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[jshackles]

As I mentioned before, I just bought an HP Pavilion with a Ryzen 5 5600G and EVGA RTX 3060 with 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a 256GB SSD for $909. As IntentionalPun mentioned, it also comes with a cheap mouse and keyboard, bluetooth, etc. And they assemble it for me and install the OS.

I'd love to see someone pull together the parts on PC part picker that matches those specs for under that price. I'll wait.

 

[01011001]

They’re ridiculously good bang for your buck, have great warranties, and as long as you get liquid cooled ones you’ve got nothing to worry about. People on here seem to have all sorts of misconceptions about them based on what just seems to be elitism. “Non standard parts” is one of the weird and wrong things going around. “Hard/impossible to upgrade” is another. Both completely wrong btw.

their cases are pure garbage, if you don't go with water cooling you will have absolutely awful thermals.

and yes the fact that they do not have any standardised parts but instead use their own weird proprietary ones means that you can barely service the things and you will have a really hard time upgrading down the line.

for one, their cases are extremely small and have almost no space for changes due to the crammed nature of them. even small things like switching out your CPU cooler will be basically impossible. and you will have to do that if you do not go with water cooling because their normal coolers are absolutely the lowest end trash available.

they use their own motherboards which are usually extremely low spec/quality and are also bad in terms of thermals. the sitze is not standard so it will only fit inside their awful cases.


I recently got a new PC, a prebuild from a smaller company... not only would I have payed more for the same specs when going with an Alienware, but also I would have gotten worse parts + thermals and would be limiting my upgrade path, not to mention that they literally limit the RAM you can add to your prebuild based on the CPU you want... if you want a Ryzen 5 you can ONLY get 8GB... that is fucking ridiculous, and just shows what a piece of trash they sell you.

my PC cost 1300€ and has the following:
-Ryzen 5 5600X
-RTX 3060ti
-16GB 3200mhz DDR4 [2x8GB dual channel]
-1TB SSD
-Windows 10 Pro (literally zero bloatware installed either)

At Ailenware 1800€ you get:
-Ryzen 5 5600X
-RTX 3060ti
-8GB 3200mhz DDR4 [1x8GB single channel] (you can't get it with 16GB cuz fuck me for wanting a reasonable CPU and not go with a Ryzen 7 I guess)
-512GB SSD
-Windows 10 Pro (would not be surprised to find bloat on that install too)

and again, that is will shittier non-Standardised parts, worse thermals due to their air restricted shitty plastic cases and no way to be sure you can upgrade along the way because the motherboard is shit and the case is so crammed.

meanwhile the PC I got from a smaller vendor who only uses off the shelves parts that can be mixed and matched with ease and uses a case that is a good size and has plenty of ventilation + options to even go further with ventilation, was 500€ cheaper + would perform better when stress-tested.

so tell me again how Alienware PCs are "ridiculously good bang for your buck"... like what? Before buying the PC I looked around everywhere and Alienware was basically the worst option aside from getting a freaking standard Dell
the fact they even offer a Ryzen 5 + RTX3060ti "gaming PC" that runs on fucking 8GB single channel memory, and no way to configure it with 16GB or 8GB dual channel, is the biggest fucking red flag you could get...

 

[Putonahappyface]

Looking at Trustpilot, Alienware has one of the worst customer service performances you will come across: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.alienware.co.uk
That being said, they are owned by Dell so I'm wondering if I should seriously consider the following deal which seems to have magnificent specs (it is just slightly above my budget of 2000£):

Shop: Dell Site Map of All Products, Solutions & Services | Dell UK

Shop all categories on Dell.com. Explore the site map to find deals and learn about laptops, PCaaS, cloud solutions and more.

www.dell.com

Should I go for it or can I find better elsewhere or should I stay away from alienware out of principle?

Thanks Gafers

I recommend going on Overclockers UK as they've forums dedicated to building gaming PC's and will help you out if you run into trouble. I've built a few gaming rigs over the years and found it slightly intimidating at times, but fellow OcUK members were very helpful in my moments of panic and frustration.

They also have there own online shop so if you want to buy components or one of there custom builds they're very helpful and cater to all budgets.

 

[OverHeat]

Dont buy a prebuild I own a R11 and it suck I’m selling this shit and building my own.

