Alienware To be or Not to be.

[Terminal23]

I'm really considering buying a computer from these people.I could easly build one. But,after adding up all the prices.I shop at Newegg.I don't see a huge difference in cost.I guess mainly I'm asking if you would take the easy way out and buy from them or would you rather build your own?I've built my last 3 systems and really enjoyed it.But,I really want one of these bad boys.Am I wrong for being lazy?

[Urban_Squrill]

Lazy can be a good thing. But how much was total cost?

[Telexen]

You can build them for considerably less...just buy a Chieftec or Antec case if you want a case like theirs...

[Terminal23]

It was in the 3000 ballpark.2800 without monitor.

[Telexen]

*squints his eyes and makes sure that says 3000*

that could build my dream system with hundreds left over.

[twistedbrntucker]

Originally posted by Terminal23
I'm really considering buying a computer from these people.I could easly build one. But,after adding up all the prices.I shop at Newegg.I don't see a huge difference in cost.I guess mainly I'm asking if you would take the easy way out and buy from them or would you rather build your own?I've built my last 3 systems and really enjoyed it.But,I really want one of these bad boys.Am I wrong for being lazy?

Personnaly if I can build one and get more satisfaction from it,that seems to be the ONLY way to go for me.
The last one I built
Athlon XP2200+
MSI K7N2G-ILSR
512 meg Mushkin PC3200 RAM
Lite-on DVD and CD-RW
MSI GeForce4 Ti4200 64 meg DDR
Using nVidias Soundstorm digital with optical out.
While it may not benchmark like an Alienware, I am still very much happy with it.Personally I feel it runs better than other store boughts like Compaq and HP and Sony.A co-worker has an Alienware because he wanted it.It was his first computer.Why for his first? I don't know. Bragging rights, I guess

[EvilCrow]

Originally posted by Terminal23
It was in the 3000 ballpark.2800 without monitor.

$3000??!
My dream computer costs less than $1700...

[Telexen]

These are newegg prices...

Lian-Li PC-70 USB, 15-Bay, Aluminum ATX FULL Tower Case. SILVER. - $179

Thermaltake W0011+PFC Silent Purepower 480W with Silver housing - Xaser Edition ATX 2-Fan Power Supply - $80

MSI K7N2 Motherboard for AMD Processors Model Delta-ILSR Retail - $121

AMD ATHLON XP 3200 "Barton" 400MHz FSB PROCESSOR CPU- RETAIL - $448

*custom built water cooling* - <$250

MSI AGP Video card Geforce FX 5900 VGA+DVI+TV Model FX5900-TD128 - Retail - $419

2x Western Digital Raptor 36GB SATA WD360GD 10,000 RPM 8MB Hard Drive OEM - $277

Okay...add a few things to that (like the TDK Indi DVD +/- burner ~$260...Newegg doesn't have it) plus case fans and a few lights...pretty stuff which would be less than $100

that's just barely over $2000...excludes monitor/mouse/keyboard though.

[twistedbrntucker]

Originally posted by Terminal23
It was in the 3000 ballpark.2800 without monitor.

I can build one killer unit and two from barebones kits for that.
On a cool note. I was at Microcenter Friday and they had Thermaltake barebones kits for 349.00.With a 450 watt Thermaltake PSU all case fans (lighted) and lighted IGP fan. A P4 motherboard with 800 FSB .Not sure on the model of board, Intel I believe though.I was tempted!

[twistedbrntucker]

Take off the water cooling -250.00
Substitute an Athlon XP2500+ for 90.00.
Find myself a Ti4800 instead for around 160-175
Use on 80 gig 7200 rpm 8 meg cache HDD for my own instead of the Raptors and you almost have my dream system.LOL