First off mods if you feel like you need to go ahead and close my other thread called building a comp. I feel this thread could become more useful. Hi all, i am looking to buy a computer mostly made for gameing. mostly all i do on my computer is. Play rgp games over the internet. Listen to music mess around on the internet. but i am looking at alienware computers. The one i recently am looking at is this,


[1] Aurora™ 7500

Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4200+ with HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology
Operating System (Office software not included): Genuine Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005 with Service Pack 2
Chassis: Alienware® Full-Tower Case - Space Black
Chassis Upgrades: Standard Cooling - No Upgrade Package Selected
Power Supply: Alienware® 650 Watt ATX 2.0 Power Supply
Motherboard: Alienware® NVidia nForce™4 SLI™ X16 Motherboard
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel Low-Latency DDR PC-3200 at 400MHz - 2 x 1024MB
System Drive: High Performance - 250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7,200 RPM w/ NCQ & 8MB Cache
Primary CD ROM/DVD ROM: 16x DVD-ROM Drive with Software DVD Decoder
Secondary CD ROM/DVD ROM: 16x Dual Layer DVD±R/W Drive
Graphics Processor: 512MB PCI-Express x16 ATI RADEON™ X1900 XTX
Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster 940BF 19" 4ms LCD - Black
Sound Card: Integrated High-Performance 7.1 Surround Sound with S/PDIF and Coaxial Digital Outputs
Speakers: Creative Inspire® T5400 5.1 74-Watt Speakers
Network Connection: Integrated High Performance Gigabit Ethernet
Keyboard: Alienware® USB Full-length Keyboard
Mouse: Razer Diamondback Mouse
Warranty: 1-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support w/ Onsite Service
Security and Utility Software: Norton™ AntiVirus™ 2006
Security and Utility Software: Norton™ Internet Security ™ 2006
Productivity Software: Microsoft® Office 2003 Small Business Edition
Power: Opti-UPS SS1200 Automatic Voltage Regulator 6 outlets Surge Protector
Free Alienware T-Shirt: Alienware® T-Shirt - Black - XL Only
Alienware Extras: Exclusive AlienGUIse Theme Manager
Alienware Extras: AlienInspection - Exclusive Integration and Inspection - $99.99 Value - FREE!
Alienware Extras: AlienWiring - Exclusive Internal Wire Management - $99.99 Value - FREE!
Free Alienware Mousepad: Free Alienware® Mousepad


the total comes to 3400 which is a little pricey for me. im trying to stay around 3 grand total. what does everyone think. Im also thinking they have a better system for like 4 thousand so i may look into just spending a little extra and getting that.

EDIT if you see any areas where you think i should try and add or take away things and downgrade to save money plz let me know. we all like tosave money and im no differnt. like i said i want the performance but over 3 thousand hurts me. id also like to try and make this comp last 5 years atleast. thanks for all the help.

My only suggestion would be to move up to faster memory, especially when running a dual-core processor. From what I've read in my own 'building a new computer' research on dual-cores, everyone recommends DDR2-667, since the memory is potentially getting double the amount of calls from the cpu(s).

Otherwise...looks great.

If you're looking into cost savings...check out Dells gaming systems...very comparable system stats and usually a couple hundred bucks cheaper. Also, dont' forget to google for a coupon code before you order from either site.

Did Dell buy Alienware?

Yes...Alienware is now (or soon will be...not sure) a wholly owned subsidiary of Dell.

Basically, it lets Dell sell AMD chips without violating their insane contract with Intel.

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-6052842.html

The memory is good as it is. Running it in dual channel and AMD's very efficient DDR memory controllers are enough got give you the bandwidth you need.

Yea, i agree with this, i found alienware somwhat more expensive across the board with their laptops anyway, especially on the mid - higher end.

Having said that i do agree with you getting advice and taking your time in making this purchase as its i serious piece of equipment

well here is the thing the reason i am buying a new comp is because dell. I just really dont like them as much as i use to. bad experience with them. So i am trying to avoid them. But i will still look anyways. About adding more money dont think i could for the next upgrade it adds 600 dollars. But other than that everything looks good. the stanard cooling fans are good ? anything else ?

sigh looks like there xps 600 can be cheaper with some tweaks of my likeing. dang lol o well saving money.

