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Gaming Rig - Alienware vs. local PC shop?

F

Fazzar

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 22, 2004
Messages
290
I'm a gamer, and about every 3 years I buy or buidl a new gaming rig. My last two were Alienwares. I'm no longer interested in building my own, so it simply comes down to where to purchase my next one.

I have noticed a increasingly large price gap between an Alienware and a gaming rig built by a local PC shop near where I live. The components are similar, at least the major components (processor, video cards etc). The local shop charges virtually nothing to build, just the price of the components. They also tell me exactly which motherboard they use along with every single other nut, bolt and screw.

That said, a similarly configured Alienware is about 30% more expensive. It would seem almost a no-brainer to go with the local PC shop, except for that fact that they don't build many of these systems.

My question to those willing to weigh in is this: Is the Alienware (or Voodoo, Falcon etc.) worth the price differential? My biggest concern with the local PC shop is that assembling these high-end machines might be too complex for them and I could end up with a sub-optimized rig, or worse yet, one that freezes, breaks or otherwise ends up being a pain.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Brian
 
I would say go with the local shop. If you ever have any problems with it, just take it to the shop. Go with alienware you would have to go thru the warranty process over the phone wouldnt you?
 
Building a highend machine is the same as building a budget box. I'd personally the fact that the local shop doesn't build as many means that he has the chance to be more meticulous in the build process since he doesn't have a bunch of models rolling down an assembly line where 200 hands touch it before it's box and shipped to you.
 
Alienware overprices everything just because the name and warranty... Local PC companies will build the same exact computers for cheaper.
 
I would go with the local shop just because I dislike alienware.... though I don't know why lol just born hating them I guess.... plus alienware is expensive, 30% more for the same machine is to much.
 
Local shop.

Building a low-end and high-end pc are about the same as long as you aren't talking water cooling, overclocking, and/or cramming it in a mATX case.
 
I agree with everyone else. Go with the local shop. Alienware is a rip off I think. The local guys, will build it to exactly what you want. Alien (and the other PC giants) have a limited selection that you can choose to have built in your system. Your local shop will get you up and running with anything you need, and most offer a warrenty on all their work anyways. So save the cash, go down to a local PC shop, and be happy.
 
Well, my local guys suck, so I am kind of hesistant, but alienware overcharges so much that I find them hard to recommend.
 
Oiisu said:
Well, my local guys suck, so I am kind of hesistant, but alienware overcharges so much that I find them hard to recommend.
Click to expand...

Why not go with another manufacturer like Velocity Micro or Maingear if you don't want to go with Alienware or build your own? Check out the [H]ard|OCP individual system reviews for information on how the company has performed, and you'll find the right company. In fact, they ran an article a few weeks back on the best of the best in categories like Tech Support, Value, Tier 1, Boutique, and so on. Here is that link.
 
What's your local shop's warranty like...

You could throw an alienware down a flight of stairs, tell them it came that way, and still probably get a replacement...

I know my local PC places dont even warranty anything past 7 days, and since most parts are OEM, you're SOL if something breaks.
 
I'd suggest neither. Why don't you choose the components yourself (lot of people on this board will help you make right choice for your budget) and have that rig assembled in your local shop? Most shop don't charge assembling, or they ask only minor fee, and that way you'd have rig with custom hand-picked components which would suit your needs and budget.

I wouldn't recommend Alienware definitely, but pre-built configuration by some shop doesn't sound great neither. If you picked all the components yourself, you'd have exactly the same warranties, but wider choice of components, and probably lower price - shops always charge some premium on pre-configured builds (and usually they label them with some stupid names like Astro, Infinity or Thunder).

And you really don't have to woory about "assembling these high-end machines" - there's practically no difference between assembling 300$ and 15000$ rig. There's nothing complex (in terms of assembling) in high end rigs (same slots, same type of components etc.). If you've been building PC every 3 years you should have learned that already.