 

[Fare thee well]

Prebuild is cheap for a reason if it is. I've had 50/50 experience with self builds and prebuilds. The ones I build never break down. The ones prebuilt broke all the time. Maybe that's just how chance worked for me, but I think you pay for what you get. It might be shitty wiring, shitty power supply, shitty cpu, etc. but I wouldn't be so trusting just because it has a 30 series in it and a low price.

 

[TwiztidElf]

"How's your little science experiment going?" lol.

 

[MrFunSocks]

their cases are pure garbage, if you don't go with water cooling you will have absolutely awful thermals.

and yes the fact that they do not have any standardised parts but instead use their own weird proprietary ones means that you can barely service the things and you will have a really hard time upgrading down the line.
........

OPs one they're looking at is liquid cooled, and like i said in the post you quoted, as long as you get a liquid cooled one (or just upgrade the cpu cooler for peanuts to a liquid cooler) you'll have no problems with heat.

What parts aren't standard? It's a standard CPU, GPU, RAM, cooler, fan, hdd/ssd, PSU. The only thing a bit custom is the motherboard, but you're not going to need to be changing that any time soon. What parts specifically do you think that you're unable to upgrade because of the motherboard? GPU, CPU, RAM, CPU cooler, Fan, HDD/SSD can all be easily removed and upgraded.

even small things like switching out your CPU cooler will be basically impossible.

Nope, I have this exact same case and I switched out my CPU cooler for a Corsair H60 in like 20 minutes.

and you will have to do that if you do not go with water cooling

OPs is water cooled, and again, I specifically said make sure you go water cooled in the post you quoted.

not to mention that they literally limit the RAM you can add to your prebuild based on the CPU you want... if you want a Ryzen 5 you can ONLY get 8GB... that is fucking ridiculous, and just shows what a piece of trash they sell you.

Are you saying that the PC doesn't support more than 8GB of RAM through hardware/software, or that they only include up to 8GB? Changing RAM is literally open the case and replace the RAM as you would on any other PC.

so tell me again how Alienware PCs are "ridiculously good bang for your buck"... like what?

Again, did you not read my post? I got my Aurora R10 with Ryzen 7 and 3070 for $250 more than the price of a 3070 alone. I literally could not buy just the CPU and GPU from my R10 for the price I got the entire computer with multi-year warranty. Maybe for the cheaper lower end cards like the 3060 it's not as good of a deal, but some of the higher end ones definitely are. How is what I got not a ridiculously good deal?

the fact they even offer a Ryzen 5 + RTX3060ti "gaming PC" that runs on fucking 8GB single channel memory, and no way to configure it with 16GB or 8GB dual channel, is the biggest fucking red flag you could get...

You can upgrade the RAM by simply buying more/different RAM, like any other PC.

 

[Hezekiah]

Turns out, GPUs are just overpriced these days. Will the cost normalize? Sure doesn't look that way when most manufacturers are saying chip shortages are going to last a least a few more years. "Just wait a few years" is good advice for people looking to save money, but it's not entirely practical here.

I didn't say wait for a few years, just don't buy a higher-end GPU now unless you don't care about money.

$1,000 for a 60ti - a mid-range card? Absolute nonsense. I would always check my options first and go for a second-hand 1000 or 2000 series card if at all possible.

 

[Hezekiah]

and again, that is will shittier non-Standardised parts, worse thermals due to their air restricted shitty plastic cases and no way to be sure you can upgrade along the way because the motherboard is shit and the case is so crammed.

meanwhile the PC I got from a smaller vendor who only uses off the shelves parts that can be mixed and matched with ease and uses a case that is a good size and has plenty of ventilation + options to even go further with ventilation, was 500€ cheaper + would perform better when stress-tested.

so tell me again how Alienware PCs are "ridiculously good bang for your buck"... like what? Before buying the PC I looked around everywhere and Alienware was basically the worst option aside from getting a freaking standard Dell
the fact they even offer a Ryzen 5 + RTX3060ti "gaming PC" that runs on fucking 8GB single channel memory, and no way to configure it with 16GB or 8GB dual channel, is the biggest fucking red flag you could get...

As I say I have nothing against the brand - I own an 3420DW monitor.