Understood. But you will find that alot of the manufactures all use the same processor chips and source other components from similar locations. Essentially you get a different "label", i know this is not entirely accurate but it is an important point.

What problems did you find with dell?

Well i had my hard drive and video card both burn out on me. but i understand that things break and i even could of got a lemon. so for that fact i am not mad. Its dell customer support that makes me mad. being on the phone for 4 hours and fixing nothing and them refusing to send parts that need replacment and yada yada just had bad experience with them. im going to keep shoping but as of now i jut keep finding more and more problems like now. On my desktop i have to install some drivers for my internet but i have no internet. lol this hould be fun to figure out how to do. ( i know this doesnt have much to do with dell)

Hi mikelivia, Here is a site that sells PC's. I just thought you may find the configurator handy. It's on the left. It let's you build machines of various qualities and see the different configurations and prices.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/Default.asp

ooops forgot the link

Yea, as for dell support, i have some exp with that....in Ireland the support is in India, it is very annoying when your support tec is speaking an unrecognisable english and then gets irritated with me because i cant understand him!!

boopme thankyou for the link im sure i will find it very useful and handy to have. Im going to be trying lots of differnt setups on it because building a computer is still in the back of my mind. Snyper same with me im in the us and it goes to india as well. Like you said trying to fix a computer and hard to understand what they are saying its just a very frustrating process i dont really like how they handle things. But i think im going to keep trying to tweak this setup for the computer to try and lower the cost. I dont have a whole lot of money to burn. Thanks for the help

With that website boopme sent me i was just messing around and got this

*BASE_PRICE: [+655]
CAS: Raidmax Sagitta Mid-Tower 420W Gaming Case w/ Side Panel Window [+4] (BLACK COLOR)
CASUPGRADE: 12" COLD CATHODE NEON LIGHT [+10] (BLUE COLOR)
CPU: (939-pin) AMD Athlon™64 X2 4400+ Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology [+179]
CD: (Special Price) LG GWA-4161 16X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BEIGE COLOR)
CD2: NONE
CABLE: Round Cable Upgrade for Hard Drive, Optical Drive & Floppy Drive [+19]
FLOPPY: 1.44 MB FLOPPY DRIVE [+10] (BLACK COLOR)
FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
FREEGAME: Free "Nero 7 Ultra Edition" with Purchasing any AMD Athlon 64 X2 Based PC
FAN: AMD ATHLON64 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK + 3 EXTRA CASE FANS [+9]
HDD: Gaming Hard Drive (10,000RPM SATA150) [+67] (SATA150 - Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM 8MB Cache WD740GD [+57])
HDD2: 400GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16M Cache 7200RPM Hard Drive [+206]
IEEE_CARD: IEEE 1394 CARD AND DRIVER [+19]
KEYBOARD: Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 3000 Laser w/ Cordless Keyboard & Mouse [+72]
MOUSE: PS2 INTERNET MOUSE W/ WHEEL (BLACK COLOR)
MODEM: NONE
MONITOR: ViewSonic Q9B 19" COLOR TFT Active Matrix SXGA LCD Display Monitor (Black) [+242]
MONITOR2: NONE
MOTHERBOARD: (Sckt939)ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe nForce4 SLI Chipset SATA RAID Dual PCIE MB w/GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE-1394,&7.1Audio [+135]
MEMORY: 2048 MB (512MBx4) PC3200 400MHz Dual Channel DDR MEMORY [+180] (Corsair XMS High Performance Memory w/ Heat Spreader [+102])
MSGAME: FREE! AGE OF EMPIRE III
NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD
OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition w/ Service Pack 2 [+89]
PRO_WIRING: Professional Wiring for All WIRINGs Inside The System Chasis with High Performance Thermal Compound on CPU [+19]
PRINTER: None
PRINTER_CABLE: None
POWERSUPPLY: Aspire 680W BEAST POWER ATX Power Supply [+89] (BLACK Color ATX-AS680W-BK)
RAID: NONE
RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOFT1: Microsoft® Works v8.0 [+9]
SOFT2: McAfee Anti Virus 7 [+15]
SOUND: Creative Labs SB Audigy SE [+30]
SPEAKERS: Cintre RW-6510 5.1 Configuration Speakers System [+30]
TEMP: THERMAL TEMPERATURE LCD DISPLAY WITH 3X FAN CONTROLLER [+12] (BLACK COLOR)
TVRC: None
UPS: None
USB: Add External USB 2.0 Hub (4x USB 2.0 Ports) [+19] (BLACK COLOR)
USBHD: FREE!!! 1GB USB 2.0 Portable Pen Drive (1GB)
VIDEOCAMERA: NONE
VIDEO: NEW !!! NVIDIA Geforce 7600 GT 256MB PCI Express x16 Video Card [+164]
VIDEO2: NONE
WNC: NONE
WAP: NONE
ZIP: NONE
_PRICE: (+2442)


