are alienware pcs worth the price?

[AyashiKaibutsu]

If you try to setup a Dell vs an Alienware. One the Dell will cost more, two you still won't know what parts your getting exactly. Alienware tells you they put a asus mobo corsair ram and a western digital harddrive. Dell tells you they put a motherboard ram and a harddrive in.
If you have the money to where you could buy the top of the line parts and still have 1000 dollars you could use to light cigars if you wanted then get an alienware. Otherwise just do some research and build your own.

 

[Peter D]

No, but they're probably the cheapest of the higher tier hardcore gaming systems (Voodoo, Falcon-NW, etc..)

 

[SneakyStuff]

Whoever would pay that much for a system is a FOOL, or they can't make one of their own so they think that more money spent = a better system

I hardly consider a $2500 Dell XPS with a geforce fx 5200 graphics card a hardcore gaming machine

 

[bigboxes]

No. Build your own and you will never ever buy a pre-built one again. I hope we are not arguing over this fact. Alienware is NOT worth it unless you have way too much money.

 

[SneakyStuff]

The only thing remotely cool about Alienware are the cases, but what's inside them, is the same as any other computer, only it costs a heck of a lot more to buy

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff
Whoever would pay that much for a system is a FOOL, or they can't make one of their own so they think that more money spent = a better system

I hardly consider a $2500 Dell XPS with a geforce fx 5200 graphics card a hardcore gaming machine

How about a 3.4ghz p4, 512mb and a 9800pro would you consider that a hard core gaming machine?

Thats what $800 will get you @ Dell today.



Tom

 

[jrphoenix]

Originally posted by: Sunner

Originally posted by: jrphoenix

Originally posted by: Matthias99
Are Ferrari cars worth the price?

If all you care about is performance, no. Of course not; any car will get you from point A to point B. But a Ferrari is a really *nice* car; it looks good, it's fun to drive, it drives faster than almost any other car out there, and it's got brand name recognition.

Basically the same idea here. If you want a really nice top of the line PC that looks great and has brand name recognition, they're the system builders for you. If you want a high price/performance ratio, go elsewhere or build your own.

I couldn't agree with you more. Alienware / Voodoo / Falcoln are not "worth it" if you are only looking at raw price for components. It is the added value and name recognition (similar to Porche, Ferrari, Lexus, etc...).

You really get what you pay for. If you want to slap together your own system you can do it cheaply. If you want to pay bottom dollar for someone to build you a system you will have very limited options or a plain jane system. If you have the money and want the best, you buy the best.

Most people on this forum and other tech forums build their own systems and will always say no. It is worth it to the individual that has the money and like to own something more than a basic system with similar components.

With the slight difference that a Ferrari will impress people and get you chicks, noone cares about what PC you have

I can't argue with that I imagine not many women flock to alienware

 

[Bassyhead]

nope

 

[jrphoenix]

Originally posted by: Vegetto
No, but they're probably the cheapest of the higher tier hardcore gaming systems (Voodoo, Falcon-NW, etc..)

That's definately the case for Alienware versus other top end builders. They had a roundup of high end "gaming" systems in Maximum PC not too long ago. Alienware even undercut Dell's XPS on price. Not to mention Forbes has rated them as one of the top privately held companies recently!

 

[jrphoenix]

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff
The only thing remotely cool about Alienware are the cases, but what's inside them, is the same as any other computer, only it costs a heck of a lot more to buy

Good thing to do if you don't want to or can't build one just now..... buy an Alienware.... upgrade it from this point one & you have that cool case? Not a bad company and they have come way down on pricing lately.

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: jrphoenix

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff
The only thing remotely cool about Alienware are the cases, but what's inside them, is the same as any other computer, only it costs a heck of a lot more to buy

Good thing to do if you don't want to or can't build one just now..... buy an Alienware.... upgrade it from this point one & you have that cool case? Not a bad company and they have come way down on pricing lately.

Cheapest system I see on the Alianware site is $1600 for a 3ghz, 512mb and a 5200 @ Dell you can get a 3.4ghz p4, 512mb and a 9800pro for $800 not really a tough choice.

Tom

 

[jrphoenix]

Originally posted by: Budmantom

Originally posted by: jrphoenix

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff
The only thing remotely cool about Alienware are the cases, but what's inside them, is the same as any other computer, only it costs a heck of a lot more to buy

Good thing to do if you don't want to or can't build one just now..... buy an Alienware.... upgrade it from this point one & you have that cool case? Not a bad company and they have come way down on pricing lately.

Cheapest system I see on the Alianware site is $1600 for a 3ghz, 512mb and a 5200 @ Dell you can get a 3.4ghz p4, 512mb and a 9800pro for $800 not really a tough choice.

Tom

Here is the link to the Alienware system.. Alienware and Dell: Dell It looks like their XPS series starts at 1649 (we are looking at gaming rigs). With that you do get a better video card and a subpar 17" monitor... but you get who knows ram / hard drive.... not to mention a proprietary case and board that you can never upgrade. Buy the alienware and experiment with upgrading (at least you have the option)

The Alienware also gives you an operating system tweaked for gaming versus a standard load with AOL and other junk you don't want.

