Alienware: Which one should I buy?

Well, since a lot of you people say that Alienware is overpriced etc etc..could you suggest me a computer build that could tackle Crysis 2/Rift and perhaps even Guild Wars 2 at high graphics? I want a gaming computer that can run games at a very high quality without dropping 40+ FPS..that might be a bit to ask for..but I really want a computer that can stand up to the latest games and so on. Sure, some of you might say it's unnecessary since most games don't even need that..but hey, I asked for a great gaming computer..which can take on almost all games except for Direct X12 or something lol. Anyway..I hope you guys can help^^
Your mind is your enemy. Your mind will make you insane sooner or later. As for me..well, you can say that I am.
In all honesty a Quad Core processor can tackle most of the games out there.
I'd suggest investing in a good graphics card and power supply.
Upgrade to Windows 7 64bit and throw in 6-8gb's of ram.
You have the makings of a good gaming pc as is.
If you still feel like you need a new $1500 + gaming rig, we can get that sorted.
The best possible investment you can make when looking for a new computer is taking the time to educate yourself on some of the basics first. For example, with the goal you have in mind, graphical settings-wise, for those games, look for some of these basic options:

Most games are only optimized for dual core processors currently, but I'd recommend a quad core to "futureproof" (even though I hate that term). Either a 2500k/2600k Sandy Bridge Intel chip or a Phenom II X4 955 - 980 Black Edition AMD chip would do you just fine.

Any video card with at least 1 GB of memory or more... Radeon 6850 or higher, or a NVIDIA GeForce 550 Ti or up. Just make sure they run DirectX 11. Also, if you get enough graphics card the first time, you don't have to worry about CrossFire/SLi for a while, but I'd recommend getting a mobo with a few extra PCi slots for future use.

8 GB of RAM is plenty, unless you're planning on doing high-res photo editing or video rendering.

Enough juice to run it all... I'd recommend a minimum of 750W power supply these days.

Everything else is up to you. A decent case with good cooling is worth the extra money, as is an aftermarket cooler for your CPU, especially if you want to overclock. SSD boot drives are all the vogue, and I like mine, but having multiple drives may be more file management than you want to deal with. Definitely go with Windows 7, as well, for compatibility issues.

You should be able to find a number of boutique-type computer builder websites that could put something together with those specs, but you'll pay a premium for brand names and the time it takes to build it. I'd recommend building it yourself, if it's at all an option... it's not nearly as difficult as most people think, and the best way to learn is just to do it. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions, too.

Oh, and I'll pile on to what everyone else has said... don't buy Alienware. Overrated, overpriced crap.
For Bob's sake, it's not rocket surgery.
Last edited by Malaclypse on Sep 9, 2011, 11:32:27 PM
How about a CyberPower PC Black Pearl? You can see it in the link below.

http://computers.toptenreviews.com/gaming/cyberpower/cyperpower-pc-black-pearl-review.html
Your mind is your enemy. Your mind will make you insane sooner or later. As for me..well, you can say that I am.
This thread probably needs to be ressurected. I asked you guys what you think about the CyberPower PC Black Pearl =)
Your mind is your enemy. Your mind will make you insane sooner or later. As for me..well, you can say that I am.
Wants to spend 1000+ just so it says alienware?

lol bad, just bad.

How bout you take that 1000 you could of saved and take a computer class so you're not so ignorant in the ways of constructing a comp.

that way you dont get ripped off in the future?

cause if you think something saying alienware is going to impress a real gamer... they're going to LMFAO at you for wasting money.
"
MacantSaoir wrote:
Wants to spend 1000+ just so it says alienware?

lol bad, just bad.

How bout you take that 1000 you could of saved and take a computer class so you're not so ignorant in the ways of constructing a comp.

that way you dont get ripped off in the future?

cause if you think something saying alienware is going to impress a real gamer... they're going to LMFAO at you for wasting money.


*sigh* Atleast read everything before you write. Right now I asked: What about the CyberPower PC Black Pearl. Instead, you ramble on about what other guys have said. There really isn't a need to repeat the same lines over and over, when you see that other have already said that. I notice that you just read my post and just started to write. Read really carefully next time you post anything. THINK with your brain. So please, could you take a look at the link in my older post? And I don't really care about what other gamers think. Why should I?
Your mind is your enemy. Your mind will make you insane sooner or later. As for me..well, you can say that I am.
If you really want to spend the cash, go and buy yourself the top of the line system from digitalstormonline. It will kick alienware.
Dont buy an alienware system, total waste of money. I purchased one a couple of years back. They took nearly a month to deliver the system I had spent nearly £3600 on.

