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New Alienware PC an Overpriced Underperformer
Steve Kerrison writes "Alienware has jumped on board the Core 2 bandwagon and rightfully so, but their new Area-51 7500 loses out to cheaper and faster solutions from other companies. From HEXUS.net's review 'No matter which way we dress up the Alienware's performance and feature-set, it's relatively poor in comparison to SKUs that we've reviewed recently. Value for money may not be the greatest concern in this sector of the pre-built market but when you can get substantially more for less, it becomes impossible to recommend this particular Area-51 7500.'
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Unfortunately, while somewhat sarcastic, this is probably true. Being under Dell's wing probably profits Alienware financially but lowers the quality standard. The focus used to be not just to make a pretty machine, but one that spanks the competition and was backed up by some of the best service in the business. If I'm going to pay Alienware type money, I expect to get the fastest machine money can buy.
a) Alienware was never about price/performance
b) It doesnt use the fastest GPU solution, but the second fastest. So it obviously sucks and all (not that it would have any better price/performance if it used the more expensive sli version)
c) They account the difference in the kribibench score as "the Geforce makes the difference". Sorry, mr not-the-brightest-bulb. Kribibench is a CPU only benchmark. Next try.
d) Any site that comes with those nice "submit this article to slashdot/digg/assfaggot" bottoms should be banned per default. Its just arcticle spamming taken to the next level.
HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
The car analogy comes into play:
A lot of people can build you a car that is by far faster than a lamborghini, for about a quarter of the cost. Just pick up an issue of Car Craft for evidence. The thing is, many people want something fast and stylish right from the manufacturer that they can just put the key in and go. The guy who builds a car from junk yard and aftermarket parts that runs sub 10 seconds in the quarter mile for under 15K is not the same guy who drops 200K on a lamborghini, due to finances, interests, or both....
And All I Ask is a Tall Ship And a Star to Steer Her By
It seems fair game now to compare the very highest end PC with a Mac Pro also running Windows Games, it would have been nice to see that as a comparison point.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
While I understand that Dell sucks (I hate them too), I don't really think that I understand your comment. It seemed perfectly reasonable to me that Dell could have a sub-brand that did focus on performance, and while they might be overpriced, could probably put together something at the very pinnacle of performance available from consumer parts. I don't think that somehow the "innate Dellness" slipped through the vents in the case and made it slow. Perhaps Dell mismanaged it, but it wasn't a forgone that they would do so, and it isn't necessarily true that Dell will continue to mismanage it. Heck, it might not be Dell at all. Maybe Alienware just screwed up; all kinds people do that (Dell employees and even formerly non-Dell employees!).
Either way, whoever is responsible will probably wake up quickly if they get more reviews like this.
Alienware isn't about the "fastest". True, they have fast systems, but it's more about the 'bling' factor.
They're target market is upper middle class, specifically the middle age men who like to game and have disposable income and the kids with rich parents.
I'm building a PC for a friend and we went to pick out a cabinet. For my money I picked out a Lian Li cabinet years ago, black anodised aluminium, modular with a window in the side (which I could take or leave) It's a peach for setting up, getting into quickly, etc. I was practical with my choice and so is my friend. Something which does the job and isn't ostentatious.
Gawd...
The cabinets you can get at the stores these days are BLING! The Dragon was laughable, there were a few others which looked like some Transformers theme and of course some pink outfit which would fit right in with My Little Pony figures all around it.
We managed to find a fairly decent modular aluminium cabinet, but we both left laughing at the stuff people were getting. One was buying a Dragon cabinet at Fry's when we left. I guess the people who make those things are laughing all the way to the bank. Funny stuff.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
A former roommate of mine (from a pretty well off family) bought a Alienware computer - but after two DOA motherboards and a few dozen angry calls to tech support, he gave up and got a Dell. This was 5 or 6 years ago - I don't know if they've improved much since then.
I also had a CS professor who had an Alienware laptop - his specialty was AI in games, so it was a pretty high end model and seemed to suit him well.
Neither of these were people you'd really call "rich", but they were upper-middle class anyway, and those are the only two Alienwares I've every actually seen people buy.
My biggest problem with them is the crappy mobo's they install by default. Substandard bios, breaks the standard for power connectors, and lower bus/bridge performance...Run a machine with the same stats and a better motherboard, and the difference is night and day.
