The_Dude

Alienware or Self Made Computer?

I think that a pc built by a person is much cooler than an alienware, so is the person that built it.

but, if i see somebody w/ an alienware, i think of them as a spoilt brat, w/ too much money.

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gamer715

Although alienware is cool, they're way too expensive. Get the same components they use and build it yourself, and you have my respect (and $500-$600 in your pocket...)

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tronewy

i personally would want anything to get an alienware, but i dont have the money so i built one myself ending up being around $600 cheaper.

dell<alienware<building

SiN

building your own is much cooler.

and it's what i did

(yeap, a girl who put together her own PC )

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BoCo

Self-built, baby!

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wraithhibn

Build your own, but damn that new case they have looks nice.

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fuelmyfire

i don't know why people have a thing for Alienware
....i like a nice plain ol' white case, the way it should be.

darkure

It would be nice to have an Alienware exclusively for the bragging rights, but I built my computer for quite a bit less than the comparible alienware the time and it is just as good. Besides I learned a lot since it was the first time I had ever built a computer.

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COYW

Big Julie

This one is all new from scratch, save the burner.
The wife's has been rebuilt and upgraded over time.
The step-daughter's is old components with a new case/mobo.
It's the fun way to go.

Mister B

Alienware really isn't a ripoff if you ask me. Some of their systems are cheaper than an equivalent dell.

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AxByC

build your own ofcourse.

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platypus

Alienware IS a ripoff, and Dell is a bigger ripoff. If you don't think so, spend a few minutes searching for the same components from other venders. Find out what it would take to build your own, with exactly the configuration you want. That $600-1000 difference you see is the cost of a cool paint job and an alien head badge. Not worth it.

Do it yourself. And if you want to impress someone, do it with a demonstration of your modding skill and ingenuity rather than your willingness to throw money away.


...they are cool-lookin' though. ;-)

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X_cody_X

Self Built in an Alienware case Then you can fool people into thinking you have all kinds of money to spend rediculous amounts on computers

zztzed

Am I the only person who thinks the new Alienware alien-head cases look like ass?

Anyway, although I think self-built machines are cooler, I wouldn't mind having an Alienware box so I'd have someone other than myself to bitch at when/if it breaks, especially given my apparent huge amounts of bad computer karma.

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oblar

Go with the self built.. They cost a lot less. Personally when I see an alienware I just think of someone with way too much money on their hands..

granted, when I see a Dell (Gateway, etc) then I just think of someone who didnt want to have to deal with any hassle and just wanted a computer*grin*

My sister is getting a Gateway I think. I have built 20+ computers.. And she buys one*grin*. Main reason for that is the warranty (Gateway right near her, whereas I am 4000 miles away).

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SecretMethod70

Alienware looks cool - that is all.

I prefer self-built. Of course, I do wish I had some modding skills so I could make my case look better. Oh well.

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darkure

I tried modding a case I have laying around and it was utter crap. I have no skills when it comes to that sort of thing. I just got a nice looking case instead and haven't messed with it at all. I don't want it to look like crap too.

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brandon11983

There is something to be said for the person that builds their own PC. It is 100% to their own specs. Alienware systems look kick ass cool, and have performance optimizations for gaming. If I had the cash, I'd go Alienware.

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bodypainter

The computer isn't what's cool. What you do with it and what it does for you is what's cool. Money is irrelevant. Somebody always has more (or less) than you and how they spend it is their business.

Therefore, I voted 'Neither'.

sixate

Just buy a dremel and start cutting. You'll learn fast enough.

Self built here too.

Jolt

The ultimate, of course is the DIY computer that is not confined in a traditional 'box' form factor.

I give kudos to the people with computers inside desk drawers, inside couches, inside shells made of Legos or Lincoln Logs, cobbled into attache cases or even nailed or duct-taped to the wall.

_those_ are the cool computers. It doesn't even matter so much what's IN them...it's all about the jaw-drop factor when someone sees it.

Alienware? puh-lease. Their target customers are Typical American Consumer Spoonfed Yuppie Wanker Cattle...anyone who bought a pretty box off the shelf at BestBuy does NAWT instantly deserve to be labeled 'cool' !!

splck

I'm with you ...they look stupid. who the fuck cares what the case looks like? I pesonally look at my monitor, not my case. Mine is put together by myself, I wouldn't buy one off the shelf.

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TheDave87

alienware's dont impress me... they never have. Im a tweaker and a researcher by nature, so i love to build my own.

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cheese

well assuming i had the money i might buy an AW but i think i rather have the experiace of building the machine my self and modding the case my self. on the other hand i got to tough an AW once....i humped it, and made it feel all dirty.

Lasereth

I'd be embarrassed to own an Alienware. That's basically admitting that you want to be a computer dork but don't know enough about computers to built your own. I'll build my own PCs for the rest of my life.

