Pages: 1

 

2006-12-14 04:48:05
MagikTrik
yes.....but your still gay
+138|6826|Pittsburgh, PA USA
Ok I know there is tons of helpful info about this kind of stuff & I swear to god I've been trying really, really hard to read it all but my fackin A.D.D. kicks in or something & it just doesn't register, plus I don't understand half of it anyway.
I finally decided I can spend the money I've got saved up (basically my life savings ) on a new computer & I always heard good things about Alienware. So I went to their site & custom built my new rig. I wanna post the specs & just know if it's alright & if it's worth the money or if there's better/cheaper stuff that I could get to save some cash and/or get better performance. K? Again I know there's sticky's that talk about this kinda stuff but I really don't know all that much about the words & terms that people use. Here it goes.

Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5200+ Processor w/ HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology

OS: Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 - Free Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium!

Chassis: Alienware® P2 Chassis (Space Black)

Chassis Upgrades: Alienware® AlienIce™ 3.0 Video Cooling (Astral Blue)
or
Alienware® AlienIce™ 3.0 Video Cooling + High-Performance Liquid Cooling [+$170 or $6/mo.] (worth the extra money?)

Motherboard: Alienware® Approved NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI Motherboard

Memory: GB DDR2 PC2-6400 SDRAM at 800MHz - 2 x 1024MB

System Drive: Extreme Performance (RAID 0), 500GB (2 x 250GB) Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7,200 RPM w/ 2 x 8MB Cache

Storage Drive: 250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7,200 RPM w/ 8MB Cache

Primary CD ROM/DVD ROM: 18x Dual Layer DVD±R/W Drive (BlueRay is disgustingly expensive)

Secondary CD ROM/DVD ROM: 18x Dual Layer DVD±R/W Drive

Graphics Processor: 768MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8800 GTX
or
Dual 640MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8800 GTS - SLI Enabled - Requires 1000W Power Supply! [+$350 or $11/mo.]  (worth the upgrade?)

Power Supply: Alienware® 700 Watt Multi-GPU Approved Power Supply

Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster 940N 19" 18ms LCD with HDCP - Black
or
Samsung SyncMaster 204B 20.1" 5ms Flat Panel - Black [+$100 or $3/mo.] (worth the extra money?)

Sound Card: Alienware® Edition Sound Blaster® X-Fi® Elite High Definition 7.1 Audio

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

Do I need a "Physics Processing Unit"?
It's an extra $270 & only 3 games are supported atm, but one of which is Advanced Warfighter which I just got recently. Will it do anything for BF2 or other non-supported games?   

The way I have it right now the price is $3,680. Is there alot of stuff that will be outdated in a year or two? Any general advice would be really helpful, thanks. One last thing, their top-of-the-line system comes with an Intel chip but I thought AMD was better, the Intel machine is one or two grand more expensive too, what's up with that?

Last edited by MagikTrik (2006-12-14 04:49:08)

2006-12-14 05:03:06
DoctorFruitloop
Level 13 Wrongdoer
+515|7002|Doncaster, UK
I would say the two pieces of advice you will get from this thread are.....

1. avoid alienware like the plague, they're massively overpriced and there service isn't brilliant, (I should add that this isn't my personal opinion as I don' own an alienware rig, just what responses I've seen from any other thread about alienware).

and

2. build your own, you'll save lots of money for the same components and you'll learn a lot about PCs.

That said, if you absolutely have to have that rig from alienware I'd say the upgrade to SLI GTSs isn't necessary but the upgrade to the 5ms monitor is.

Last edited by DoctorFruitloop (2006-12-14 05:08:58)

2006-12-14 05:07:09
JonnyNuemonic
Member
+22|7168|Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Well mate I have Alienware and love it....what i would say is there's no need for the Liquid cooling...save your money for something else !

Anyone that says there overpriced or something this or that is wrong with them are usualy people that dont have one ..... so mate if you got the money go for it you wont be disapointed.....

