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General Forums => Hardware and Software => Topic started by: tatertot on February 23, 2009, 11:12:03 AM

Title: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: tatertot on February 23, 2009, 11:12:03 AM
I am in the market for a new desktop.I was searching the web and want to know what the opinions are on alienware.Im pretty novice all the deasktops i have had are the typical mass produced styles.I have done the normal updates haerd drives video cards etc.
   i noticed this AREA-51 ONE I LIKE.not sure on the specs i will put here what i know
EVGANVIDIA 750I CHIPSET
DUEL GRAPHICS NFORCE 750I
45NM INTEL PROCESSOR
4TB HD(MORE THAN ID EVER NEED
Anyway any thoughts on this setup or alien ware for that matter?  thanks
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: Chalenge on February 23, 2009, 11:24:39 AM
I think you would be better off buying from TilDeath then buying alien ware but that machine you are thinking of will probably play AH just fine.
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: wabbit on February 23, 2009, 11:26:42 AM
alienware is overpriced. You can do better elsewhere...



Wabbit
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: tatertot on February 23, 2009, 12:17:44 PM
ok what about something with this.
 Studio XPS 435MT, Intel Core i7-920 processor(8MB L2 Cache 2.66GHz)   

 1  6GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1067MHz 

 1  640GB Serial ATA 2 Hard Drive 7200 RPM   

 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3450
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: TilDeath on February 23, 2009, 01:10:32 PM
ok what about something with this.
 Studio XPS 435MT, Intel Core i7-920 processor(8MB L2 Cache 2.66GHz)   

 1  6GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1067MHz 

 1  640GB Serial ATA 2 Hard Drive 7200 RPM   

 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3450
Great overclocking processor.  If its the WD 640GB part#WD6401AALS  this is a very fast drive 32mb cache, 5 year warranty, if its the WD generic no so good.  You looking at a hugely overclockable processor and a only 256 on the video card.  Thats like putting a go-cart engine in a vette, you can do it but no reason to and will be slow.  Building or specing a system components need to be compatable or you will have a bottleneck (slow spot) and your system can have the fastest processor or fastest video card but if the other components do not get along with them you have built a slow system from the ground up.  Check your person mail here for my contact info, and if you like we can discuss a build for you.
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: JTs on February 24, 2009, 10:21:35 PM
tatertot build your own. plenty of people here that will help. and when the heck you going to finish the construction at 70-75
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: Denholm on February 25, 2009, 09:14:42 AM
I think you could save yourself a LOT of money by building the same Alienware computer yourself or having one of us build it for you.
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: doc1kelley on February 25, 2009, 09:18:48 AM
ok what about something with this.
 Studio XPS 435MT, Intel Core i7-920 processor(8MB L2 Cache 2.66GHz)   

 1  6GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1067MHz 

 1  640GB Serial ATA 2 Hard Drive 7200 RPM   

 256MB ATI Radeon HD 3450

the video card is low end.  You would want at least an old 3870 1 gig card.

All the Best...

   Jay
 awDoc1
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: Getback on February 25, 2009, 09:55:01 AM
the video card is low end.  You would want at least an old 3870 1 gig card.

All the Best...

   Jay
 awDoc1

I had to do a double take on the video card. Sure doesn't fit in with the rest of the scheme.
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on February 25, 2009, 02:25:04 PM
Yep with Core i7 pricing at the moment you should go for high end, 4870x2 or GTX295.

If you're not looking for a high end system you can cut your cost in half and get E8500, 6 gigs of generic ram, much much cheaper motherboard and a 4870 or GTX260.

You'll get the whole system for quarter of the price of an alienware (monitor included) and it will still run every game available today with playable framerates.
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: SKJohn on February 26, 2009, 09:22:35 PM
I think you would be better off buying from TilDeath then buying alien ware but that machine you are thinking of will probably play AH just fine.

I agree totally!  I was looking for something I could buy off the shelf since I have no computer building skills.  Luckily, I took people's advice on here and ordered a machine from TilDeath (Rich) and couldn't be happier.  He builds very nice computers for a very reasonable price.  I'd definitely talk to him before you spend all that money on an Alienware.
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: TheZohan on March 04, 2009, 10:48:39 AM
i7's are are expensive setups to build

you can get better bang for you buck with Phenom II 940

and the only please your gonna notice a difference is on paper and your wallet

Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: Masherbrum on March 04, 2009, 11:03:44 AM
i7's are are expensive setups to build

you can get better bang for you buck with Phenom II 940

and the only please your gonna notice a difference is on paper and your wallet



I disagree. 
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: TheZohan on March 04, 2009, 11:07:24 AM
disagree about what?

compontent for compontent a AM2+ system is cheaper to build and get more bang for your buck.

Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: Skuzzy on March 04, 2009, 11:10:12 AM
Depends on your definition of "bang for the buck".
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: Masherbrum on March 04, 2009, 11:11:10 AM
Cheaper does not mean it's "better."  

Skuzzy and others know why.   
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: TheZohan on March 04, 2009, 11:12:31 AM
the Phenom II is not better then the i7 .. its better bang for you buck .. you cant dispute that
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: Skuzzy on March 04, 2009, 11:16:47 AM
Again, define "bang for the buck".

If you want the absolute fastest system around, it is not a good value.  If you are doing video/audio work, it is not a good value.

In many applications, a dual core Intel CPU will beat the Phenom II quad core.  Those applications which cannot make use of multiple cores is a shining example.  Those same applications would be silly to use an i7.

Benchmarks mean squat.  In the real world, for many applications, it is silly to consider AMD right now.  It really boils down to what the computer is going to be used for.
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: TheZohan on March 04, 2009, 11:27:37 AM
i can spend alot less money and not worry about the 5 seconds i lose if i had spent 500.00 more on something better
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: TheZohan on March 04, 2009, 11:35:41 AM
by all means if he has the money to go to a Intel i7 system then i would go for it! .. i am not disputing the i7 will kick the stuffing out of the phenom II. 

but i don't think i have seen a Intel chip claim this

45 NM Phenom II has reached 6.3 Hz cooled with liquid nitrogen

http://www.nordichardware.com/news,8389.html

and set the 3Dmark06 world record

http://www.nordichardware.com/news,8816.html

but to be fair these are all done with enthusiast computers and not a normal everyday. but if you have the money .. why not
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: hlbly on March 04, 2009, 11:48:32 AM
I just bought a PC from tildeath seriously consider this man for a new PC . I will never buy one anyplace else again .
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: TilDeath on March 07, 2009, 08:07:52 PM
by all means if he has the money to go to a Intel i7 system then i would go for it! .. i am not disputing the i7 will kick the stuffing out of the phenom II. 

but i don't think i have seen a Intel chip claim this

45 NM Phenom II has reached 6.3 Hz cooled with liquid nitrogen

http://www.nordichardware.com/news,8389.html

and set the 3Dmark06 world record

http://www.nordichardware.com/news,8816.html

but to be fair these are all done with enthusiast computers and not a normal everyday. but if you have the money .. why not
Living in this world of OCing as a competetor the benchmarks we look at are not the ones on LN... hell we have a world record for a 295 card on LN, it means nothing.  Realworld benchmarks are the ones I mainly look at and the Phenom II is no where in the top scores from what a normal person can purchase.  In addition the Phenom II used for that benchmark (35806) was an engineering sample not anything like whats released.  This "world record" was done live with engineers available and achieved only after they went through over 2 dozen engineering samples.

Now a i7 965 has a score of 35550, this is a non engineering sample showing a total difference of 256 from an engineering sample, not to good in any of our books.
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: Zazen13 on March 08, 2009, 09:10:26 AM
Alienware was my last big computer Purchase. I was not very happy with it at all (shipped to me with a bad stick of RAM and less than ideal MB for gaming). For the money I spent (~$7,000) I could have built 2-3 computers of equal quality. If I were to buy out of the box I would go Falcon Northwest. But, for the most part, as others have mentioned, it's worth learning how to build one yourself or getting someone who already knows how to do it build one for you.

I went to the Falcon Northwest customizer, picked all of the stuff I wanted, it came to $7,500. I went to Newegg, picked the exact same components along with all of the little extras and in some cases improved versions of the components and it came to a total of ~$2,500. The Alienware systems are similar. Five grand or a 200% mark-up is a bit much for priviledge have having one of those gaming rig makers slap it together for you imho.
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: TheZohan on March 08, 2009, 11:33:38 AM
like most things theres a premium and generic .. both the same for all intents and purposes .. one cost more to do the same thing.
Title: Re: needs new cpu thinking alien
Post by: TilDeath on March 08, 2009, 05:44:35 PM
like most things theres a premium and generic .. both the same for all intents and purposes .. one cost more to do the same thing.
I would put OCZ memory against any generic memory of the same basic specs... (1066, 1333, 1600, 1800, 1866, 2000  DDR2 ~DDR3 Dual or Triple channel) they are not the same, not even close.  Been there done that