dual 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8800 GT - SLI Enabled

Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz - 2 x 1024MB

Motherboard: Alienware® Approved NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard

Operating System (Office software not included): Windows Vista® Home Premium – DirectX 10 Ready!

Desktop Tuners and Remotes: Without Media Center Remote Control

System Drive: Single Drive Configuration - 250GB SATA 3Gb/s 7,200RPM 16MB Cache

Optical Drives : Single Drive Configuration - 20X Dual-Layer Burner (DVD±RW)

Enthusiast Essentials: Dual High Performance Gigabit Ethernet Ports

Sound Card: High-Definition 7.1 Performance Audio

Monitor: 24'' Samsung 1920 x 1200 (5ms) SyncMaster Widescreen Flat Panel

Speakers: Logitech® Z-5300e 5.1 280-Watt Speakers

Keyboard: Gaming Keyboard - Saitek II Backlit Keyboard

Mouse: Premium Mouse - Standard Optical 3-Button Mouse with Scroll Wheel

Price is $2792


The Difference is about $500 bucks, what do you guys think? go through the hassle of building? or just pay a little extra and have it done
 
Build your own.

Alienware is good, but there overpriced(atleast last time i checked).

EDIT: Plus if youve build alot of them, then it should be relitivly easy :cool:
 
to me $500 is alot of money and its even more since what you set up on newegg is better than alienware's specs in some categories.

Instead of going SLI why not just go with a 3870x2 for about the same price and ditch the 680i or 780i to get another decent mobo

Antec 900 can be noisy, but if you don't mind it then go for it.

i have a liking for Corsair power supplies so maybe you should have a look at them.
$149.99 -$35 MIR Corsair TX 750W ATX 12V Power Supply
$126.99 - $30 MIR Corsair TX650w ATX12v Power Supply
$139.99 - $25 MIR Corsair 620w SLI Certified Modular ATX Power Supply
$99.99 - $10 MIR Corsair 520W SLI Certified Modular ATX Power Supply

With the money you might save if you drop the sli mobo, i would use it to get a 4gb Ram (2x2gb) which is good since your planning to get a 64 bit os.

also if your currently have a monitor that you can use then i would use it for time being because i bought my 22" samsung 220wm on black friday for $216 tax included.
 
crhscoog said:
to me $500 is alot of money and its even more since what you set up on newegg is better than alienware's specs in some categories.

Instead of going SLI why not just go with a 3870x2 for about the same price and ditch the 680i or 780i to get another decent mobo

Antec 900 can be noisy, but if you don't mind it then go for it.

i have a liking for Corsair power supplies so maybe you should have a look at them.
$149.99 -$35 MIR Corsair TX 750W ATX 12V Power Supply
$126.99 - $30 MIR Corsair TX650w ATX12v Power Supply
$139.99 - $25 MIR Corsair 620w SLI Certified Modular ATX Power Supply
$99.99 - $10 MIR Corsair 520W SLI Certified Modular ATX Power Supply

With the money you might save if you drop the sli mobo, i would use it to get a 4gb Ram (2x2gb) which is good since your planning to get a 64 bit os.

also if your currently have a monitor that you can use then i would use it for time being because i bought my 22" samsung 220wm on black friday for $216 tax included.
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I'll take a look at those PSUs, in regards to the videocards i dont know, here an SLI setup crushes the X2, sure i'd save money on a non-sli MB but the performace seems worth it.

How much power supply should i be looking for? it use to be 400-500 was all you need but now things range from 400-1000+.
 
well u could sli the 3870x2 in future since its the best "single" card out right now till the 9800x2 comes out :p but if u dont want to then sli'ing right now seems alright. :D

not sure but i would not go anything below 620. others can elaborate on this. :D
 
jarlaxlecq said:
I build one on newegg and build almost the same thing on Alienware site here is how they list.
Click to expand...