I dont think thats really to bad of a deal. I mean it should work with my wireless play games real well. I dont see any problems with anything that i have it setup or weakpoints really. Think i should try and get liquid cooling ? its only like 50 bucks more. What does everyone else think? Def will be able to replace the dell dimension 8300 lol

Well I think oblivion is the most performance useing game out there and you should be able to run that well. atleast I would think.

any other views on this setup ? Jus tlooking for some opions.

The only thing that makes me go "Hum?" is that you've chosen to go with both SATA and IDE hard drives.

If you're really worried about HD Access speed, get two identical SATA's and RAID-0 (stripe) them.

Cheers!

What I would suggest, I would buy my own. Not premade. Primary reason, it would be ALOT cheaper, if not by maybe a couple hundred. Second reason, more choices, prefab computers usually only give you the choices that they want you to have. I don't really see anything wrong with the CyberPowerPC setup you have chosen, it's just my 2 cents.

Just to add a thought ,perhaps if gaming is the goal. 2 matching video card. Also checkout the 2 softwaree items
SOFT1: Microsoft® Works v8.0 [+9]
SOFT2: McAfee Anti Virus 7 [+15]
as thay may be trials and you will need to buy later
You can also use Open Office free anda variety of free AV
Both can be found here

Freeware Replacements For Common Commercial Apps

Alright yeah i was thinking about getting to of the same Hd and getting the Raid. The only thing was then i might not have the 10,000 RPm speed. Do you think it would make much of a differnt not having that Gaming Hd? What i mean is think it be any slower ?

10,000 RPM HDs are available to the public. It's not like they are specifically made for gaming manufacturers. You won't see that much of a difference, except in loading speeds. Plus, you can setup RAID on your own, doesn't take a rocket scientist to do it. Also, if you run into any problems, we are here.

alrighty im still looking for parts and such. But in a week i should have it down and my mine made up. Finally. Ill post it when i get it all figured out

Seems like an awful lot of money! I just built a new system and it came to right around $1200.

AMD Athlon x2 3800+
Asus A8N-E mobo
2gb G.Skill dual channel memory
ATi X1800XT 512mb
430 watt thermaltake psu
250gb SATA hdd 3.0gbs/sec
Samsung Lightscribe dual layer dvd burner
Raidmax x-1 case

Shop around some of the online retailers. Build it yourself. You get the satisfaction of knowing you put it together, plus your saving money.

I went with newegg due to the good reviews they have. I had a problem with one of my sticks of RAM being bad and put in for an RMA. I have spoke with them on the phone twice and they are top notch people.

With the system I built, I figured if I can't play a game that is currently out there, it's not worth playing.

lol yeah its a little pricey but the thing is two with all there stuff you get a three year warranty which is nice to have in the back of your mind. Even more so for me (ive been having lots of problems with a computer lately.) Oh by the way this is what ive finally decided on. It doesnt say but the case already has two fans so its a total of four fans. Let me know what you all think about it.