 

[nitromullet]

I'm a builder, so I say no. But, even I can't deny that Alienware makes a nice system. Another thing to consider is the quality of the construction of the case, the quality of the wiring job done, and the cooling solution used. I don't know much about the Alienware cooling, but I do know that they do a very nice install job with clean wiring. Anyone who has built their own knows the difficulty behind a nice neat wiring job. You can't forget about labor and quality that goes beyond the actual components that will add to the price.

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: jrphoenix

Originally posted by: Budmantom

Originally posted by: jrphoenix

Originally posted by: SneakyStuff
The only thing remotely cool about Alienware are the cases, but what's inside them, is the same as any other computer, only it costs a heck of a lot more to buy

Good thing to do if you don't want to or can't build one just now..... buy an Alienware.... upgrade it from this point one & you have that cool case? Not a bad company and they have come way down on pricing lately.

Cheapest system I see on the Alianware site is $1600 for a 3ghz, 512mb and a 5200 @ Dell you can get a 3.4ghz p4, 512mb and a 9800pro for $800 not really a tough choice.

Tom

Here is the link to the Alienware system.. Alienware and Dell: Dell It looks like their XPS series starts at 1649 (we are looking at gaming rigs). With that you do get a better video card and a subpar 17" monitor... but you get who knows ram / hard drive.... not to mention a proprietary case and board that you can never upgrade. Buy the alienware and experiment with upgrading (at least you have the option)

The Alienware also gives you an operating system tweaked for gaming versus a standard load with AOL and other junk you don't want.

I was looking @ the Dell 4600 not XPS and for half the price they would have to optimze the heck out of windows and that 5200. So what I am looking at is 400mhz less a Nvidia 5200 not the 9800 and $800 more.

My thinking is if you want to spend way too much on a sub par sytem chances are you wont be upgrading it, you will be buying another.


Alianware does have faster pc's than Dell but chance are you will have to spend atleast $2000 to beat an $800 Dell system.

If money is no object Alianware is for you.

Tom

 

[nitromullet]

Originally posted by: jrphoenix
The problem with Dell is the purchaser may not want an Intel processor. Dell is the only manufacturer to not give the buyer a choice in processors (maybe Gateway?).

But Ferrari uses AMD

 

[Zepper]

No... The transparency of their sales process leaves a lot to be desired. They charge your CC up front and often don't deliver within the 30 days required by the FTC. Then they don't even communicate with you that the target ship date is slipping - particularly on laptops. Check some of the consumer watchdog columns in the glossy trade rags. Don't know about their after sale service/support. But at those prices, if you need your butt kissed they should have someone in the bullpen licking his/her lips ready to lay a wet one on it...
. I would never buy from them - much more fun to hatch my own designs and create them.
.bh.

 

[matrix2]

not even. you can build a exact replica and save a bundle

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: dguy6789
no, and it will NEVER EVER be worth it because of this reason: If you buy the same parts as a system they make and see the price, it will be well over $500 less then their EXACTLY the same system, reason is, they are a company and need profit, you dont, so you can just buy the bare minium. For instance, you can take $2000 and make a system that is just as fast, if not faster then their $3,500+ rigs.

 

[Kingofcomputer]

No.

 

[chocoruacal]

Alienware is a joke. They took advnatage of a market place ripe with morons who were dying to have a cool colored cases.

You'll do much better building one yourself.

 

[Sarobi]

Point is, for some the answer is obviously yes. A lot of ppl want a high end system but are not builders or enthusiast like most here. To them their personal time and effort is worth much more than the premium they'd pay for Alienware, and thus, the extra cost is justified. No one learns to build and troubleshoot PC's overnight, but if you enjoy that sort of thing you can learn fairly quick. But if you don't, it's all just frustration, so instead you pay the extra $$$.

Try this analogy:

I could paint my own house for only the cost of supplies, but I hate painting, have questionable skills (which means it would take me longer to do a satisfactory job) since I don't do it often, and I absolutely do not want to spend my weekends devoted to painting when I could be modding my rig instead. Thus, assuming I had the money, I'd probably spend the extra to hire it out to an expert. They could have it done in a fraction of the time, and I would save myself valuable time on my rare days off. That's worth the difference in costs to me. Folks who buy Alienware or similar are doing the same I guess. They want a high end, good looking system, but are not particularly interested in the required learning, time, assembly, and testing, so they pay a premium for someone else to do it. Makes sense to me.

 

[xenos500]

no

 

[MournSanity]

Build your own.

 

[jrphoenix]

Originally posted by: chocoruacal
Alienware is a joke. They took advnatage of a market place ripe with morons who were dying to have a cool colored cases.

You'll do much better building one yourself.

That wouldn't make them a joke.... that would make them clever. They were thinking outside the box. Would you consider Voodoo, Falcoln, etc... all a "joke"? Just curious.

 

[zodder]

Dammit, Sarobi. Stop making sense.