Is Getting An Alienware Worth It?

[Manny Roscoe]

I mean....its a shit load of money....and I dont want to only play games on it....I really need a fast, powerful PC. Plus, my PC cant handle most PC games...does it operate as a normal PC? Can I install Windows on it?
If anyone here has one, tell me how great it is....a review of it, if you will...

[james_bond_rulez]

you pay what you get

u want powerful computers, pay up :lol:

[4th gen]

Alienware PCs are, in my opinion, hugely overpriced pieces of crap. The only reason people buy them is either beacuse they're stupid and want to show off or because they have too much money and want to show off. People of the "Fast & The Furious" generation, if you will. For example "Wow! Dude, that Civic's got a 42" fake exhaust, so it's faster than a spaceship!" is similar to "Wow! Dude, I just blew nine million dollars on an Alienware, so I'm brilliant!".

If you've got a moderate amount of computer hardware knowledge and some money to lay out, you can build a PC with the same specs as an Alienware for less money.

Plus, if you're not really a big gamer, there is very little reason to buy an incredibly expensive PC. If you need a powerful PC to do tasks which require a lot of computing power, then you should look into either building a PC yourself, or buying a pre-fabricated PC. However, I would strongly advise against buying an Alienware (unless you're stupid or you've got too much money) :)

[apollooff320]

build your own alienware pc.....I thought it was going to be hard to build my own PC, so I did a search on the net on how to build your own PC. It was fun building my own PC and I paid way less then what I would at a PC store.

[muchspl2]

hell a good alienware will cost over 2g's for that you can peice together a better set up
saw this recently for around 2400, but you can save so much getting a cheaper vid card, you don't need 2 gig's of ram :lol:

Cases (Computer Cases, ATX Form)
ANTEC Performance PLUS Model PLUS1080AMG- with Antec Original TRUE 430W P4 Power Supply ATX12V Retail
Specifications:
Case type: SOHO File Server
Case Color: Antec Metalic Gray
Case Dimensions: 20.6" x 8.1" x 18.6" (H/W/D)
Drive bays: 10
Front accesible 4x 5.25, 2x 3.5" Internal 4x 3.5"
Expansion Slots: 3 Short 4 Full Length
2 Rear Standard Fans 1 Side fan
Washable Air Filter in front more info>
N82E16811129115 $112.00
$112.00

CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)
Plextor 8X DVD-RW +RW DVD Recorder - Model PX-708A/SW-BL Black Retail
Specifications:
Interface: ATAPI EIDE
Data Transfer Rate: Burst (UDMA/33) 33MB/s
Writing DVD+R: 8x, DVD-R: 4x , CD-R: 40x
Rewriting DVD+RW: 4x , DVD-RW: 2x , CD-RW: 24x
Reading DVD-ROM: 12x , CD-ROM: 40x
Data Buffer 2MB
Access Time <100ms (CD)
Retail Box (See pictures for details) more info>
N82E16827131311 &#036;234.99
&#036;234.99

Fans, Heatsinks (Case, CPU, Chipset)
VANTEC AeroFlow VP4-C7040. For Intel P4 478. Retail. Vantec Vertical Aluminum Fins with Copper Core Heat sink + T.M.D. fan, and triple clip for secure instalation.
Specifications:
Supported Socket type:P4 478
Material: Aluminum with copper
Fan Speed: 5600 RPM
Air Flow: 35.5 CFM
Bearing type: T.M.D.
Dimensions 74.5x87.5x60 (mm)
Life Cycle: 80,000 Hrs. (Comes with thermal Compound) more info>
N82E16835110008 &#036;23.99
&#036;26.99 ea.@5+
&#036;26.99 ea.@10+
&#036;26.99 ea.@15+
&#036;23.99

Floppy Drives
►Top Seller&#33;
SAMSUNG 1.44MB BLACK FLOPPY DRIVE Model# SFD321B/LBL - OEM, DRIVE ONLY
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44 MB Connector 34 Pin Standard Floppy
Works With All Standard 1.44MB & 72OKB 3.5 Floppy Diskettes are compatible with all industry standard 1.44MB and 72OKB 3.5 floppy diskettes.
Easy to Install&#33; Just Plug & Play&#33; * For IBM5 & 100% Compatible Computers .
1 Year Warranty more info>
N82E16821103203 &#036;6.99
&#036;6.99 ea.@10+
&#036;6.5 ea.@20+
&#036;6 ea.@60+
&#036;6.99