Oh and having Neon ligths on your comp is cool...especially when there coming out of the alienwares alien head eyes !!!!!

I got the intel chip....but would recommend the AMD....and my system cost 3500 Euro

Last edited by JonnyNuemonic (2006-12-14 05:08:05)

2006-12-14 05:10:11
MagikTrik
yes.....but your still gay
+138|6826|Pittsburgh, PA USA
So the lower the "ms" number is for the monitor the better it is?

btw, thanks to both of you, I wasn't expecting any replies this early & already got 2 (it's 8:00am here)

Last edited by MagikTrik (2006-12-14 05:10:49)

2006-12-14 05:12:43
JonnyNuemonic
Member
+22|7168|Dublin, Republic of Ireland
yes the lower the MS the better...the Samsung monitor i got aswell but not from alienware...got it afterwords from a shop over here....its a great monitor and works very very well with the Alienware machine
2006-12-14 05:21:09
ssonrats
Member
+221|7101

MagikTrik wrote:

Do I need a "Physics Processing Unit"?
NO, don't bother, if it's just a physx gpu then fuck it mate, there are like hardly any supported games and the 8800gtx pwns all atm.

I would build/buy my own if i were you, i bet you can get that rig for $500-$1000 cheaper if you shop around.

But having said that it is a good pc, up to you.
2006-12-14 05:38:30
max
Vela Incident
+1,652|7023|NYC / Hamburg

JonnyNuemonic wrote:

Well mate I have Alienware and love it....what i would say is there's no need for the Liquid cooling...save your money for something else !

Anyone that says there overpriced or something this or that is wrong with them are usualy people that dont have one ..... so mate if you got the money go for it you wont be disapointed.....

Oh and having Neon ligths on your comp is cool...especially when there coming out of the alienwares alien head eyes !!!!!

I got the intel chip....but would recommend the AMD....and my system cost 3500 Euro
if you realize that alienware is overpriced (it is, dont even bother to argue) you obviously wont buy one. it's only intelligent. i'm not paying a lot of money for support that sucks.

also intel core2duo/quad is the way to go now. it has way superior performance over AMD.

_____________________________________________________

the 8800gtx should be way enough. because you wont be doing any overclocking on that pc you wont need the liquid cooling. a PPU is a waste of money. you dont need one

anyone who can build legos can build a pc themself. when i started building customs i also had no idea about building. its so simple. you should really consider it. when looking for help on choosing components, you should sign up at a tech forum (tomshardware should do pretty well, they helped me a lot in my noob days). if you are scared to build one yourself, you should also be able to find someone to build a custom for you pretty easyly. they are usually cheap. maybe even someone in your family is able to help you

stay away from alienware, their tech support is average (or below that) and at the same time hugely overpriced.

i dont know how old you are, but spending your life savings on a toy doesn't sound very good. cut down on the budget a bit. you can get a very nice custom that will play all of todays games maxed for a bit more than $ 1k

Last edited by max (2006-12-14 05:39:26)

once upon a midnight dreary, while i pron surfed, weak and weary, over many a strange and spurious site of ' hot  xxx galore'. While i clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, and my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour, " 'Tis not possible!", i muttered, " give me back my free hardcore!"..... quoth the server, 404.
2006-12-14 06:33:13
Des.Kmal
Member
+917|7074|Atlanta, Georgia, USA
my response to this thread is : http://forums.bf2s.com/viewtopic.php?id=56903
Add me on Origin for Battlefield 4 fun: DesKmal
2006-12-14 06:39:34
Crusty
Member
+11|7234
i could build that exact same system for like 1000 bucks cheaper by not going through alienware. if you can, buid your own. also, I dont think you need duel geforce 8s. In my opinion, too much moneys for somthing you dont need. I hear the 8s are powerful enough as it is. and if you really do need two geforce 8s, i am in a world of poo when im here with a 6800. haha, good luck man.
2006-12-14 07:12:18
Bell
Frosties > Cornflakes
+362|7005|UK

