How Overpriced is Alienware? 2.0

[CaliJL]

[Mao_Zedong]

-9000 snip-

What is? The most expensive build was $7900, so IDK how this is relevant. 

[Delusional Phil]

So they are overpriced in general ?

[Mao_Zedong]

So they are overpriced in general ?

Most of the time yes, but the alpha is actually a really good deal, and the alienware 13 is decent.

[Hunter7263]

I have purchased 2 alienwares actually and the laptops are pretty good for the money.I recently bought a brand new (2015) Alienware 15 and just the basic $1200 dollar one is more than plenty for my needs. Also they took 100 bucks right off the top bringing it down to 1100. Then I ordered it and immediately went to cancel it (you have to do it very quickly because it hits a stage where you cant cancel it within like 6-12 hours). They offered to take off another 150 bucks which brought it down to 950. Then to top it off I used the financing and they gave me 10% in credit which i used for a decent gaming mouse I was going to buy anyway.

 

TLDR; I purchased a $1200 alienware 15 for pretty much 875 plus tax. If you know what you are doing and are patient they are worth it.

[DildorTheDecent]

That case would easily be £200 or more if you wanted to buy one.

I quite like it.

[ashtaroth]

With alienware desktops you pay for the case (which you can otherwise only obtain from previous users which cost $$$) moving parts (older models), lights, and the MIO board. If its only $300 more than a DIY PC at the low end then why not? Just buy the low end and then in the long run strip the things inside then put in the highend components you want. You will not only have a kickass case that you can mod it will also have the stuff you want, call it an ongoing pet project if you will.

As for the laptops imo they died with the aw18 r1 and the aw 17 r1 (the M17x r4 and M18x r2 were the last true beasts, if you know where to look for custom bios and such). Idk about the cooling on 2015 versions but the previous ones have excellent cooling for a notebook you can even overclock the thing, its even built like a tank, no flex whatsoever solid construction. I bought mine because they are fully upgragable and for all those ports (4 usb 3.0, hdmi in and out, esata, displayport plus others on the 2012 model). Only sad thing now is that 2015 models are soldered gimped out parts.

So yeah it might be a bit much for some but with enough patience and know how you can make that thing shine.

[Mao_Zedong]

That case would easily be £200 or more if you wanted to buy one.

I quite like it.

Its an ok case. I personally don't like it, but I understand why some people do. Despite that, its not nearly worth the extra cost of the parts.

With alienware desktops you pay for the case (which you can otherwise only obtain from previous users which cost $$$) moving parts (older models), lights, and the MIO board. If its only $300 more than a DIY PC at the low end then why not? Just buy the low end and then in the long run strip the things inside then put in the highend components you want. You will not only have a kickass case that you can mod it will also have the stuff you want, call it an ongoing pet project if you will.

So yeah it might be a bit much for some but with enough patience and know how you can make that thing shine.

I think you're REALLY overselling the case. Do you really think that the case is worth more than $450? It was a $300 difference with a better $150 case already in there. I you really want the case that much I can't stop you, but I can say that you're not being practical at all.

[Mao_Zedong]

I was able to pick up an Alienware A-51 system for just over 2k with a gtx 980, 2tb HDD, x99 mobo, 1500PSU, i7 5820 with CPU water cooler, and premium lit case.I've configured similar specs (as Dell doesn't release the exact brand/models of some of their components) with PC part picker and it came out to be almost + or - $100; otherwise the prices are quite comparable. 

 

However, the lower end and higher end systems you are right on about in terms of the ~$300 difference. It seems that the mid range A51 build with a 1 gtx 980 is by far the best deal, and the only one that comes out about even to building your own with similar specs. 

 

I have purchased 2 alienwares actually and the laptops are pretty good for the money.I recently bought a brand new (2015) Alienware 15 and just the basic $1200 dollar one is more than plenty for my needs. Also they took 100 bucks right off the top bringing it down to 1100. Then I ordered it and immediately went to cancel it (you have to do it very quickly because it hits a stage where you cant cancel it within like 6-12 hours). They offered to take off another 150 bucks which brought it down to 950. Then to top it off I used the financing and they gave me 10% in credit which i used for a decent gaming mouse I was going to buy anyway.

 

TLDR; I purchased a $1200 alienware 15 for pretty much 875 plus tax. If you know what you are doing and are patient they are worth it.

