Dell or Alienware?

[Amele]

Evilbau: why compromise when you can have both?


to the OP, *IF* you're not willing/able to build your own, I'd probably get an alienware, just because of bad experiences with Dell (although they're the same company now..). building your own machine will save you at least 30% and often much more at the higher end. (basically I'm claiming that including the below software package, I could replicate the machine skyylya built on avadirect for about 1400$)

As for software costing a significant part of your budget, someone in your family/friend network has access to a student copy of all relevant MS software for under 50$, I guarantee.

[evilbau]

Evilbau: why compromise when you can have both?


to the OP, *IF* you're not willing/able to build your own, I'd probably get an alienware, just because of bad experiences with Dell (although they're the same company now..). building your own machine will save you at least 30% and often much more at the higher end. (basically I'm claiming that including the below software package, I could replicate the machine skyylya built on avadirect for about 1400$)

As for software costing a significant part of your budget, someone in your family/friend network has access to a student copy of all relevant MS software for under 50$, I guarantee.

you can definitely get the above specs for cheaper than quoted originally, in that we are in agreement. I didn't want to get into the specifics of part by part savings, I was talking generally. Even above the (just an example) $1400 you quoted, kick everything down a generation or stepping (i.e. vid card), come up with creative solutions (i.e. E4300 and do the pin mod) and bank the savings.

I am just against paying too much for depreciating assets, its just the way I think. High end stuff becomes mid grade stuff fast (significant savings $/%-wise), and I'd rather have the difference saved and making me money (At the least, 5.5% in my HYS or 6% YTD in my brokerage acct) instead of losing that value in 6 mo.

But these aren't forums which listen to my advice, and I'm okay with that. This is a gaming forum, not finance, but while everyone is advocating 'buy kick-ass, e-peen hardening awesomeness' (which is to be expected from endgame MMO folk), I thought someone should be advocating something sensible. If someone else made these suggestions I probably wouldn't feel the need to respond, as I don't in many threads where at least one person holds my point of view.

[Daahan]

maingear.com

Quoted for Justice.

I ordered a computer from Maingear and it is amazing.

[Borisan]

Here's a first little testy build I did on Dell.com. How does this computer look? Anything I should change?

My Components
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6600 (4MB L2 Cache,2.4GHz,1066 FSB) edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium edit
MEMORY 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs edit
HARD DRIVE 320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™ edit
OPTICAL DRIVE Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability edit
MONITOR 24 inch UltraSharp™ 2407FPW Widescreen Digital Flat Panel edit
VIDEO CARD 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS edit
SOUND CARD Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio edit
My Accessories
SPEAKERS Dell AS501 10W Flat Panel Attached Spkrs for UltraSharp™ Flat Panels edit
KEYBOARD & MOUSE Dell USB Keyboard edit
MOUSE Dell Optical USB Mouse edit
FLOPPY & MEDIA READER No Floppy Drive or Media Reader Included edit
MODEM No Modem

How is the graphics card these days? Or should I get one of those Dual Graphics card ones?

[Sonomaa]

at the end of this month intel issues price drops and rollouts of new quadcore cpus, effectively bottoming the market out, the fastest CPUs available now will be pennys in comparative price, what you pay for now will be a faster quadcore at the end of july start of march. Choose wisely.

I dont choose dell because while the CPU is intel, everything else is fucking in house made bullshit, it might work but its not name brand, its dell.

[Sigi]

I dont choose dell because while the CPU is intel, everything else is fucking in house made bullshit, it might work but its not name brand, its dell.

Actually, the majority of the boards for Dell are Intel mobos. The main difference from the commercially available mobos from Intel and the Dell mobos is... a cross-wired power plug. That's it! As far as the other parts, the drives tend to be Sony, Samsung, and Hitachi, I forget the ram manufacturer; the displays are either Samsung, Lite-on, or Sony (the Trinitron monitors are definitely remarked Sony monitors) <shrug> Frankly, only buy laptops from Dell... and then only from EPP, Government/Education, or Small/Medium Business. Do not buy from consumer accounts, you WILL get f'd over... either from shadey sales reps, idiotic Customer Care, or piss-poor tech support.

Bar that, build your own system.

[Skyylya]

Here's a first little testy build I did on Dell.com. How does this computer look? Anything I should change?

My Components
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E6600 (4MB L2 Cache,2.4GHz,1066 FSB) edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium edit
MEMORY 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs edit
HARD DRIVE 320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™ edit
OPTICAL DRIVE Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability edit
MONITOR 24 inch UltraSharp™ 2407FPW Widescreen Digital Flat Panel edit
VIDEO CARD 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS edit
SOUND CARD Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio edit
My Accessories
SPEAKERS Dell AS501 10W Flat Panel Attached Spkrs for UltraSharp™ Flat Panels edit
KEYBOARD & MOUSE Dell USB Keyboard edit
MOUSE Dell Optical USB Mouse edit
FLOPPY & MEDIA READER No Floppy Drive or Media Reader Included edit
MODEM No Modem

How is the graphics card these days? Or should I get one of those Dual Graphics card ones?