If you know how to build rig, I see no reason why you shouldn't do that, besides for majority of people it's fun and exciting - unpacking all the components, fresh smell of new hardware, setting everything up...

I would list different options in this priority:

1. Build your own
2. Build your own
3. Pick components and ask guys at the local shop to assemble them
4. Buy pre-configured rig from local shop
5. Alienware or some similar rig
 
Arcygenical said:
You could throw an alienware down a flight of stairs, tell them it came that way, and still probably get a replacement...
Click to expand...

How'd you know what I did with my last Alienware???

Really, thanks everyone for the great input. It's extremely helpful.

More local shop provides a 1-year warranty for parts and labor. As good as Alienware's 'free' warranty, I would only have to bring it back into the shop. Even though the on-site Alienware warranty sounds good, I had a lot of difficulty with my most recent rig and they were very, very difficult to work with to get it fixed. They've off-shored their support and ultimately over the phone could provide nothing close to a diagnosis. Ultimately, they did send someone to come to my house and replace parts, but it probably took 4 months to accomplish that feat.

Based on the input in this thread, I feel a lot more comfortable letting a local PC shop build this. I had assumed, and wrongly so, that building a high-end gaming rig was a whole different ball of wax than building a budget box. Rocket-Science degree not required. But I will cheeck some of the reviews in the link provided above.

The local PC builder has no elaborate cooling systems.... just a well ventilated Antec box and the standard heatsinks and fans that come with the processor and GPU. However, I've heard the Intel Core 2 Duos really don't run that hot. That true?

Thanks Brian
 
Yeah, the Core 2 Duos run on the 65nm process type which ultimately uses less power which equals less heat. It makes them great for overclocking. Anyways, back to the PC Shop topic. If they don't have very good cooling solutions request that you have them order parts for you then build it. They do that kinda thing you know? At least that's why we do. :p
 
genocide said:
If they don't have very good cooling solutions request that you have them order parts for you then build it. They do that kinda thing you know? At least that's why we do. :p
Click to expand...

Good idea. So I take it that it is still wise to invest a little extra for some additional cooling?

I suppose I could also have them build it with a Physics Processing Unit too. Anyone know if those are worth it?

Brian
 
Yes, It's always wise to invest in good cooling... IMHO I've used a PPU before and it drops FPS in most games because it's not supported by many games. I hope I helped a little :p
 
Fazzar said:
I suppose I could also have them build it with a Physics Processing Unit too. Anyone know if those are worth it?
Click to expand...

NO! If you're willing to spend another $150 on a component in your computer, put that towards a higher end videocard, processor, hard drive, sound card, or ANYTHING other than a PPU. There are no games worth owning that support the PPU, much less make good use of it.

I'd wait until the PPU has a "killer app" associated with it which makes the purchase worth it. Heck, by then maybe they'll have a PCI-E 1x version out that isn't too expensive.
 
I'd go with Someone else like Velocity Micro first, before the local pc shop, and never stop by alienware whatsoever.
 
Bbq said:
I'd go with Someone else like Velocity Micro first, before the local pc shop, and never stop by alienware whatsoever.
Click to expand...

I completely agree. I think that if you're willing to pay someone else to put it together for you it may as well be a reputable manufacturer with the ability to fed ex you replacement parts should anything go wrong.
 
Why would you want to do that? You'd have to pay for shipping and all that and you can be there at the PC store when they put it together and they would have to replace anything that doesn't work...
 
genocide said:
Why would you want to do that? You'd have to pay for shipping and all that and you can be there at the PC store when they put it together and they would have to replace anything that doesn't work...
Click to expand...

If it's under warranty you won't have to pay shipping on items you return, at least not from any of the good manufacturers I linked to above. The shipping for the computer initially is sometimes free as well. A local PC store most likely will only have a 90 day warranty (which you'll probably have to pay extra for), and even then I'm sure it will be a hassle to go find "Bob the Manager" and explain to him that you need a replacement part. Then they'll want to see the computer, you'll have to dick around with that, they'll have to order the new part etc. etc.
 