Hard Drives
WD WESTERN DIGITAL "SPECIAL EDITION" 250GB 7200RPM 8MB EIDE HARD DRIVE MODEL # WD2500JB - OEM, DRIVE ONLY
Specifications:
Size: 250 Gigabytes
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
Seek time: 8.9ms
RPM:7200
Cache 8MB
OEM(Drive alone) 3 Year Manufacturer Warranty more info>
N82E16822144309 &#036;249.00 times 2
&#036;249.00

Keyboards
►Top Seller&#33;
Logitech Cordless MX Duo - RETAIL Ultimate performance, design and control. The ultra-comfortable Cordless Elite Keyboard combines ultra-flat Zero-Degree Tilt™ design with a media center, smart navigation, and expert controls. The cordless MX™ 700 Optical Mouse integrates a revolutionary optical sensor with fast RF cordless technology to provide corded performance without the cord. more info>
N82E16823126124 &#036;82.00
&#036;82.00

Memory (System Memory)
Kingston 512MB DDR 400 Memory, Model KVR400XC3A/512 - Retail
Specifications:
Type: 184-pin DDR
Capacity: 512mb
Speed: DDR400 (PC3200)
Latency: CL3
Retail Box (see pics for details) more info>
N82E16820141424 &#036;83.00 times 4
&#036;332.00

Motherboards - Intel
ABIT IC7-G, Intel 875P chipset for Socket 478 800MHz Canterwood ATX Motherboard RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU:Intel® Pentium® 4 Socket 478 processors, Hyper Threading Ready
Chipset:Intel® 875P / ICH5 RAID
FSB:800/533MHz
RAM:4x 184pin Dual DDR 400 Max 4GB
IDE:2 x Ultra DMA 33/66/100 Connectors up to 4 Devices
SATA:4 x Serial ATA 150 Connectors up to 4 Devices
Slots:1 x AGP PRO, 5 x PCI slots
Ports:2xPS2,1xLPT,1xCOM,2xUSB,1xLAN, and Audio Ports:
Onboard Audio: 6-Channel AC 97 CODEC
Onboard LAN: Intel CSA Gigabit LAN more info>
N82E16813127152 &#036;186.00
&#036;186.00

Processors
**This item is NOT REFUNDABLE, exchange for same exact item only&#33;&#33;**
Intel Pentium 4 / 3.0CGHz 512k socket 478 Hyper Threading Technology 800 MHz FSB - RETAIL
Specifications:
CPU: 3.0GHz
Type: Pentium 4 Northwood
Cache: 512K
BUS: 800 Mhz
Socket: 478
Retail box (with Heatsink and Fan)
3-year MFG. Warranty- more info>
N82E16819116156 &#036;389.00
&#036;389.00

Sound Card
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 - PCI OEM
DVD-Audio: The only PC solution to enable the Advanced Resolution era of 24-bit music fidelity w/192kHz in stereo and 96kHz in 5.1
106dB SNR: The best Sound Blaster clarity ever, rivaling home-theater audio quality for music, games, & movies
6.1 surround sound: Experience superior multi-channel audio from MP3s, CDs, 3D games and Dolby Digital EX movies with a rear center speaker more info>
N82E16829102158 &#036;75.00
&#036;75.00

Video Cards
**This item is NOT REFUNDABLE, exchange for same exact item only&#33;&#33;**
ATI SAPPHIRE RADEON 9800 PRO ULTIMATE 256MB DVI/TV 8X AGP RETAIL
Specifications:
Chipset:ATI RADEON 9800 PRO
Memory:256MB DDR RAM
Bus:AGP 8X
256-bit memory interface
First to fully support DirectX® 9.0 and the latest OpenGL® functionality
New SMARTSHADER 2.1 technology allows users to experience complex, movie-quality effects in next-generation 3D games and applications
128-bit floating-point color precision allows for a greater range of colors and brightness
Ports: VGA + DVI + S-Video
Retail Box (Comes with Games and Software&#33; see pictures for details) more info>
N82E16814102294 &#036;483.00
&#036;483.00

around &#036;2400.00 +/-

[SingaBoiy]

Actually... &#036;2173.97 :D

[Manny Roscoe]

Originally posted by muchspl2@9 April 2004 - 05:31
hell a good alienware will cost over 2g&#39;s for that you can peice together a better set up
saw this recently for around 2400, but you can save so much getting a cheaper vid card, you don&#39;t need 2 gig&#39;s of ram :lol:

