If this is primarily a work machine and your $2K budget is a fixed cap, I would recommend downgrading the GPU to save some money so you can pick up an SSD for the OS plus a bigger HDD - unless, like Chris says, you plan on reusing an existing HDD, in which case just get an SSD. Does Dell / Alienware offer any decent SSD options?
The build is fine. In fact, it’s much like the system I own and Jazar just put together.
I don’t know if Dell offers it, but the i7 930 was just released, is only a few bucks (like $10 dollars) more than the 920, and is a bit faster. Otherwise, nice setup. I can’t argue with those suggesting SSD setups for the OS/APPS hard drive but if it’s even available, that’s gonna cost big bucks from Dell/Alienware.
Yeah, there was an SSD option but it pushed the price of the machine far too high. I figure 10,000RPM and 12GB of RAM should provide enough speed/caching for what I need to do.
If I was going to do anything, I’d really rather get the 24GB of RAM instead but that’s like another $850, so no go.
If Dell / Alienware doesn’t offer a reasonably-priced SSD option, then that’s actually a good reason to consider another vendor. I’m not quite a frothing-at-the-mouth SSD fanboi (yet), but they provide a pretty nice boost in OS performance and you can find a 60 - 80 GB model for $175 - $225 I think. For someone willing to blow a couple of grand on a new PC, they’re worth the expense IMHO.
Well, I can’t really see how from where I’m sitting. I’m sure I’ll upgrade to an SSD eventually since eliminating moving parts is The Way of the Future, but as it is I barely ever notice any annoying hard disk slowdowns outside of a cold boot. Shrug.
You can’t just buy any old brand, so I suppose you might count that as immature. But the results of your research should be pretty simple: OCZ or Intel. (Some people mention patriot but they’re rare in AU so no comment on that.)
I’ve also heard that some people had to go back to a disk drive because their SSD just crapped out on them. :p
Most apps launch instantly except for Photoshop, which loads 3x faster, as do any games I install on it. There is a quickness in overall response to your commands, and if you go back to a system that does not have an SSD as its main drive, you notice and miss that immediacy.
Comparison video here. This fellow’s difference is even more pronounced, probably because his computers are beefier than the 1.4Ghz CPU in my tablet PC.
Here’s someone loading a Modern Warfare2 multiplayer session off his SSD.
I was really tempted to try the SSD but the problem was (a) the extra cost and (b) my typical work pattern. I load up UnrealEd and, barring any crashes or problems, work on a map for hours on end. There’s not a lot of disk access there to worry about - at least not any that the 10K RPM drive can’t handle.
Did you end up getting the Alienware, WarrenM? I’m thinking about getting one now despite the big price premium and wondered what your experience was with them.
Anyone else with an Alienware? Even though I’m a PC gaming fanatic, I’ve never actually known anyone to pay for one of these expensive rigs.
Also, SSD really worth it? I’ve just never really minded boot/loading times of modern computers. Too much youth spent waiting for tape drives and floppies to feel much bothered by waiting a few seconds for HD access (or a minute when booting).
I’ve owned two Alienwares. The first was a good little rig, the second started to fall apart less than a year after purchase. I just recently ordered a new PC from Falcon Northwest in preparation for Civ 5, The Witcher 2, and Old Republic. We’ve had several Falcons in the office over the years and they’ve all been solid as a rock, so I decided to go with them for my new one.
They’ve already been a better experience than Alienware. The PC doesn’t ship until later this month, but the company sent me actual person-to-person emails with details on construction schedule and build makeup, plus offered to answer any further questions I had throughout the construction process. One quick email and an actual human being will adjust your order as needed. Wonderful customer service. As an added bonus, the model I got (Talon) will not come in a giant oversized alien head, so it will actually fit comfortably on my computer desk.
Heh, I think they finally got rid of those cases - they now just have pretty cool-looking vents on the top: http://www.extremetech.com/slideshow_viewer/0,2849,l%253D248854%2526a%253D248600%2526po%253D1,00.asp?p=y
I’d definitely consider a Falcon - hell, what hardcore PC gamer hasn’t wanted to take one for a whirl -but I don’t think they’re viable for Canadians. Import taxes alone would add another $1k or so, while Dell/Alienware has Canadian operations.
If I do get an Alienware, I think I’ll also shell out for the extended warranty though. I never bother with warranties and think they’re generally for suckers, but at that sticker price and some of the system specs (overclocked extreme CPU, watercooling, etc.), I feel less equipped to DIY and want additional peace of mind.
They’re still gigantic. Full-size cases with all the extra crap stuck onto it. My current Alienware is so absurdly tall that to put a disc into the tray I have to reach over the keyboard shelf and under the main shelf and sort of toss it at the tray.
I think only the Area-51 models are full-case models now- the basic Aurora and the Aurora ALX (which seems to be the flashy one most gaming sites are reviewing) are in mid-sized cases…which still weigh about 50 lbs. So yeah, they seem pretty damn big.
I wish I could get a Falcon - I did some more digging into it after your post, but my concerns on Canadian delivery/service seem to still be true. Falcon has always seemed like the king of gaming PCs, since I first pined after one in old CGW and PC Gamer mags. I’d just like to have one just like I always wanted a Mercedes.
I got a Velocity Micro system last time, and although I liked it enough to recommend the company (despite my system having several assembly errors), it was a real costly hassle to get it to Canada and I wouldn’t want to endure that again. So Alienware’s Canadian operations (and onsite warranty) is pretty appealing. And Alienware systems also seem cool - maybe not Mercedes like the Falcon’s, but BMWs, and a step up from Velocity Micro or other PC gaming system manufacturers.
But you, MattKeil, can still talk me out of it. I don’t want to be talked out of it at this point because I already have come to terms with the price tag and have cognitive dissonance justifying the purchase, but your experience with your second Alienware sounds like a real drag. I can’t stand purchasing hassles, and that’s enough to sour me, especially given the additional cost over another locally available brand with the same core parts, like Cyberpower.
I generally have had good experience with Dell and its customer support, which was one of the reasons I was willing to pay the sizable premium over the Cyberpowers of the world. But if people have had bad experiences, that dampens my enthusiasm.
To be fair, my last Alienware purchase was before they were bought by Dell, so maybe they’re better now. But I can attest firsthand to the truth of the accusations that Alienware uses (or at least used) parts in their supposedly “new” systems that are most definitely not new. I’ve also had constant cooling problems over the years, to the point of installing two extra fans in the thing just to keep it functional. The power supply also spontaneously died after just under a year and a half.
All of these issues happened conveniently out of warranty, of course. At the very least, if you go the Alienware route, I’d recommend getting extended warranty coverage.