Which Prebuilt to Buy?

[Tyler-UAC]

So I've decided that, given the GPU shortage and myself waiting years to build a system again, that I am going prebuilt. Gets me into a system quicker and I can always make modifications if needed. I'm considering the following 2 systems and would appreciate any input, as they both come in at roughly the same price.

 

1. Alienware Aurora R10

• CPU: Ryzen 5900x
• GPU: RTX 3080
• Memory: 32GB @ 3400
• Storage: 512TB SSD
• Cost: $~3,580 CAD

 

2. ASUS ROG G35CZ-D7V80

• CPU: Intel i7-10700KF
• GPU: RTX 3080
• Memory: 16GB @ 3200
• Storage: 1TB SSD + 1TB HDD
• Cost: $3,600 CAD

 

A few notes on usage:

• Will be using Adobe Lightroom and Premier heavily
• Gaming is quality-oriented, non-competitive story-driven games primarily. Settings will all be made to best quality vs FPS
• Will ensure each system has 32-64GB RAM over time, as well as 2-4TB of SSD storage (extra costs to consider)

 

I appreciate any input or suggestions!

[v0id]

3 hours ago, Tyler-UAC said:

So I've decided that, given the GPU shortage and myself waiting years to build a system again, that I am going prebuilt. Gets me into a system quicker and I can always make modifications if needed. I'm considering the following 2 systems and would appreciate any input, as they both come in at roughly the same price.

 

1. Alienware Aurora R10

• CPU: Ryzen 5900x
• GPU: RTX 3080
• Memory: 32GB @ 3400
• Storage: 512TB SSD
• Cost: $~3,580 CAD

 

2. ASUS ROG G35CZ-D7V80

• CPU: Intel i7-10700KF
• GPU: RTX 3080
• Memory: 16GB @ 3200
• Storage: 1TB SSD + 1TB HDD
• Cost: $3,600 CAD

 

A few notes on usage:

• Will be using Adobe Lightroom and Premier heavily
• Gaming is quality-oriented, non-competitive story-driven games primarily. Settings will all be made to best quality vs FPS
• Will ensure each system has 32-64GB RAM over time, as well as 2-4TB of SSD storage (extra costs to consider)

 

I appreciate any input or suggestions!

I'd be leaning towards the Alienware, simply because the 5900X is a beast next to the i7. Not that the i7 is a slouch, but the 5900X can trade blows while also staying cooler and it also has the 32GB of RAM you were looking for. Sure you might have to slap another SSD in there (or replace it), but overall that's pennies compared to what you're getting. For the Asus model, you're paying the ROG tax without really gaining much over the other system, if anything. If it were an 11th gen i7 there may be an argument to be made, but in my opinion the Alienware wins.

[Tyler-UAC]

5 minutes ago, v0id said:

I'd be leaning towards the Alienware, simply because the 5900X is a beast next to the i7. Not that the i7 is a slouch, but the 5900X can trade blows while also staying cooler and it also has the 32GB of RAM you were looking for. Sure you might have to slap another SSD in there (or replace it), but overall that's pennies compared to what you're getting. For the Asus model, you're paying the ROG tax without really gaining much over the other system, if anything. If it were an 11th gen i7 there may be an argument to be made, but in my opinion the Alienware wins.

 

I'm having similar thoughts. I'd prefer Ryzen, but the Asus does seem like a well built system with potentially less proprietary components to worry about down the road. 

 

Definitely something to consider, I appreciate the input and look forward to more! 

[Tyler-UAC]

Bump for more opinions! 

[v0id]

On 6/2/2021 at 8:45 PM, Tyler-UAC said:

the Asus does seem like a well built system with potentially less proprietary components

Most of your main components are generic enough to be swapped at your leisure (CPU, RAM, GPU, PSU). You shouldn't have an issue when you mix brands and different types even if it is a prebuilt as long as you're making sure the motherboard supports whatever you're changing. Neither brand have stated outright that you can't swap components on their respective pages. You may lose some ROG/Alienware specific perks (RGB sync for example) if you put a different branded part in, but you should be find otherwise. Your only issue might be a motherboard swap because of size...but I couldn't find any info on either system if they have specific motherboards for those cases or if they're just standard ATX/mATX.

 

So in essence I think you'd be fine in that department for whichever brand you went with, neither is really better than the other. At least in my opinion, maybe someone else has more experience than I and can weigh in. I'm certainly not a subject matter expert.

[Guardian Jade]

1 100%

[Tyler-UAC]

I've actually decided that I might go CyberPower. I know reviews are mixed, but it seems like a much more generic system this way in terms of future compatibility/upgrade paths.

 

Would love your thoughts!

• Case: Corsair iCUE 220T RGB High Airflow ATX Mid-Tower Gaming Chassis W/ Tempered Glass + SP120 RGB PRO Case fans
• CPU: AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900X 3.7GHz [4.8GHz Turbo] 12 Cores/ 24 Threads 70MB Total Cache 105W Processor 
• Additional Case Fans: 6X 120mm Phanteks SK120 Digital RGB PWM FAN
• CPU Cooling: CyberpowerPC MasterLiquid Lite 360mm ARGB CPU Liquid Cooler with Dual Chamber Pump & Copper Cold Plate
• GPU: RTX 3080
• Storage: 1TB WD Blue SN550 Series PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Memory: 16GB (8GBx2) DDR4/3600MHz GSKILL Trident Z RGB
• Motherboard: ASUS TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (Wi-Fi) ATX
• PSU: 750 Watts - Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 Series 750W 80 PLUS GOLD Ultra Quiet Full Modular Power Supply

[v0id]

21 hours ago, Tyler-UAC said:

I've actually decided that I might go CyberPower. I know reviews are mixed, but it seems like a much more generic system this way in terms of future compatibility/upgrade paths.

 

Would love your thoughts!

• Case: Corsair iCUE 220T RGB High Airflow ATX Mid-Tower Gaming Chassis W/ Tempered Glass + SP120 RGB PRO Case fans
• CPU: AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900X 3.7GHz [4.8GHz Turbo] 12 Cores/ 24 Threads 70MB Total Cache 105W Processor 
• Additional Case Fans: 6X 120mm Phanteks SK120 Digital RGB PWM FAN
• CPU Cooling: CyberpowerPC MasterLiquid Lite 360mm ARGB CPU Liquid Cooler with Dual Chamber Pump & Copper Cold Plate
• GPU: RTX 3080
• Storage: 1TB WD Blue SN550 Series PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Memory: 16GB (8GBx2) DDR4/3600MHz GSKILL Trident Z RGB
• Motherboard: ASUS TUF X570-PLUS GAMING (Wi-Fi) ATX
• PSU: 750 Watts - Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 Series 750W 80 PLUS GOLD Ultra Quiet Full Modular Power Supply

See in this one they have the motherboard and other components spelled out nicely, and it's easier to compare to the others that way. Since this one has been added to the list, I'd highly consider it above the others.

 

CyberPower > Alienware > Asus

 

Just remember to get a solid warranty for whichever one you get. Good luck dude/dudette!