-Lasereth

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arael

according to my friend's dad who owns a computer factory (in taiwan) dell buys built computer from taiwan and sell them for 6-8 times more the price. I believe him because i build my own from scraps using parts bought in Taiwan (i go back during the summer) and save lots.

arael

Oh, back to the topic,

SELF BUILTS ALL THE WAY!!!!

Especially with case mod :P

heyal256

Self built is definitely cooler. One reason is that you get to do your own support and WILL learn more about your computer then if you got one from alienware.
Now if only I looked at my case instead of using it as a footrest, i would probably be looking to mod my case....

dolemite175

Self Made, for sure. If you know what you're doing, the ability to completly customize your system is priceless.

J-Dubs

I currently own an Alienware PC, I guess I'm a spoiled brat with too much money, or could it be that my job and income allow me to purchase such things. Wow that's a thought.

This is my first Alienware PC and I am very pleased with it, I have also owned a Dell (and also have had no problems with them) and I have built 2 PC's for myself and 3 more from my parents and brother. My last PC which was hand built and I still have is running Red Hat and is my Web Server/FTP.

Don't judge a person based on what they own it doesn't always mean they are spoiled or don't have a clue, many work hard for what they call their own.

The_Dude

first time somebody defended alienware in this thread.

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Cujo

Self built, OC'd and water cooled. Fuck Alienware/Voodoo/FNW/GamePC or any other so called custom gamer PC builder.

platypus

Don't think J-dubs is defending AlienWare, just his right to spend his money as he sees fit. That's his choice and there's nothing wrong with that.

And there's nothing wrong with the quality of AlienWare products either. They use top notch equipment and that's partly why they're so expensive.

I'd still rather buy the same, or better, parts and build a similar system for many hundreds less. But that's my choice.

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oblar

all in all alienware isn't that bad of a buy for the type of hardware one is getting..

yes, you can get it mucho cheaper by building your own.. But how much does it cost to get your car painted? very little in paint and lots on labor. Same deal here.. You are spending a lot of the money on the case and the paint.

A lot of items are like this. If I had to buy a computer and money was no limit (and it had to be pre-built), I would go Alienware, just because they really do use some good hardware and set it up fairly nicely, as opposed to Compaqs tradition of using whatever will work for the length of the warranty and might possibly be an "upgrade" later on.

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The_Dude

i was lookin thru my tiger direct catalog and i found some cases that are quite similiar to alieware!

now, u can have an alienware look alike case but a pc you built!

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brandon11983

if you have the skills, time, equipment, patience, and money to build a machine of the quality that a Voodoo is, my hat's off to you. their current top line machine (i forget the class it is) has some awesome tweaks in it. any chump can make a case window and stuff some cathodes in it. the intricacy of the window on a Voodoo machine is very cool. not to mention the multi stage auto-grade paintjob.

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shalafi

Who needs a case window? I dont think my side panel has ever even been on the case. Now if you had lots of flashy lights, knobs, levers, and buttons then we could talk.......oh and a hamster on a wheel connected to to some belts and gears.....gotta have the hamster or the deals off.

oh ya almost forgot......self built gets my vote

Podmore

I've built my own before. The last machine I bought was a Dell (I get a decent discount through my company). It was hassle free, and I know that if any component has a problem, they'll replace it. Building my own was fun, but I did have some compatibility problems with some components. I don't have the time these days to mess with that stuff, and prefer to get the system pre-optimized.

I don't give a crap what the machine looks like. Trying to find an impressive <i>looking</i> machine isn't cool, that's for insecure people. I want a good, stable, fast machine. That's what I got.

Zorgan

Voted: Neither.
I just recently bought an Alienware.

Why? First thing I did actually, was look up parts to build my own that was just as good. I've been tinkering with computers since '95, which isn't bad considering I was all of 10 at that point. The cost was only a few hundred dollars less (If I recall, it was about 380ish less), but: It would take longer for the parts to be ordered/shipped, it would come with no true warranty, no support, and would only work as good as my skills at slapping pieces together were. I looked at Alienware, and it comes with support, a warranty, and everything I wanted anyway, and a frankly cooler looking case, plus it would take about 14-21 days to arrive. I figured that the assurances offered were worth the little extra, so I went with the Alienware instead. Should be here in just a couple days, and I don't care about the name on the computer, just what I can do with it. How it was made isn't what makes a computer cool, unless it's one of those ones cased in legos. Now, that's cool.

SLM3

I have an Alienware Area-51M (M for mobility). I'm happy to pay a few extra hundred $'s to get a full warranty as well as customer support. I can sleep well knowing these guys are known for their quality and I can rest assured the computer was put together properly.

I can see the advantages of building your own computer but frankly I don't agree that there's some sort of hidden nobility in it. If anything I've built computers just so I can learn more about what's going on inside.

People are accusing Alienware buyers of being yuppies/computer snobs/misinformed etc. but if anything that's the attitude I'm seeing from many of the computer builders.


SLM3