Have you looked at some of the preferred boutique vendors that you find in the Computers & Gadgets section? These are, in alphabetical order, AVA Direct, Maingear, Puget, and Velocity Micro. All of them have very good customer service, and a presence in that section. They are also usually less expensive than the Tier 1's like Dell, Alienware, and Voodoo. Anyway, just something you might consider.
 
If you want to save even more money (to me, a $500+ savings is worth building it myself), check out other online stores, like ClubIT, Mwave, or ZipZoomFly (among others). Getting a few parts from one (or all) of those places -- instead of getting everything from NewEgg -- could save you an additional $100 or more.

I would also take crhscoog's suggestion regarding video cards into consideration. The HD3870x2 and the (G92) 8800GTS are good enough for a 24 inch monitor. (If you're willing to go another route, you could pick up a used 8800GTX for around the same price as the HD3870x2.) And NVIDIA's new graphics cards are coming soon.

A good 500-750 watt power supply from a vendor that is SLI/CrossFire-rated would work.

Better yet... here are some PSU suggestions:
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.co...&postcount=193
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1460
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103
PSU FAQ: http://www.jonnyguru.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1036

And get a better CPU cooler, like the Zerotherm NV120, the Tuniq Tower 120, or the Thermalright Ultima 90 (with a separate 90/120mm fan). Any one of the those three is good enough to cool an overclocked quad-core.
 
Yeah, if building it yourself or Alienware are the only two choices you're considering, I'd have to advise you to build it yourself. Not because you'll get a better deal or anything, but just because I think that perhaps the quality is not what it was pre-Dell.

ClubIT has very good prices and a great rep for customer service--I discovered them just recently, and will most likely order through them for my new Phenom build in the next month (I know, I know...I LIKE AMD...lol). I'd do my parts shopping there, and the guys on these forums can help you solidify your build.
 
Build it yourself.

Heather Taylor said:
...my new Phenom build in the next month (I know, I know...I LIKE AMD...lol). I'd do my parts shopping there, and the guys on these forums can help you solidify your build.
Click to expand...

So uhm... you don't get a good discount on a Puget system? :p j/k

I should encourage more people to buy AMD... so my shares don't drop to $0, lol.
 
tiraides said:
So, I take it that you have $889.98 available to spend all at once?

And looking at the AnandTech review, it appears that the 3870x2 is the better solution out right now.
Click to expand...

No but instead of going with the alienware he could do a pair of 8800GTXs. Or a single GTX doesn't matter to me, I didn't even spend 800 on my rig let alone the card. But if you're going to spend 2K+ why not go all out.

[H] review of the 3870 says the 8800GTX is still superior. http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTQ1NCwsLGhlbnRodXNpYXN0

and then theres also this review explaining why the Anandtech review is flawed.
http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTQ2MSwsLGhlbnRodXNpYXN0
 
Okay, I was wrong about the 3870x2's performance... but the OP doesn't need two cards if he gets the 3870x2, the G92 8800GTS, or the 8800GTX.
 
tiraides said:
Okay, I was wrong about the 3870x2's performance... but the OP doesn't need two cards if he gets the 3870x2, the G92 8800GTS, or the 8800GTX.
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I agree. I am just looking at the amount of money he is willing to spend. IF I had that kind of cash the first place I would throw it would be into a dual set up.

I guess it all depends on the resolution he is planning on running at with that 24". If its greater than 1900x1200 he may see benefits from a dual set up especially if he is planning on playing Crysis with as much eye candy as possible.
 
Heather Taylor said:
Yeah, if building it yourself or Alienware are the only two choices you're considering, I'd have to advise you to build it yourself. Not because you'll get a better deal or anything, but just because I think that perhaps the quality is not what it was pre-Dell.

ClubIT has very good prices and a great rep for customer service--I discovered them just recently, and will most likely order through them for my new Phenom build in the next month (I know, I know...I LIKE AMD...lol). I'd do my parts shopping there, and the guys on these forums can help you solidify your build.
Click to expand...

Never shopped there before so I thought I'd check it out. They don't even have Thermalright products!! How can you be [H] without a 120 Extreme or at least an Ultima 90? Luckily I didn't bookmark it yet, lol.
 
