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Some Reasons Alienware doesn't bite
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ShadowBlade
Diamond Member
im sure the price isnt too bad w/ an employee discount
BeakerChem
Senior member
People, people. You are missing his point. If you are all guru's to computers, or even just not afraid of the technical side of it, - sure, building is more fun and you learn stuff.
But working on your car yourself is the same way. Cheaper, and you learns stuff about your car, but alot of people pay the extra to have someone else do it for them. I think we just see this from a different perspective because the average person reading and posting to a tech forum isn't intimidated by computers anymore.
Some people are still confused by the whole desktop shortcut thing. These people shouldn't be poking around with a computer in parts even if they did manage to get everything they needed ordered. All it takes is one fried processor because you didn't understand how to put the heatsink on to ruin the building experience.
Sure, if you have the know how, do it and paying a big markup for someone elses experience is silly. But its also silly to pay $24.95 for someone to change your oil with $4 worth of generic oil, a $2 filter, and 10 minutes of labor. 400% markup...
<ducks the incoming flames>
But working on your car yourself is the same way. Cheaper, and you learns stuff about your car, but alot of people pay the extra to have someone else do it for them. I think we just see this from a different perspective because the average person reading and posting to a tech forum isn't intimidated by computers anymore.
Some people are still confused by the whole desktop shortcut thing. These people shouldn't be poking around with a computer in parts even if they did manage to get everything they needed ordered. All it takes is one fried processor because you didn't understand how to put the heatsink on to ruin the building experience.
Sure, if you have the know how, do it and paying a big markup for someone elses experience is silly. But its also silly to pay $24.95 for someone to change your oil with $4 worth of generic oil, a $2 filter, and 10 minutes of labor. 400% markup...
<ducks the incoming flames>
So
Lifer
That may be, but he didn't make that case. He himself, claims to have built PC's before and to have found it fun. He then proceeded to claim that Alienware was still preferable under those circumstances.
Your case is stronger, but still flawed, since you can get an equal computer from a big box manufacturer with less markup and nominally equal performance.
Wait, what? Why would I want to conserve urine? So I can experience kidney failure in the future? You just lost all credibility with me :thumbsdown:
I think Beaker makes a good point. However, you've also missed the point. As others have already said, this Alienware employee attempts to offer an AW prebuilt machine as an alternative to DIY enthusiasts. I'm sure car enthusiasts _do_ change their own oil, among other things. I personally have no major interest in cars, just like I have no interest in making my own furniture or (aside from minor jobs) fiddling with my house's plumbing or electrical wiring.
If you have a lot more money than you do time, there's certainly nothing wrong with laying down the cash for an Alienware, but that's not the focus of this argument.
Yes there is. Their cases are the ugliest things in creation and they're more expensive than similar/identical prebuilts from Monarch, etc.
Lol, you work there too? 😉
We're not missing his point; prebuilts from respectable manufacturers are just as capable, don't look like something out of a 10 year old's wet dream and are far less expensive.
You're honestly comparing spending $25 to spending $2500-$5000? 😕
flexy
Diamond Member
>>>
1. You deal with only one vendor[no trying to coordinate multiple retailers shipping you items that they claim to be in stock] You literally get one huge, padded and sturdy shipping box.
>>>
this is no criterium. I think its much better when *I* select the best parts then let someone else select them for me. I know better what i want 🙂
Also..with common retailers (newegg, mwave, SVC etc..etc..) and Froogle and retailerratings.com is no REASON not to buy separate components.
>>>
2. Your credit card/house address/phone number is not dispersed across the nation in order to get all your deals.
>>>
ehrm..ok ?!
>>>
3. Windows SP2 installed (with security updates) cleanly. I mean c-l-e-a-n. With the exception of Powerstrip, there was no proprietary BS, no superfluous progs installed.
>>>
I am working w/ comps since the early 80s..and i am fairly capable of installing a SP. If its installed, then its installed. You still do need occasional Win updates...me as a DiY or yo uasa a complete system buyer.
A system is always dynamic and bios, drivers, SPs will come out and you WILL/should have to update, either way.
>>>
4. Every driver is current. Even the BIOS! I nearly shat myself.
>>>
So are mine 🙂 But i update drivers/bios almost a weekly base (depends when they are released)...again...its all dynamic. The fact that it comes shipped "recent" doesnt mean a lot a week or two afterwards.
>>>
5. I hooked up my monitor, plugged the power supply to the wall, and I was up and running!
>>>
You have a point...but PC buiding can be fun...and usually what i build runs TOO. tada 🙂
>>>
6. Immaculate wiring job. Meticulous cable routing, sleeving and tying.
>>>
Mega point here. My cables/case inside looks like cr*p. But then i also mod and install fans etc. all the time 🙂
>>>
7. Should anything go south, my whole darned system is warrantied by one company that has been around for years.
>>>
If somethng goes south, like recently a video card...well then i RMA the card...i also got a cross ship (Radeon X850XT)...so i didnt have ANY downtime. Same with memory or any other component.
