So I have decided to order a custom Alienware computer.

[SmootsDaddy89]

This is what I'm looking at.

I'm not buying it right now because I can save about 300 bucks in taxes if I wait until August 6th for tax free weekend.

Also hopefully it'll come down some in price by then.

[Guild]

4 grand. Jesus just build one yourself.

[The Saltman]

u rich?

[SmootsDaddy89]

No but I have a computer grant for law school good for 2500. I have 1000 I can spend on top of that.

So if the price comes down 300 and buying it on tax free weekend I'll be good to go.

Also Alienware computers are the only pre-built computers worth the money imo.

[Guild]

You mean Dell now.

[SmootsDaddy89]

From what I've heard being owned by Dell hasn't affected the quality of their computers yet

[natty]

That's a monster of a machine but way overpriced. The CPU, video card and OS put you at about 1K - I'm guessing about 500 for the MB - tack on another 500 for HD, RAM, case, etc. You could get the same thing for roughly 1/2.

[SmootsDaddy89]

The CPU alone is $1000, even on newegg.

That's what's killing me. I mean I get that it's the only 6 core processor available but Jesus Christ.

The monitor and 3D kit is 700 either way.

Everything's overpriced but looking at newegg I'd only save about 500-700 bucks on a comparable machine.

[Darth Biscuit]

Damn, I didn't even know they had 6 core CPUs now... I need to keep up.

I really, REALLY need a new workstation at the office, but don't want to spend the dough right now.

[natty]

Oh I didn't realize it was the 6 core. Look at the prices - the next best i7 is almost 1/2 the price. With a difference like that I think it's pretty obvious what the best decision is, but if you have the funds and don't mind spending it then more power to ya. The way I've always looked at alienware is take the hardware and add about 1K to the price.

[SmootsDaddy89]

haha they just came out about the same time that NVIDIA's first Directx 11 GPUs did in March.

[SmootsDaddy89]

Oh I didn't realize it was the 6 core. Look at the prices - the next best i7 is almost 1/2 the price. With a difference like that I think it's pretty obvious what the best decision is, but if you have the funds and don't mind spending it then more power to ya. The way I've always looked at alienware is take the hardware and add about 1K to the price.

If it doesn't come down in price at least a few hundred I probably will just go with one of i7 quad cores. 6 cores would be nice, but it's not necessary since so few games even fully utilize 4 cores still, and especially not at that price.

[Darth Biscuit]

I actually have a different philosophy on this than a lot of people, and I got it from the workstation I currently have. Now this is for a "work" PC, but it still applies. When I had this system built, I maxed it out. I got the absolutely cutting edge processor, memory, etc. that I could find. This thing is six years old, completely ancient by PC standards and still runs like a champ. It has processed so many images it's unreal. Now, I do need a new one, but this has been the best computer I've ever had.

So I say, go for the extreme stuff...

[SmootsDaddy89]

That's pretty much my philosophy too. The last computer I bought was a Dell XPS gaming desktop in 2006. 4.5 years later and it still runs pretty much everything I ask it to because when I bought it, I got everything top-of-the-line.