But their cases are laughably small and must be horrible to work inside if you wish to do that. And their power supplies are shit, and a lot of casuals don't recognise the importance of a good quality/wattage power supply. And they are a premium brand so you're paying way over-the-top prices too.

Anyone who forks over thousands for one of their PCs is a sadist who enjoys being bent over and ripped off.

 

[MightySquirrel]

As I say I have nothing against the brand - I own an 3420DW monitor.

But their cases are laughably small and must be horrible to work inside if you wish to do that. And their power supplies are shit, and a lot of casuals don't recognise the importance of a good quality/wattage power supply. And they are a premium brand so you're paying way over-the-top prices too.

Anyone who forks over thousands for one of their PCs is a sadist who enjoys being bent over and ripped off.

It's well known that their monitor division has one of the best QA. The oposite of their PC's.

 

[captainraincoat]

Once u build your own pc with your own hands u become a man

if u buy a pre-built u should continue sitting down to pee

edit
Don’t touch anything Alienware…they are rip offs and cheaply made crap

 

[tpieman2029]

Nothing wrong with a prebuikt since fight now if youre starting from scratch it'd the cheapest way to get a good card. That being said look into buying a custom instead of a factory prebuilt

 

[Velius]

Dude,
"Alienware"
"Deal"

Mutually exclusive ideas

 

[IntentionalPun]

You really think ibuypower or other builders pay 950 for 3060ti They get the contract early in for ex for 1000 units for $400 each. 950 - 400 = 550 + the deals on other parts. So $600 fleecing figure is sound.

Where did I indicate that I think iBuyPower pays 950 for a 3060ti?

They are a reseller just like Amazon; they get wholesale price.. which is just below MSRP.. they then sell at a markup, just like Amazon, NewEgg., Etc.

It's bizarre you are talking about their costs without taking into account Amazon is also not selling you parts at cost. It's not "fleecing" it's called running a business... they sell parts, and they sell the service of building the PC, installing Windows, they also run some tests, etc. They do a burn in + a post-burn in test.. They pay people money for that time. So you also can't just ignore that too.

The only number that matters is what it costs you to buy from iBuyPower vs. Amazon.

The difference is generally not that large... sometimes, no difference at all.. and sometimes even cheaper from iBuyPower/CyberPowerPC, etc.

You are also ignoring that the difference is only $150 if you choose a GPU that you can get for MSRP right now. Nobody ever said there was no difference in cost between PC builders and buying parts.. the difference isn't THAT significant, and you are also paying for a service.

 

[MightySquirrel]

The only number that matters is what it costs you to buy from iBuyPower vs. Amazon.

But you're not limited only to amazon?

 

[IntentionalPun]

But you're not limited only to amazon?

You should follow the conversation maybe.

 

[Greggy]

Is 1000W PSU power future proof enough?

 

[Greggy]

I think I'm gonna bite, guys:

The Best Cyber Monday Dell Deals: New and Upcoming Dell and Alienware Gaming PCs, Laptops, Monitors - IGN

Score an Alienware RTX 3060 Ti Gaming PC for Only $1399

www.ign.com

If you're planning to upgrade to an RTX 30 series video card, at this point we'd recommend going the prebuilt PC route instead of DIY. Given how hard it is to find an RTX 30 series card at retail price, you'd actually save money going the prebuilt route. Dell is one of the few vendors that offers delivery of your RTX 30 series PC by the end of the year (and by the end of November, in most cases). A prebuilt PC also offers peace of mind because the entire PC is warrantied by Dell; a 1 year in-home warranty comes standard with the option to extend it up to 4 years.

 

[Kacho]

Is 1000W PSU power future proof enough?

Lol it’s kinda ridiculous imo

 

[Greggy]

Lol it’s kinda ridiculous imo

why is that?

 

[amigastar]

why is that?

You're good to go with a 750W PSU in most cases, unless you want to rock a RTX 3090 in the future.

 

[Kacho]

why is that?

It’s just overkill. 750W will be more than fine now and in the future.

 

[lastmessiah]

There's nothing wrong with Alienware pre-builds. People are such queens these days.

 

[Topher]

There's nothing wrong with Alienware pre-builds. People are such queens these days.

Free to your opinion, but I think there are much better options in the pre-build market than Alienware.