Except yo upay out of your a$$ for shipping the WHOLE system, i guess ?
>>>
8. The system came already burnt-in and benchmarked (read: ready to overclock)
>>>
i doubt that MANY have the same knowledge regarding benchmarking and burn-in like i do. I dont want to sound arrogant, tho.
Wonder whether the alienware people read forums like xtremesystems.org and know about OCCT etc..etc.....then we're not even talking about overclocking here (what i do).
>>>
Alienware, while expensive is NOT "just throwing your money away".
>>>
if you use "expensive" then you mean "expensive". "Expensive" means PROBABLY you pay MORE than what it's worth 🙂
And...putting a BIG amount of money into a comp is ALWAYS throwing money away - i know best becasue i am one of the first shelling out $400/$500 for a new gfx-card once it's out. Then same card which is worth $100 a few months later. So...as a enthusiast yo ualways act NON logical from a economic point of view 🙂
1. You deal with only one vendor[no trying to coordinate multiple retailers shipping you items that they claim to be in stock] You literally get one huge, padded and sturdy shipping box.
>>>
this is no criterium. I think its much better when *I* select the best parts then let someone else select them for me. I know better what i want 🙂
Also..with common retailers (newegg, mwave, SVC etc..etc..) and Froogle and retailerratings.com is no REASON not to buy separate components.
>>>
2. Your credit card/house address/phone number is not dispersed across the nation in order to get all your deals.
>>>
ehrm..ok ?!
>>>
3. Windows SP2 installed (with security updates) cleanly. I mean c-l-e-a-n. With the exception of Powerstrip, there was no proprietary BS, no superfluous progs installed.
>>>
I am working w/ comps since the early 80s..and i am fairly capable of installing a SP. If its installed, then its installed. You still do need occasional Win updates...me as a DiY or yo uasa a complete system buyer.
A system is always dynamic and bios, drivers, SPs will come out and you WILL/should have to update, either way.
>>>
4. Every driver is current. Even the BIOS! I nearly shat myself.
>>>
So are mine 🙂 But i update drivers/bios almost a weekly base (depends when they are released)...again...its all dynamic. The fact that it comes shipped "recent" doesnt mean a lot a week or two afterwards.
>>>
5. I hooked up my monitor, plugged the power supply to the wall, and I was up and running!
>>>
You have a point...but PC buiding can be fun...and usually what i build runs TOO. tada 🙂
>>>
6. Immaculate wiring job. Meticulous cable routing, sleeving and tying.
>>>
Mega point here. My cables/case inside looks like cr*p. But then i also mod and install fans etc. all the time 🙂
>>>
7. Should anything go south, my whole darned system is warrantied by one company that has been around for years.
>>>
If somethng goes south, like recently a video card...well then i RMA the card...i also got a cross ship (Radeon X850XT)...so i didnt have ANY downtime. Same with memory or any other component.
Except yo upay out of your a$$ for shipping the WHOLE system, i guess ?
>>>
8. The system came already burnt-in and benchmarked (read: ready to overclock)
>>>
i doubt that MANY have the same knowledge regarding benchmarking and burn-in like i do. I dont want to sound arrogant, tho.
Wonder whether the alienware people read forums like xtremesystems.org and know about OCCT etc..etc.....then we're not even talking about overclocking here (what i do).
>>>
Alienware, while expensive is NOT "just throwing your money away".
>>>
if you use "expensive" then you mean "expensive". "Expensive" means PROBABLY you pay MORE than what it's worth 🙂
And...putting a BIG amount of money into a comp is ALWAYS throwing money away - i know best becasue i am one of the first shelling out $400/$500 for a new gfx-card once it's out. Then same card which is worth $100 a few months later. So...as a enthusiast yo ualways act NON logical from a economic point of view 🙂
Immersive Gamer
Junior Member
Holy Crap!
It's unfunkingbelievable I got THIS many replies. the only reason I started this is because searching for "Alienware" in the forums usually ended up with somebody pi55ing all over their systems. things like Alienware=crap. Well mine don't, and I just wanted to say that when I was shopping their prices (including rebates) end up being close to what it would be trying to use P-watch.
Usually, you folks are right. The prices are stratospeheric, but knowing from A-tech forums and others that new hardware, processors in the form of dual-cores, and 7-series Nvidia cards were emerging, I thought that some of the gaming system builders would be offering up some deals.
I was right. And while I never woud believe i would have a case like this sitting in my desk....maybe it will grow on me. At least I got a grey one, and not strained peas baby-sh!t green, or frustrated codsack electric blue.
I will post again in the long shot that someone gives dropping one.