Just not kosher...If I wanted to have to buy an entirely new machine to upgrade every time, or pay dell an obscene amount for any sort of upgrade, I'd just rent the damn things.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
Perhaps this is true if you're buying an appliance, which is the case for many but I would imagine that many on this board would concur with Tom Christiansen's view below. If you find the machine intrinsically interesting and want to be able to configure it to run your prefered OS/Desktop/Applications then... ;)
"The computer is the game." ~ Tom Christiansen
PS. The time spent building a machine at home is time not spent on tedious chores
"Linux is for noobs"-The new MS fud strategy
A few years ago, I went to the Alienware website and customized my own PC for their price of $2,300.
I did not go to the checkout though.
Instead, I went to TigerDirect and purchased the same components that I previously configured at Alienware.
I received the components, and built my PC.
So what if the case does not have a Alienware logo on it.
I saved $1,400 for basicaly the same machine.
Hard to believe, but a $2,300 Alienware PC only cost me $900 for me to build it myself.
No logo, great performance, I am happy.
More individuals should build their own.
It is not that hard. It comes with instructions.
If you can build anything with step by step instructions, you can build a PC.
I have bulit about 7 PC's for friends, and I rarely look at instructions now. It is that simple.
So if you realy want the Alienware case, and have it all put together for you.
If you are out for the *bling* as mentioned earlier, go ahead, enjoy your Alienware PC.
http://www.accountkiller.com/removal-requested
If you want value and performance custom built is the way to go, not prebuilt crap.
If you want a car considering value and performance custom built is the way to go, not prebuilt crap. False
If you want a home considering value and performance custom built is the way to go, not prebuilt crap. False
If you want a piece of furniture considering value and performance custom built is the way to go, not prebuilt crap. False
If you want a piece of clothing considering value and performance custom built is the way to go, not prebuilt crap. False
If you want a wristwatch considering value and performance custom built is the way to go, not prebuilt crap. False
If you want a television considering value and performance custom built is the way to go, not prebuilt crap. False
If you want a computer considering value and performance custom built is the way to go, not prebuilt crap. True???
I simply do not believe that computers are the only commodity consumer device that requires the knowledge and skill and desire to hand build said commodity item better than any company with assembly lines in China, Japan, or the United States can do.
What is so special about computers? And is there a market for a commodity company to provide such value and performance products since there is no current company providing such things in the world today?
For those who have not escaped mom's basement in years, we would like to know...
I bought an area-51 a few years ago and its hands down the best computer I've ever owned. I've probably built around 2 dozen computers in my lifetime (handful for myself and the rest for friends and family) and this machine's stability is just completely amazing. I've never had a single problem with it or had to use the warranty while it still had one.
The problem with modern hardware is that everyone is trying to make the highest performing components for a computer. What they aren't doing is making sure there components play nice with other components. With the alienware stuff you are paying for testing, styling and insurance that the system is made with the newest/best quality parts and that they all play nicely.
Will I buy another one? Probably not cuz their prices are just insane now days. Back when I bought mine I priced the same components and I was only paying a few hundred dollars as a premium. It was totally worth the money after the fiasco I had on the home system I built a year earlier. So don't jump to bash Alienware so quickly unless you know what you are talking about.
I do know what you're getting at but I do want to defend the "mod scene." There are some who will buy those tacky super bling cases, and there are some who will buy your standard beige tower, and ofcourse there are some who take a middle road. I can't speak for everyone in the "mod scene" but I personally enjoy building something that is unique, I would never buy a generic Dell. I like to bring my case to a LAN tourney and have people remember me because I'm "that guy with the yellow case," or have people bring their friends/families from across the room just to look at my case.
Meanwhile the guy next to me might have the most generic looking PC case, but he's decided to put some really nice hardware in his PC. This is the kind of guy who can draw crowds around his monitor just to see the top-notch graphics in game X. It's all a matter of personal taste (or lack thereof:) and some of us derive great fun out of choosing each and every piece in our PC, recabling the wires and maxing out the airflow. Some of us like to build the most silent PC possible.
You could draw parallels in the car racing/modding scene too. There are drivers who put all their money on aestetics and make the gawdiest Civic in the city, and there are some who blow all their money on their engines, exhaust, and intake. I guess what I'm really trying to say is not to bash us all based entirely on one end of the spectrum. To answer your question, I'd say the target is anyone who enjoys to build/mod PC's as a hobby. In one of the game community forums I frequent we've got kids who are 14-15, and guys who are 30-35 and everyone in between. No one judges them on who they are, just on what they do. Hell they could all be lying about their ages, but it doesn't matter. What matters is whether or not you do something you enjoy, and whether or not you want to meet people who enjoy the same things. (but it matters if you're a creepy child molestor, we don't serve your kind here.)
disclaimer: I've been known to store numbers in my ass for which to dig out when quantities are required.