Yeah, they're actually ok some of the time, its just that they're not normally great. There are always some great deals and its looks like you guys got them.

[DildorTheDecent]

Its an ok case. I personally don't like it, but I understand why some people do. Despite that, its not nearly worth the extra cost of the parts.

I think you're REALLY overselling the case. Do you really think that the case is worth more than $450? It was a $300 difference with a better $150 case already in there. I you really want the case that much I can't stop you, but I can say that you're not being practical at all.

 < Triangles man. Triangles. 

[Makarov_9mm]

As someone who has been using an Alienware Aurora R4 for about 3 years, I can tell you that you can definitely build something FAR better for the money you pay for it. It's been great and reliable for me, but it's still a prebuilt which means tinkering and replacing parts and compatibility is always gonna be an annoyance. I regret not just building my own desktop, but I wasn't as knowledgeable as I am now. If you wanna buy a desktop and do any sort of upgrades, then just build your own. You will feel 1000x time better whenever you open it up and see YOUR cable management and YOUR fan layout and YOUR components that you hand-picked and researched.

 

If anyone has any more specific questions about what it's like having an Alienware desktop, feel free to ask.

 

Also, I can't speak to the quality or price/performance of the laptops. I've never had one and never really had a need for a gaming laptop.

 

My Alienware's specs:

 

i7-3820

8GB RAM

GTX 660 (oem- it has 1152 cuda cores and 1.5GB or VRAM)

1TB HDD

Windows 7 SP1

 

COST: $~1400 in 2012

[Mao_Zedong]

-triangle snip-         < Triangles man. Triangles. 

I get why you like it, but I personally prefer things more like the corsair air 240/540 and 760t/780t. Even if you do like it, is it really worth $450+?

[DildorTheDecent]

I get why you like it, but I personally prefer things more like the corsair air 240/540 and 760t/780t. Even if you do like it, is it really worth $450+?

Current rate is $450 = £290. And for lets say £250 - £300 there's the:

900D

Cosmos II

Any Lian Li E-ATX/XL-ATX case. 

 

So it isn't actually too bad. Watercooling and rad support is a very big issue though. But it is more of a show case. 

[ashtaroth]

I'm talking about previous cases including the latest not just the triangle by itself hence "moving parts". Maybe not $450 but 250-350 for a complete and functioning one What i can tell you though is that because its differenent and very hard to obtain some people will be willing to spend money on that. And lastly no, I'm not really a fan of the case myself but i do admire them for bringing a fresh idea, also I do not plan on getting one.

Plus for me being practical is alright and all if you are on a tight budget which is the point of the topic (well I think that is the point) but if you want a unusual project thats not been done to death then we can pretty much tinker with that thing, I mean we are enthusists after all.

Edit: damn phne removed quote, and the rates are stated above i guess?

[Mao_Zedong]

Current rate is $450 = £290. And for lets say £250 - £300 there's the:

900D

Cosmos II

Any Lian Li E-ATX/XL-ATX case. 

 

So it isn't actually too bad. Watercooling and rad support is a very big issue though. But it is more of a show case. 

Actually the rate right now is $1 = £0.9. That means $450 is £400, a bit higher than your number. If you want an effective case, something like the noctix 450 could be just as good, and cost under half as much. It may not look quite as good for you, but personally it isn't worth it.

 

I'm talking about previous cases including the latest not just the triangle by itself hence "moving parts". Maybe not $450 but 250-350 for a complete and functioning one What i can tell you though is that because its differenent and very hard to obtain some people will be willing to spend money on that. And lastly no, I'm not really a fan of the case myself but i do admire them for bringing a fresh idea, also I do not plan on getting one.

Plus for me being practical is alright and all if you are on a tight budget which is the point of the topic (well I think that is the point) but if you want a unusual project thats not been done to death then we can pretty much tinker with that thing, I mean we are enthusists after all.

Edit: damn phne removed quote, and the rates are stated above i guess?

I agree thats its a new cool idea, but I just don't personally like the case. I love when companies throw things at a wall until something sticks. 

 

Yes being practical isn't that important with a higher budget, but you still don't really want to waste money. I would just rather get something like the noctis and save money, or get something like the caselabs SMA8 and watercool it.