It's unfunkingbelievable I got THIS many replies. the only reason I started this is because searching for "Alienware" in the forums usually ended up with somebody pi55ing all over their systems. things like Alienware=crap. Well mine don't, and I just wanted to say that when I was shopping their prices (including rebates) end up being close to what it would be trying to use P-watch.
Usually, you folks are right. The prices are stratospeheric, but knowing from A-tech forums and others that new hardware, processors in the form of dual-cores, and 7-series Nvidia cards were emerging, I thought that some of the gaming system builders would be offering up some deals.
I was right. And while I never woud believe i would have a case like this sitting in my desk....maybe it will grow on me. At least I got a grey one, and not strained peas baby-sh!t green, or frustrated codsack electric blue.
I will post again in the long shot that someone gives dropping one.
DanDaMan315
Golden Member
Alienware = Perfect (except for case) other than that Alienwares are perfect in every facet, but they are SOOOOO FVUCCCKKKING EXPENSIVE ITS RIDICULOUS!!!!11!!!1
Immersive Gamer
Junior Member
it's me, the painfully generic sounding "immersive gamer", the one who people think is a lackey for Alienware. (still floored about that)
My first computer mod was in 1982. I convinced my dad our atari 800 computer needed more memory. We went from 32 to 48K! Later computer mods included adding a hard drive to a 1988 IBM PS2 (that meant Personal System 2 back then). Getting that 20mb card to work dwarfs any kind of RAID frustrations people have had.
Anywho, my last full-fledged system build had all kinds of fallout. My skyhawk aluminum case came with some crappy hardware. When first built it failed to f-ing power up because one of the case fan wires had a tiny scratch which sorted out the whole shebang. I thought I had a bum power supply. took the T-I-M-E to swap it out, and then rediagnose, etc. The AGP card clip on my epox board was also at odds with my leadtek card. Another source of frustration. Oh, yeah, my thermalright HS was really at odds with the socket clips. I remember spending an inordinate amount of time getting drivers for EVERYTHING that first run, too.
Anyway, I think you can put a price on having a computer ready to game with right out of the box. I never planned on buying a prefab system, especially one that looks like the head of a critter from the Moss Eisley cantina, but the gap was narrowed enough between alienware dumping their aging products, and what I could do using p-watch that I decided to give them a try.
Didn't think I would enflame my betters and all like I have
But for my own part, in the product-availiability window I was shopping in, I have had a good experience.
My first computer mod was in 1982. I convinced my dad our atari 800 computer needed more memory. We went from 32 to 48K! Later computer mods included adding a hard drive to a 1988 IBM PS2 (that meant Personal System 2 back then). Getting that 20mb card to work dwarfs any kind of RAID frustrations people have had.
Anywho, my last full-fledged system build had all kinds of fallout. My skyhawk aluminum case came with some crappy hardware. When first built it failed to f-ing power up because one of the case fan wires had a tiny scratch which sorted out the whole shebang. I thought I had a bum power supply. took the T-I-M-E to swap it out, and then rediagnose, etc. The AGP card clip on my epox board was also at odds with my leadtek card. Another source of frustration. Oh, yeah, my thermalright HS was really at odds with the socket clips. I remember spending an inordinate amount of time getting drivers for EVERYTHING that first run, too.
Anyway, I think you can put a price on having a computer ready to game with right out of the box. I never planned on buying a prefab system, especially one that looks like the head of a critter from the Moss Eisley cantina, but the gap was narrowed enough between alienware dumping their aging products, and what I could do using p-watch that I decided to give them a try.
Didn't think I would enflame my betters and all like I have
But for my own part, in the product-availiability window I was shopping in, I have had a good experience.
Immersive Gamer
Junior Member
I'm sure as hell not done modding (in my own brain-dented ways, of course)
I'm trying to find out more info about water-cooling (my next BIG THING). Which is the reason I started scouring A-tech forums. I just typed up the controversial "A-word" to see what people had to say. It was all so damnably negative I typed up some of the plusses of buying a system. I guess it sounded like some kind of canned PR bull-droppings and people felt the overwhelming need to give me an economics lesson in line-by-line form.
You live. You learn. You overclock until you notice artifacts or tearing.
I'm trying to find out more info about water-cooling (my next BIG THING). Which is the reason I started scouring A-tech forums. I just typed up the controversial "A-word" to see what people had to say. It was all so damnably negative I typed up some of the plusses of buying a system. I guess it sounded like some kind of canned PR bull-droppings and people felt the overwhelming need to give me an economics lesson in line-by-line form.
You live. You learn. You overclock until you notice artifacts or tearing.
imported_g33k
Senior member
Ok I just peiced together a rig over at alienware and it came out to about $275 (after the $300 rebate, shipping is free) more than a similiar equipped system I built. So if you don't have the time to build a rig and you can stomach the rebates, its actually not a bad deal right now. I would say it comparable to a dell or an hp. Once this rebate deal ends, then you are much better off getting a dell or DIY.
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