I set it up, switched it on and hit the desktop. Within a few secs of being on windows encountered an error and had to shut down. Checked what was causing the issue and it was the version of power dvd they had installed. Got rid of that issue and loaded up Crysis. Terrible fps and game crashing constantly. spoke with their support team who then for the next 3 days had me doing bits to try and fix the issue even a deep drive scan which took nearly a whole day to finish. Then the system started to boot up without waking up the monitor. At the end of the 3 days they couldnt decide if the cards were faulty or the main board. I saved them the effort and backed it as not fit for purpose under trading standards laws as they were refusing to take it back they wanted to repair it and sent it back to me. Eventually gained a full refund and built my own system with newer tech for £1500 less than they did with the older tech.

I had no trouble with my own setup apart from my graphics cards dying after a year (too much gaming hours) but evga replaced them, as they have 10 year waranty, with a pair of 280 GTX which perform a lot better than my old cards.

My system currently is:
Coolermaster 1kw modular psu
Gigabyte case pre installed liquid cooling
EVGA 790i ultra sli board
Intel QX9770 quad extreme (4x 3.20ghz)
2x EVGA GTX280 cards
8gb OCZ platinum DDR3
2x 500gb samsung spinpoint F1 drives
Samsung SyncMaster 305t 30in monitor native res 2560x1600
G15 keyboard
G9 mouse
Creative 5.1 thx soundsystem

I know this isn't what you most likely wanted to hear but I would always advise someone to build their own pc as I'm sure many would who have done the same themselves. This was my first attempt at building a pc and it went smooth no parts blown or damaged. It's 2 years old now and the only parts that have had to be replaced were the graphics cards due to dying on me and still its future proofed.
"
Luthias wrote:
Dont buy an alienware system, total waste of money. I purchased one a couple of years back. They took nearly a month to deliver the system I had spent nearly £3600 on.

I set it up, switched it on and hit the desktop. Within a few secs of being on windows encountered an error and had to shut down. Checked what was causing the issue and it was the version of power dvd they had installed. Got rid of that issue and loaded up Crysis. Terrible fps and game crashing constantly. spoke with their support team who then for the next 3 days had me doing bits to try and fix the issue even a deep drive scan which took nearly a whole day to finish. Then the system started to boot up without waking up the monitor. At the end of the 3 days they couldnt decide if the cards were faulty or the main board. I saved them the effort and backed it as not fit for purpose under trading standards laws as they were refusing to take it back they wanted to repair it and sent it back to me. Eventually gained a full refund and built my own system with newer tech for £1500 less than they did with the older tech.

I had no trouble with my own setup apart from my graphics cards dying after a year (too much gaming hours) but evga replaced them, as they have 10 year waranty, with a pair of 280 GTX which perform a lot better than my old cards.

My system currently is:
Coolermaster 1kw modular psu
Gigabyte case pre installed liquid cooling
EVGA 790i ultra sli board
Intel QX9770 quad extreme (4x 3.20ghz)
2x EVGA GTX280 cards
8gb OCZ platinum DDR3
2x 500gb samsung spinpoint F1 drives
Samsung SyncMaster 305t 30in monitor native res 2560x1600
G15 keyboard
G9 mouse
Creative 5.1 thx soundsystem

I know this isn't what you most likely wanted to hear but I would always advise someone to build their own pc as I'm sure many would who have done the same themselves. This was my first attempt at building a pc and it went smooth no parts blown or damaged. It's 2 years old now and the only parts that have had to be replaced were the graphics cards due to dying on me and still its future proofed.


Thanks for the response, i'm thinking of trying it out, but i'm a bit afraid to mess up with the build..so the safest option (to me)is to get a pre-built computer. The alienware is an example. I am glad someone actually wrote about why they don't like Alienware etc instead of saying ''it's overrated, overpriced..''. But maybe..just maybe I should give it a shot and build my own compuer. But then again, I would be really happy to own an Alienware myself. Not to impress others..but to satisfy myself as I just love the design of the chassi (that's what you call it?). Well, I'd like to ask you to check out the other PC I wrote about: CyberPower PC Black Pearl. Thanks for taking your time to write about your experience. Sincerely EvilMegaCookie.
Your mind is your enemy. Your mind will make you insane sooner or later. As for me..well, you can say that I am.

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