Cases (Computer Cases, ATX Form)
ANTEC Performance PLUS Model PLUS1080AMG- with Antec Original TRUE 430W P4 Power Supply ATX12V Retail
Specifications:
Case type: SOHO File Server
Case Color: Antec Metalic Gray
Case Dimensions: 20.6" x 8.1" x 18.6" (H/W/D)
Drive bays: 10
Front accesible 4x 5.25, 2x 3.5" Internal 4x 3.5"
Expansion Slots: 3 Short 4 Full Length
2 Rear Standard Fans 1 Side fan
Washable Air Filter in front more info>
N82E16811129115 &#036;112.00
&#036;112.00

CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)
Plextor 8X DVD-RW +RW DVD Recorder - Model PX-708A/SW-BL Black Retail
Specifications:
Interface: ATAPI EIDE
Data Transfer Rate: Burst (UDMA/33) 33MB/s
Writing DVD+R: 8x, DVD-R: 4x , CD-R: 40x
Rewriting DVD+RW: 4x , DVD-RW: 2x , CD-RW: 24x
Reading DVD-ROM: 12x , CD-ROM: 40x
Data Buffer 2MB
Access Time <100ms (CD)
Retail Box (See pictures for details) more info>
N82E16827131311 &#036;234.99
&#036;234.99

Fans, Heatsinks (Case, CPU, Chipset)
VANTEC AeroFlow VP4-C7040. For Intel P4 478. Retail. Vantec Vertical Aluminum Fins with Copper Core Heat sink + T.M.D. fan, and triple clip for secure instalation.
Specifications:
Supported Socket type:P4 478
Material: Aluminum with copper
Fan Speed: 5600 RPM
Air Flow: 35.5 CFM
Bearing type: T.M.D.
Dimensions 74.5x87.5x60 (mm)
Life Cycle: 80,000 Hrs. (Comes with thermal Compound) more info>
N82E16835110008 &#036;23.99
&#036;26.99 ea.@5+
&#036;26.99 ea.@10+
&#036;26.99 ea.@15+
&#036;23.99

Floppy Drives
►Top Seller&#33;
SAMSUNG 1.44MB BLACK FLOPPY DRIVE Model# SFD321B/LBL - OEM, DRIVE ONLY
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44 MB Connector 34 Pin Standard Floppy
Works With All Standard 1.44MB & 72OKB 3.5 Floppy Diskettes are compatible with all industry standard 1.44MB and 72OKB 3.5 floppy diskettes.
Easy to Install&#33; Just Plug & Play&#33; * For IBM5 & 100% Compatible Computers .
1 Year Warranty more info>
N82E16821103203 &#036;6.99
&#036;6.99 ea.@10+
&#036;6.5 ea.@20+
&#036;6 ea.@60+
&#036;6.99

Hard Drives
WD WESTERN DIGITAL "SPECIAL EDITION" 250GB 7200RPM 8MB EIDE HARD DRIVE MODEL # WD2500JB - OEM, DRIVE ONLY
Specifications:
Size: 250 Gigabytes
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
Seek time: 8.9ms
RPM:7200
Cache 8MB
OEM(Drive alone) 3 Year Manufacturer Warranty more info>
N82E16822144309 &#036;249.00 times 2
&#036;249.00

Keyboards
►Top Seller&#33;
Logitech Cordless MX Duo - RETAIL Ultimate performance, design and control. The ultra-comfortable Cordless Elite Keyboard combines ultra-flat Zero-Degree Tilt™ design with a media center, smart navigation, and expert controls. The cordless MX™ 700 Optical Mouse integrates a revolutionary optical sensor with fast RF cordless technology to provide corded performance without the cord. more info>
N82E16823126124 &#036;82.00
&#036;82.00

Memory (System Memory)
Kingston 512MB DDR 400 Memory, Model KVR400XC3A/512 - Retail
Specifications:
Type: 184-pin DDR
Capacity: 512mb
Speed: DDR400 (PC3200)
Latency: CL3
Retail Box (see pics for details) more info>
N82E16820141424 &#036;83.00 times 4
&#036;332.00