CAS: X-Cruiser Mid-Tower 420W Case W/ WINDOW, MultiMeter Display & Control (Black Color)
CASUPGRADE: 12" COLD CATHODE NEON LIGHT (BLUE COLOR)
CPU: (939-pin) AMD Athlon™64 X2 4200+ Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology
CD: 16X DVD ROM
CD2: LG GWA-4161 16X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR)
CABLE: Round Cable Upgrade for Hard Drive, Optical Drive & Floppy Drive
FLOPPY: 1.44 MB FLOPPY DRIVE [+10] (BLACK COLOR)
FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
Free "Nero 7 Ultra Edition"
FAN: CoolerMaster Liquid CPU Cooling Fan System Kit + 2 EXTRA CASE FANS
HDD: 250GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8M Cache 7200RPM Hard Drive -- Recommended
HDD2: 250GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8M Cache 7200RPM Hard Drive -- Recommended
IEEE_CARD: NONE
KEYBOARD: Logitech Deluxe 104 PS/2 Keyboard (Black Office Pro Keyboard)
MOUSE: Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse (BLACK COLOR)
MODEM: NONE
MONITOR: Jetway M1931TB 19" Multimedia TFT Active Matrix LCD Display Monitor
MONITOR2: NONE
MOTHERBOARD: (Sckt939)ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe nForce4 SLI Chipset SATA RAID Dual PCIE MB w/GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE-1394,&7.1Audio
MEMORY: 2048 MB (1GBx2) PC3200 400MHz Dual Channel DDR MEMORY (Corsair Value Select)
MSGAME: AGE OF EMPIRE III < free
NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD
OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition w/ Service Pack 2
PRO_WIRING: Professional Wiring for All WIRINGs Inside The System Chasis with High Performance Thermal Compound on CPU
PRINTER: None
PRINTER_CABLE: None
POWERSUPPLY: Aspire 680W BEAST POWER ATX Power Supply (BLACK Color ATX-AS680W-BK)
RAID: RAID 0 Striped Disk Array for Faster Performance - Requires 2 Identical Hard Drives
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: Logitech X530 70Watts 5.1 Configuration Speaker System
TVRC: None
UPS: None
USB: Build-in USB 2.0 Ports
USBHD: 1GB USB 2.0 Portable Flash Drive (1GB) < free
VIDEOCAMERA: NONE
VIDEO: NVIDIA Geforce 7900 GT 256MB 16X PCI Express Video Card
VIDEO2: NONE
WNC: PCI Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps Network Interface Card
WAP: NONE
ZIP: NONE
_

One last Question i saw a 1394 card i think it was called. Do i need that to have wireless internet or anything? whats the purpose of that? Thanks for the info sorry for the long post

That's a firewire card.

oh ok thanks. Because on our laptop i always see like 1394 connected 400 mbps. Just wasnt sure what it was if i need it or not. thanks

No problem.

Don't know if you know or not, but, the 3800+ and 4200+ share the same architecture and L2 cache. The only thing seperating them is 200Mhz of clock speed. You could take that $50 (more or less depending on where your buying) you would save by getting the 3800+, and put it towards a more powerful GPU.

Just an idea...

The 7900GT is probably the most powerful cand that nVidia has in their arsenal. But, if you're going the single card way, then definitely get the 7900GTX, IMO. Two 7900GT's can easily beat one 7900GTX.

hmm. So you say maybe drop down the 4200 to 3800 still be almost the same. Wont notice to much of a differnce? I was thinking of only getting one HD maybe a 250 or 300 Gb depending on the cost. Then see if i can afford two video cards. Question whats the advantage of having two video cards ?

I wouldn't personally go for a SLi configuration due to the fact you said,



I could see where an SLi setup could cause some headaches for someone who isn't to familiar with it. Stick with one card. Look at the 7900 series from nVidia or the X1k (i.e. X1800 or X1900) from ATi.

Matter of fact, found these AWESOME deals this morning while browsing the site...

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic23121.html

awesome thanks for the link. As for the sli setup ive been trying to read up on it all gathering all the information and such. Learning as i go. I think i will stick with one card which im probly going to end up with a 7900 gt card. Thanks all for input