Mmmm swap the AMD for the intel C2D chips, E6600 is the way to go (think it is about the same price for a better chip) and on the Graphics card front.....  For for the 8800GTX, yes the dual GTS config would be superior, but I doubt those extra few fps is worth it for todays games.  An 8800GTX will be running all games on high for atleast a year, and should the time come where it begins to strugle, simply purchase another GTX (by then it should be MUCH cheaper) and issue solved.  No need for graphics accelerator

To the gentleman who stated

'it is, dont even bother to argue'

You simply arent looking at the total product.  YES a self build should be cheaper, however, with major companies like alienware/dell or any of the other's they often have deals with software manufacturer's to provide you with product's you would need to shell out for for a proper comparitive system.  OS, Office basic and all the rest (theres tons) quickly erode the 'savings' to be had on a self build.  Plus the fact if a self build goes wrong its your fault, with Alienware or any other atleast u can shout at tech support (even if they are in india and called chris), and should the worst come, send it back till your satisfied with what you paid good money for.  Additional, all those warrenites for individual part's where alienware provide a warranty for the lot also makes it less easy to justify your self build.

Finially, like somone in the alienware thread stated, when you get your alienware, plug in and go.  With self build, spend hours building (less your some sort of freak who can put it together in 20mins) and a further few hours installing the OS and all those additional programs you will want in.  My self I have no patience what so ever, if I cant fit something in its going through my window but with a pre built machine from peoples whos job it is to do it, you get the satisfaction of a quality product built by professionals, and after all those things I have mentioned the self build really only comes down to a 5-10% AT MOST.  For that I atleast am willing to pay someone around $100 to fix it for me, rather than loose my hair prematurly.  plus the case is so dam cooooooool

Martyn
2006-12-14 07:21:30
Des.Kmal
Member
+917|7074|Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Bell wrote:

With self build, spend hours building (less your some sort of freak who can put it together in 20mins)
its 30 mins...
Add me on Origin for Battlefield 4 fun: DesKmal
2006-12-14 07:23:01
heggs
Spamalamadingdong
+581|6844|New York
it all depends on personal preference. i do my own builds because i like it, and it saves me money. spending however many hours it takes to put it together is half the fun.

to each his own.
Remember Me As A Time Of Day
2006-12-14 07:37:53
max
Vela Incident
+1,652|7023|NYC / Hamburg

Bell wrote:

Mmmm swap the AMD for the intel C2D chips,

.....

For that I atleast am willing to pay someone around $100 to fix it for me, rather than loose my hair prematurly.  plus the case is so dam cooooooool

Martyn
alienwares in comparison to similarly configured dells/hps/gateways/whatever are also way more expensive. thats what i was referring to. and you cant tell me that an oem (you cant add the price of a full version to the "custom" costs, because oem versions dont give you the same rights as a full version) version of win & some basic office with some bundled spyware and the "tech support" (in the end you anyhow have to pay a knowledgeable person or troubleshoot yourself or send it back and get all your user settings fucked up) is worth $ 1000.

and the "OMFG, teh c4s3 is s0 1337 /orgasm": grow up. there are loads of good cases out there

Last edited by max (2006-12-14 07:46:06)

once upon a midnight dreary, while i pron surfed, weak and weary, over many a strange and spurious site of ' hot  xxx galore'. While i clicked my fav'rite bookmark, suddenly there came a warning, and my heart was filled with mourning, mourning for my dear amour, " 'Tis not possible!", i muttered, " give me back my free hardcore!"..... quoth the server, 404.
2006-12-14 07:43:54
Surgeons
U shud proabbly f off u fat prik
+3,097|6945|Gogledd Cymru

I would definetly get a cored 2 duo, they are really good in comparison to AMD's chips, or you could just wait a few months and get a cheaper dx10 card, the quad core processors and other cool stuff that will be cheaper
2006-12-14 07:45:31
aardfrith
Δ > x > ¥
+145|7248

MagikTrik wrote:

Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 5200+ Processor w/ HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology

OS: Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 - Free Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium!