[ashtaroth]

Actually the rate right now is $1 = £0.9. That means $450 is £400, a bit higher than your number. If you want an effective case, something like the noctix 450 could be just as good, and cost under half as much. It may not look quite as good for you, but personally it isn't worth it.

 

I agree thats its a new cool idea, but I just don't personally like the case. I love when companies throw things at a wall until something sticks. 

 

Yes being practical isn't that important with a higher budget, but you still don't really want to waste money. I would just rather get something like the noctis and save money, or get something like the caselabs SMA8 and watercool it.

I was looking at the noctis when it came out but then again it didnt have a ODD, cool case though but will not use it. And yeah i was going to go the SMA8 route before (click the link on my sig) but I wanted the exotic choice which didnt offer all the answers. Whats the fun with tinkering if you have no problems to solve?

[DildorTheDecent]

Actually the rate right now is $1 = £0.9. That means $450 is £400, a bit higher than your number. If you want an effective case, something like the noctix 450 could be just as good, and cost under half as much. It may not look quite as good for you, but personally it isn't worth it.

That exchange rate is off but moving on, that noctix is ATX only :I 

 

Front has a triangle though. Everything is better now. 

 

Although the Alien has all the fancy flashy lights should you want a rave. 

[ashtaroth]

@DildorTheDecent

And it reacts to most games and media players incase you want a funky looking "disco ball" for all your raving needs LOL!

[DildorTheDecent]

@DildorTheDecent

And it reacts to most games and media players incase you want a funky looking "disco ball" for all your raving needs LOL!

sold. 

[Mao_Zedong]

@DildorTheDecent

And it reacts to most games and media players incase you want a funky looking "disco ball" for all your raving needs LOL!

 

sold. 

Why? It would be so distracting! I think plain LEDs are the max you can do without it going overboard.

[ashtaroth]

Why? It would be so distracting! I think plain LEDs are the max you can do without it going overboard.

The disco ball is for the music its different for games. Not even distracting its doesnt flash or pulse or breath. Its a steady light that changes colour depending on what's happeneding in game. Like on metro or witcher 2 for example its normally yellow and turns red when you die. It can also act as a stealth meter of somesorts. As for me when gaming my concentration is solid so I dont even notice it. Its easier to show but im on my phone . Anyways you can turn off 3rd party access and it functions just like a normal led. You can even turn it off.

Edit: As for the music its not just some random rave lights, well it starts out with a set colour but you can customize it with the program to turn into any colour for bass sound and into some different colour depending on the khz of the sound produced or something along those lines. Again just right click AWCC and select 3rd party access and transfer the alienfx plugin into the desired player like itunes or something.

[Mao_Zedong]

The disco ball is for the music its different for games. Not even distracting its doesnt flash or pulse or breath. Its a steady light that changes colour depending on what's happeneding in game. Like on metro or witcher 2 for example its normally yellow and turns red when you die. It can also act as a stealth meter of somesorts. As for me when gaming my concentration is solid so I dont even notice it. Its easier to show but im on my phone . Anyways you can turn off 3rd party access and it functions just like a normal led. You can even turn it off.

Edit: As for the music its not just some random rave lights, well it starts out with a set colour but you can customize it with the program to turn into any colour for bass sound and into some different colour depending on the khz of the sound produced or something along those lines. Again just right click AWCC and select 3rd party access and transfer the alienfx plugin into the desired player like itunes or something.

I guess that could be cool if it wasn't just randomly flashing all the time. I think I would still have it on a single color, but it sounds more logical now.

[Mao_Zedong]

That exchange rate is off but moving on, that noctix is ATX only :I 

 

Front has a triangle though. Everything is better now. 

 

Although the Alien has all the fancy flashy lights should you want a rave. 

How is it off? I uses the google one as I made the post.

[DildorTheDecent]

How is it off? I uses the google one as I made the post.

What i use for USD to GBP: http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?From=USD&To=GBP

 

When you said $1 = 0.9p you must have mistook GBP for EUR as shown here: http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=USD&To=EUR

[Mao_Zedong]

What i use for USD to GBP: http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?From=USD&To=GBP

 

When you said $1 = 0.9p you must have mistook GBP for EUR as shown here: http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=USD&To=EUR

Yeah, I mixed up the pound and euro signs. I do that way more than I should at this point...