You would be paying $500 for a name, cool case, better cooling, and a good warentee. Personally I would put that into more performance. But thats a great deal for an Alienware. If you go with building your own, I DO NOT recommend getting an Antec 900, its the nicest mid tower case, but its still a mid tower case. It's too small, and just a bitch to work on, and for such "great cooling" they forgot one of the most important parts which is cable management. If you want decent cable management you need to do alot of mods. Its gotten better with the recent revision I have but its still a bitch. Go with a full tower dude, put that extra cash into a TJ09, it will be worth it.
 
enginurd said:
Build it yourself.



So uhm... you don't get a good discount on a Puget system? :p j/k

I should encourage more people to buy AMD... so my shares don't drop to $0, lol.
Click to expand...

Blah. I'm so not a salesperson, dude...lol.

I've always been fond of AMD, but there was also a time I liked the Chicago Bears. *shrug*
 
baleedit said:
Never shopped there before so I thought I'd check it out. They don't even have Thermalright products!! How can you be [H] without a 120 Extreme or at least an Ultima 90? Luckily I didn't bookmark it yet, lol.
Click to expand...

Ha! Well, whatever they don't have, get elsewhere...but they've got good prices, regardless.
 
Chombo said:
I agree. I am just looking at the amount of money he is willing to spend. IF I had that kind of cash the first place I would throw it would be into a dual set up.

I guess it all depends on the resolution he is planning on running at with that 24". If its greater than 1900x1200 he may see benefits from a dual set up especially if he is planning on playing Crysis with as much eye candy as possible.
Click to expand...

I'm a big believer in not spending money if you don't have to, and in the case of the video card and monitor, the OP doesn't have to. (Its sounds like, to me, the OP is trying to cut a few corners cost-wise... or justify why he shouldn't just let Dell/Alienware build everything.)

The deal about SLI/CrossFire is that unless you're playing games with all of their eye candy activated at a 1920x1200 or larger resolution (often found in 24+ inch monitors), and you buy both cards at the same time, it's a waste of money. Additionally, new cards (from NVIDIA and possibly AMD/ATI) are coming soon -- and historically speaking, the newer cards outperform the previous generation's cards by at least 10%. (Add in the fact that NVIDIA isn't going to make immediate price cuts on its current supply even as the new stuff come in -- see the prices of the G80 8800GTS cards when the G92 version arrived -- and you may be paying more for inferior performance.)

Crysis is designed to tax even the high-end cards, but if the OP doesn't place all of the graphical setting at high, he could still have good frame rates.

Right now is not the best time to drop over $500 on a video card, especially with newer (possibly better) cards coming over the horizon.

baleedit said:
Never shopped there before so I thought I'd check it out. They don't even have Thermalright products!! How can you be [H] without a 120 Extreme or at least an Ultima 90? Luckily I didn't bookmark it yet, lol.
Click to expand...

Loyalty to a brand name or a retailer doesn't make you [H]ard... but ClubIT is one of only a few places (Amazon is the other, I believe) that guarantees a G0 revision Q6600.

Plus it pays to comparison shop; NewEgg no longer has the best prices on everything.
 
Loyalty to a brand name or a retailer doesn't make you [H]ard... but ClubIT is one of only a few places (Amazon is the other, I believe) that guarantees a G0 revision Q6600.

[/QUOTE]

I have no loyalty to any name, I was simply referring to the best air cooler with the best price/performance ratio on the market at this time as far as I know, and as reviewed by [H]ardocp and just about every review site on the internet. I do agree with you about the G0 revision being a must, and anyone that is [H] would only order from a place with guaranteed G0 stepping.
 
If you know how to build a PC yourself I wouldn't waste money on an Alienware. They have never seriously impressed me. I have always liked their alien theme, but that's where their appeal ends for me. I've worked on a few of their systems and I just didn't care for them.

In any case if you really want it built by someone else I'd go with Velocity Micro, AVA Direct, or Puget Systems or another reputible boutique builder.
 
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