Chassis: Alienware® P2 Chassis (Space Black)

Chassis Upgrades: Alienware® AlienIce™ 3.0 Video Cooling (Astral Blue)
or
Alienware® AlienIce™ 3.0 Video Cooling + High-Performance Liquid Cooling [+$170 or $6/mo.] (worth the extra money?)

Motherboard: Alienware® Approved NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI Motherboard

Memory: GB DDR2 PC2-6400 SDRAM at 800MHz - 2 x 1024MB

System Drive: Extreme Performance (RAID 0), 500GB (2 x 250GB) Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7,200 RPM w/ 2 x 8MB Cache

Storage Drive: 250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7,200 RPM w/ 8MB Cache

Primary CD ROM/DVD ROM: 18x Dual Layer DVD±R/W Drive (BlueRay is disgustingly expensive)

Secondary CD ROM/DVD ROM: 18x Dual Layer DVD±R/W Drive

Graphics Processor: 768MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8800 GTX
or
Dual 640MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8800 GTS - SLI Enabled - Requires 1000W Power Supply! [+$350 or $11/mo.]  (worth the upgrade?)

Power Supply: Alienware® 700 Watt Multi-GPU Approved Power Supply

Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster 940N 19" 18ms LCD with HDCP - Black
or
Samsung SyncMaster 204B 20.1" 5ms Flat Panel - Black [+$100 or $3/mo.] (worth the extra money?)

Sound Card: Alienware® Edition Sound Blaster® X-Fi® Elite High Definition 7.1 Audio

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

Do I need a "Physics Processing Unit"?
It's an extra $270 & only 3 games are supported atm, but one of which is Advanced Warfighter which I just got recently. Will it do anything for BF2 or other non-supported games?   

The way I have it right now the price is $3,680. Is there alot of stuff that will be outdated in a year or two? Any general advice would be really helpful, thanks. One last thing, their top-of-the-line system comes with an Intel chip but I thought AMD was better, the Intel machine is one or two grand more expensive too, what's up with that?
Wow, lots of questions.  I'll tackle them in reverse order seeing as how I'm different.

What's up with Intel and AMD chips?

Intel currently makes the most powerful chips.  AMD was the best but the current run of Intel chips - the Core 2 Duo set - is definitely superior.  AMD will work but Intel C2D is the way to go.  Having said that, the Intel Extreme Edition chips are not worth it.  E6600 looks very good and, from the benchmarks I've seen, is highly clockable.

Is there a lot of stuff that will be outdated in a year or two?

If you mean will there improved processors, memory, etc. the answer is YES.  If you mean will I need to upgrade to run software (games) that come out in a year or two, the answer is PROBABLY NOT.  With Vista, a DirectX 10 video card and a Core 2 Duo processor, you should be sorted.

Will a Physics Processing Unit do anything for unsupported games like BF2?
I don't think so.  However, the makers of the cards claim that more and more games will be supported.  Perhaps when you start seeing these claims being fulfilled, that will be the time to invest?

Is it worth getting the 20.1" monitor over the 19" monitor?
I would say ignore the response times, if they are below 20ms.  What you're looking at is how many frames per second each monitor can do.  A monitor that has a response time of 20ms will be able to perform a maximum of 50 frames per second (20ms * 50 = 1 second).  The 19" monitor has a response time of 18ms which means it can generate 55 frames per second, easily enough for gaming.

So, should you go for a 20.1" monitor or a 19" monitor?
The native resolution for a 19" monitor is 1280x1024 (same as 17") but for a 20" monitor it's 1600x1200.  So you'd get better resolution on the larger monitor.  Your graphics card is easily powerful enough to handle this, so if you have the cash, go for it.