The only real problem is who you're ordering it from. Go to http://www.avadirect.com the link that is shown and build the same exact PC there and you'll see it's about 800-1000 bucks cheaper, and bump up your GPU to an 8800 gts 320mb at least or something like that or even a 640mb or the gtx since you'll be saving a bunch of money.

You don't get to choose your MOBO with dell but you do get to choose it at the avadirect site, choose the p5b or really any of the asus mobo's there as long as it's a socket 775 to fit the core 2 duo. On the HDD, i'm not really sure what 'databurst cache' is, so I would order one with a 16mb cache if available, and I know the option is available on the other site.

Other than bumping up your GPU those are good specs.

[Lexius]

I just bought a Dell 410n with the best specs and a 1800xt 512mb ATi card for 1300$ shipped as a gift to my sister and it was still cheaper than the bottom of the line Alienware (Which has weaker specs). As mentioned above though. Alienware is a subsid of Dell now and its mainly just a fashion model for the case.

[Panella]

@ Sigi, the ram on mine is samsung if you care. I still don't like the whole "Dell brand" crap they use as the answer to everything in regards to the actual sepcifics on hardware like the motherboard in particular.

Just in my personal experience but, if the reason you are intent on Dell is because of this "I know Dell is prestigious for there reliability and their knowledge on tech support" I have always had the exact opposite experience. I think out of the past 10 times I've called them only once did I have a smooth experience, entirely because the person spoke fucking english. So irritating when I know what the damn problem is but still having to spend over an hour asking "Frank" from India to repeat what he said until I can figure out what the hell he's saying, all so I can get him to finally send me a damn replacement part.

Either way, buying a Dell seems really dumb at the moment since they have nothing deal wise that's worth mentioning on their xps level computers so you're getting majorly ripped off. I don't particularly understand why they only offered the 8800 gtx/ultra or the 8600 gts on the couple I looked at either. Why no 8800 gts or did I miss it?

I'd still highly suggest you go somewhere else for your computer if you truely wish to drop that much cash on a computer. That or listen to evilbau If it makes you feel any better I listen to you

[evilbau]

@ Sigi, the ram on mine is samsung if you care. I still don't like the whole "Dell brand" crap they use as the answer to everything in regards to the actual sepcifics on hardware like the motherboard in particular.

Just in my personal experience but, if the reason you are intent on Dell is because of this "I know Dell is prestigious for there reliability and their knowledge on tech support" I have always had the exact opposite experience. I think out of the past 10 times I've called them only once did I have a smooth experience, entirely because the person spoke fucking english. So irritating when I know what the damn problem is but still having to spend over an hour asking "Frank" from India to repeat what he said until I can figure out what the hell he's saying, all so I can get him to finally send me a damn replacement part.

Either way, buying a Dell seems really dumb at the moment since they have nothing deal wise that's worth mentioning on their xps level computers so you're getting majorly ripped off. I don't particularly understand why they only offered the 8800 gtx/ultra or the 8600 gts on the couple I looked at either. Why no 8800 gts or did I miss it?

I'd still highly suggest you go somewhere else for your computer if you truely wish to drop that much cash on a computer. That or listen to evilbau If it makes you feel any better I listen to you

thanks

[Daahan]

For the love of god please don't get a Dell. You can get a computer from maingear.com that will be around the same price.

[Sigi]

For the desktops, hell yes, go maingear.

Sorry, but Return to Depot warranty WITHOUT any accident protection for me = INSTAFAIL.
Also, spec'd out the smaller system (I dislike super hi-res screens, esp. since I'm already 20-800+ in both eyes and have issues with resolutions greater than 1280x1024), and tbh, not only was Dell $378 cheaper for a better system (discrete video card versus integrated (integrated bullshit is the devil's own design).... , better quality screen FOR ME , bluetooth, better wifi card, same length of warranty, same amount of ram, same screen size, same processor, same size hard-drive, same spec optical drive ), it had next day on-site service with complete care (accident protection), stronger battery, and a spare battery to boot!

Comparison was the Maingear Xs versus the Dell Vostra 1500, Dell Small Business segment.
Ending prices? $1900.93 for the Maingear.com system, $1522.00 for the Dell

Long and short? Desktops, go Maingear. Laptops: Dell stomps on Maingear as far as price and warranty for a similarly spec'd system... I'll hold judgment on hardware for now.