Motherboards - Intel
ABIT IC7-G, Intel 875P chipset for Socket 478 800MHz Canterwood ATX Motherboard RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU:Intel® Pentium® 4 Socket 478 processors, Hyper Threading Ready
Chipset:Intel® 875P / ICH5 RAID
FSB:800/533MHz
RAM:4x 184pin Dual DDR 400 Max 4GB
IDE:2 x Ultra DMA 33/66/100 Connectors up to 4 Devices
SATA:4 x Serial ATA 150 Connectors up to 4 Devices
Slots:1 x AGP PRO, 5 x PCI slots
Ports:2xPS2,1xLPT,1xCOM,2xUSB,1xLAN, and Audio Ports:
Onboard Audio: 6-Channel AC 97 CODEC
Onboard LAN: Intel CSA Gigabit LAN more info>
N82E16813127152 &#036;186.00
&#036;186.00

Processors
**This item is NOT REFUNDABLE, exchange for same exact item only&#33;&#33;**
Intel Pentium 4 / 3.0CGHz 512k socket 478 Hyper Threading Technology 800 MHz FSB - RETAIL
Specifications:
CPU: 3.0GHz
Type: Pentium 4 Northwood
Cache: 512K
BUS: 800 Mhz
Socket: 478
Retail box (with Heatsink and Fan)
3-year MFG. Warranty- more info>
N82E16819116156 &#036;389.00
&#036;389.00

Sound Card
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 - PCI OEM
DVD-Audio: The only PC solution to enable the Advanced Resolution era of 24-bit music fidelity w/192kHz in stereo and 96kHz in 5.1
106dB SNR: The best Sound Blaster clarity ever, rivaling home-theater audio quality for music, games, & movies
6.1 surround sound: Experience superior multi-channel audio from MP3s, CDs, 3D games and Dolby Digital EX movies with a rear center speaker more info>
N82E16829102158 &#036;75.00
&#036;75.00

Video Cards
**This item is NOT REFUNDABLE, exchange for same exact item only&#33;&#33;**
ATI SAPPHIRE RADEON 9800 PRO ULTIMATE 256MB DVI/TV 8X AGP RETAIL
Specifications:
Chipset:ATI RADEON 9800 PRO
Memory:256MB DDR RAM
Bus:AGP 8X
256-bit memory interface
First to fully support DirectX® 9.0 and the latest OpenGL® functionality
New SMARTSHADER 2.1 technology allows users to experience complex, movie-quality effects in next-generation 3D games and applications
128-bit floating-point color precision allows for a greater range of colors and brightness
Ports: VGA + DVI + S-Video
Retail Box (Comes with Games and Software&#33; see pictures for details) more info>
N82E16814102294 &#036;483.00
&#036;483.00

around &#036;2400.00 +/-
Thanks for the info.

Guess I&#39;ll build my own then....

[muchspl2]

Originally posted by SingaBoiy@9 April 2004 - 05:30
Actually... &#036;2173.97&nbsp; :D
the remainder is my "consulting" fee :P

[DWells55]

If you want to save a ton of cash over that setup, get an AMD processor. Very fast, and very inexpensive. Or, if you&#39;re fine with the price, buy a 64 Bit AMD 3200+.

[james_bond_rulez]

Originally posted by DWells55@9 April 2004 - 06:44
If you want to save a ton of cash over that setup, get an AMD processor. Very fast, and very inexpensive. Or, if you&#39;re fine with the price, buy a 64 Bit AMD 3200+.
dude, if he&#39;s got cash to burn his best bet is with an intel processor

[muchspl2]

took the words out of my mouth :lol:
he is the one that has unlimited funds to "invest" in a alienware 2g&#39;s is a drop in the bucket if he was seriously looking at buying one
minds well go with the best

[Mïcrösöül°V³]

i upgraded the guts in my PC for less than 600 bucks, and now i run at 3.3ghz 1 gig ram and such. alienware pcs are just nice and colorful for rich peeps to do resume&#39;s on. :P

[lumpbuzcut]

Im happy with my dell ;)
It may not be purplre, glow in the dark or have the little alien head fan cover, but im not to worried. Make sure you check the refurb section, great deals.

[abu_has_the_power]

alienwares are 2 expensive. build ur own.

[Monkeee]

if you build your own computer you only get half price.... but people only buy it cause the case looks COOOOL :ph34r:

[Rip The Jacker]

Alienware is overrated in my opinion. Once I found at computer at Alienware.com for about &#036;1,600. I went over to Ibuypower.com, and custimized a PC with the same exact parts, and my total came out to be about &#036;800. :blink:

[ahctlucabbuS]

Yea build your own. On the other hand, Im sure you´d get what you payed for if you bought an alienware; a reliable, powerful gaming machine. Might be over priced, but if you got the cash who cares, right?

edit: grammar