Optical drives
There's no need to go for two DVD re-writers.  A cheaper and no less good solution would be one DVD re-writer and one DVD-ROM drive.  Unless for some bizarre reason you're going to write to two DVDs simultaneously.

Liquid cooling
If you're insisting on the AMD chip, this may be useful.  If you go with Intel, as people recommend, air-cooling is good enough.
2006-12-14 08:47:19
Bell
Frosties > Cornflakes
+362|7005|UK

max wrote:

Bell wrote:

Mmmm swap the AMD for the intel C2D chips,

.....

For that I atleast am willing to pay someone around $100 to fix it for me, rather than loose my hair prematurly.  plus the case is so dam cooooooool

Martyn
alienwares in comparison to similarly configured dells/hps/gateways/whatever are also way more expensive. thats what i was referring to. and you cant tell me that an oem (you cant add the price of a full version to the "custom" costs, because oem versions dont give you the same rights as a full version) version of win & some basic office with some bundled spyware and the "tech support" (in the end you anyhow have to pay a knowledgeable person or troubleshoot yourself or send it back and get all your user settings fucked up) is worth $ 1000.

and the "OMFG, teh c4s3 is s0 1337 /orgasm": grow up. there are loads of good cases out there
Dell's XPS gaming system cannot be compaired to an alienware of a similar price range as they do indeed use different components meaning its hard to justify if they are indeed more expensive.  Granted I speceed two similar systems and found a £300 price difference, but with the alenware using faster RAM, different HD's blah blah, that £300 is only there due to the options laid out.  I

Agreed there are lots of good cases out there, but considering the Alieware case costs somewhere in the region of £150 then theres another reason to show up ur shity argument.  If "OMFG, teh c4s3 is s0 1337 /orgasm" is the best rebuttle you have for this argument then I laugh at you.

If we are going to string random insults then how about you tell ur dentist to fix those 'ugly chicklets you call teeth'

Martyn
2006-12-14 08:50:34
kylef
Gone
+1,352|6949|N. Ireland

Bell wrote:

alienwares in comparison to similarly configured dells are also way more expensive.
you should probably be aware that DELL own Alienware.

Go for a C2D E6600, it is the same price as the 5000 but MUCH better.
2006-12-14 09:46:54
Bell
Frosties > Cornflakes
+362|7005|UK

leetkyle wrote:

Bell wrote:

alienwares in comparison to similarly configured dells are also way more expensive.
you should probably be aware that DELL own Alienware.

Go for a C2D E6600, it is the same price as the 5000 but MUCH better.
Firstly, I did not say that, the quote you used was actually what max said, I did not.  Careful next time mmmmmmmmk

Secondly, yes I am aware of it which is why I choose to compare the Dell XPS, with an alienware, rather than gateway or any other major computer manufacturer.

Martyn

Last edited by Bell (2006-12-14 09:47:38)

2006-12-14 10:33:16
Kmar
Truth is my Bitch
+5,695|7057|132 and Bush

Make sure you keep your customer ID number handy you will be needing it alot when you call their customer service daily. (I have 2 Alienwares) Made the mistake of giving them a second chance. I have since redone everything myself. The disc that came had all the wrong drivers, it had the wrong bios on it, the lights have since gone out, and I had to fix my BSOD problem on my own. Plus I think the Xfi card is jacked up.

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Alienware
If you think 5.2 out of 10 is acceptable for that price go for it.

Last edited by Kmarion (2006-12-14 10:33:51)

Xbone Stormsurgezz
2006-12-14 12:15:54
Stealth42o
She looked 18 to me officer
+175|7127
For the love of god, build your own and save hundreds if not over a thousand dollars.

Even if you do not know how to build one and do not wat to take the plunge, buy the parts and have a local comp shop put it together for you, it will still be A HELL OF A LOT CHEAPER!

 

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