# Alienware vs. Building, please help!



## Malfred66 (Jan 30, 2011)

First, some background. I ordered an Alienware Aurora on 1/4/11 and was just informed (for the third time) that the system will be delayed, this time until MARCH. I am extremely frustrated and am now looking at the possibility of cancelling my order and building my own rig. 

I have never built a rig but I don't think it will be very hard. I've upgraded many machines with new ram, HDD and optical drives over the years so I'm not intimidated by the hardware. I'm here because even though I've been researching different components, I have no clue which are the best/most compatible. 

These are the specs of the Alienware system I have ordered. No clue on brand names.

Case: Alienware Aurora Desktop (Mid-Tower, liquid cooling)
PSU: 875w
CPU: Intel Core i7 960 (3.2GHz, 8MB Cache)
MoBo: ? (x58 architecture, supposedly capable of up to 24gb DDR3)
GPU: Single ATI Radeon HD 5970, 2GB GDDR5
RAM: 6GB Triple Channel 1333Mhz DDR3
HD: 1TB - SATA-II, 3Gb/s, 7,200RPM, 32MB Cache HDD
Optical: Single Drive: 24X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
Sound:Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio
Other: Alienware 19-in-1 Media Card Reader
OS: Windows 7 Home premium 64bit

Price for this was $2114 after taxes. 


:4-dontkno I am curious how much money I can save by building a similar or better system myself. Here's some other hopefully useful info.

Budget: $2000. Preferably a bit less, but not a lot more. It's ok to go over a little bit though.

Brands: I've read that ASUS makes the best mobo's and I'm a fan of intel chips. I'm definitely looking for an i7 setup. I've also had good luck with ATI video cards but I'm open to suggestions.

Multitasking: Tons. I tend to have multiple programs open, a browser and music going at once. I despise system lag and I want my system to be FAST. I plan on using it as my main computer, so lots of business software as well as music editing/encoding, some light video work, and some gaming.

Gaming: Some, but not solely a gaming rig. When I do game though, I'd like to be able to turn up the graphics without lag.

Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding?

Overclocking: As of now I don't (never tried), but it's a possibility down the road. I would prefer stability and speed over crazy benchmark #s

Storage: Lots of music and video files, but I can always add more HDs later on. For now, at least 1TB. For speed, I've also read its better to have a SSD to boot from and then a secondary traditional drive for mass storage.

Legacy Support: Nope.

Operating System: I don't really care, I'll be using windows 7

Case: I don't need anything super fancy. I like the mid tower for size reasons but I want to be able to upgrade also. I tend to keep my systems for a long time.

Accessories: already have those

Recycled Components: no

Monitor: already have one. I'll probably stick with a single monitor, but would like the option of adding one or two more down the road.

Stores: NewEgg, Tiger Direct. Open to other suggestions though.

Location: USA


I am at my wits end with dealing with Dell. 3 months to deliver a system is ridiculous! I look forward to reading your ideas, and thank you so much in advance! ray:ray:

--Matt


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

If you have not already, take a look at the $2000 Intel build (actual cost ~$1600) here:

http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...evised-2010-and-updated-regularly-448272.html

All the builds in that thread are tried and tested using top quality components. Scroll down for some options for SSD's and for building with Intel's new Sandybridge CPU.


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## Malfred66 (Jan 30, 2011)

gcavan said:


> If you have not already, take a look at the $2000 Intel build (actual cost ~$1600) here:
> 
> http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...evised-2010-and-updated-regularly-448272.html
> 
> All the builds in that thread are tried and tested using top quality components. Scroll down for some options for SSD's and for building with Intel's new Sandybridge CPU.


That's a good list. Is the Sandybridge option a better/faster choice? I noticed that a big change is dual channel ram vs triple channel. Isn't triple channel faster? (sorry if this is a n00b question)

Is there anything that is missing from that $2000 build?


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

I don't think the S/B cpu's are any faster, but they use less power and therefore run cooler. Tri-channel is supposed to be faster but I cannot give any figures to prove it. (I prefer AMD's myself which do not support tri-channel memory).

Only things missing are your periperals (mouse, KB, monitor) and operating system. Also, I just noticed, the Alenware includes a discrete sound card and a memory card reader, which our builds do not.


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## Malfred66 (Jan 30, 2011)

I've got the monitor, KB/mouse and don't include that in my budget for this. Been reading on the differences between SB and x58 and it seems like the biggest issue is voltage and the ability to upgrade memory. x58 can handle triple channel and SB can do double, and most of the x58 mobo's seem to be more upgrade friendly. I want something that I can upgrade in 2-3 years without having to replace a bunch of components.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Definitely build your own. Any of the builds in out Suggested Builds section is now and will continue to be upgradable. Sandy Bridge is new and will face some issues for awhile. 
4GB of RAM (2X2GB) is more than enough unless you will be doing intense graphics work or very heavy data crunching.


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

I have never met or read or seen a single person that actually was satisfied with their alienware. Their tech support is awful which is made very apparent because the parts they use are cheap and tend to cause all kinds of problems.


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## Maqabyah (Dec 28, 2010)

definately build your own. You will save money and you can get better quality parts as long as you do your research..In my own personal opinion Aleinware is now over rated


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## Smattman22 (Feb 1, 2011)

Build. You could build one yourself for half the price. It could also match up to even higher end alien wares. (which are around $5000)


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## clonxy (May 26, 2007)

build.

i would also suggest u use a 580 instead of 5970. single gpu's are better than dual gpu's cuz theres lots of problems with dual gpu's with certain games.


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