I work at a computer store and it's not at all like that... So what are you basing your stuff on?
 
genocide said:
I work at a computer store and it's not at all like that... So what are you basing your stuff on?
Click to expand...

My local computer store monkeys (not as an insult to you, just the guys here are idiots). The thing is, you guys may be a great place to purchase a computer from. Your computer store could produce great machines. But is there any consistency across stores? You guys could create a computer 25% less expensive with 1000% better quality than other people, but who knows until you end up with a lump of crap on your desk.

Again, if you need a computer and you aren't willing to put it together yourself, I think purchasing from someone like Velocity Micro (they even have customer reps on [H]Forum) or Maingear or any of the others recommended by [H] because they're guaranteed to give you an excellent experience.
 
Fazzar said:
I'm a gamer, and about every 3 years I buy or buidl a new gaming rig. My last two were Alienwares. I'm no longer interested in building my own, so it simply comes down to where to purchase my next one.

I have noticed a increasingly large price gap between an Alienware and a gaming rig built by a local PC shop near where I live. The components are similar, at least the major components (processor, video cards etc). The local shop charges virtually nothing to build, just the price of the components. They also tell me exactly which motherboard they use along with every single other nut, bolt and screw.

That said, a similarly configured Alienware is about 30% more expensive. It would seem almost a no-brainer to go with the local PC shop, except for that fact that they don't build many of these systems.

My question to those willing to weigh in is this: Is the Alienware (or Voodoo, Falcon etc.) worth the price differential? My biggest concern with the local PC shop is that assembling these high-end machines might be too complex for them and I could end up with a sub-optimized rig, or worse yet, one that freezes, breaks or otherwise ends up being a pain.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Brian
Click to expand...


Hey Brian, if you don't want to build yourself a computer, you could always go to Maingear, Hypersonic, Velocity PC or Falcon Northwest to have them build you a computer. The only problem with going with a boutique is that they are more expensive. I would try to find someone who pretty good at building PC's and choose your components from the same vendors from above. Why? Because they test those components for compatibility. Motherboard, GPU, soundcard, storage devices, drivers etc are all known if they work together well before it is sent out. They test all their components. There PC are good not because they just build them well, but when the put the whole thing together and test the PC for comaptibility, they know what works and what doesnt. Falcon NW tells you on their website what parts they used. Voodoo PC does the same. That is why their parts PC are so well known. As a side note, this also relieves you of the research of what components to use and what. The downside, well, the components may be expensive since they buy their stuff from vendors that make quality parts. Thats my two cents Brian. I hope that helps you in making a choice.

Kmat
 
Once again, very helpful. Thank you.

It does make a lot of sense to buy the components myself and and have them assembled at the Local PC store. In fact, this is what I did about 5-6 ago for one of my rigs.

Or better yet, as a number of have suggested, build it myself. There's nothing quite like the smell of two 768MB EVGA GeForce 8800GTXs in the morning. I dunno though, if any of you tech savvy folks live near Hudson, WI, I'll pay you to assemble it :)

Brian
 
building a pc these days is actually quite easy. As long as you buy the correct parts (for which you can get plenty of advice here) you should have no problem doing it yourself.

If you just don't want to bother with it, then the local shop is your next best alternative.
If something goes wrong, having someone look at it within 20 min, instead of 4 months is a big plus.
Also if later you decide you want to change or upgrade a part, I'm sure they'll do it for you.

My advice: If you're not sure, ask here what parts to buy and attempt to build it yourself.
If you see that the build is too complicated or you're having too many problems, take the parts to your local store and have them build it. You got nothing to loose.
 
Fazzar said:
I dunno though, if any of you tech savvy folks live near Hudson, WI, I'll pay you to assemble it :)
Click to expand...

Well, the 18th on until May 18th I'll be back at UW-Madison, but i don't know how far that is from Hudson. If you're honestly interested in doing some business I'd be more than happy to build the system. Give me a PM.
 
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