I always build my own when it comes to my gaming / work machines because I like easy upgrades and don't want to have to worry about running into glitches with proprietary systems - so I started wondering how much truth their is to this giant disparity people claim regarding alienware vs build your own. I built a couple of matching systems - screenshots below because I'm sure the formatting just won't hold up.

In short, with similar hardware the price difference was ~400.00 higher for the alienware. What you get extra on that system is a 1 year over the phone diagnosis and in-home repair warranty, and you don't have to build it yourself. In other words you save about 300.00 by skipping the warranty and 100.00 by building it yourself. I suppose those values could be argued, but even if you split them in half, we're talking about a 200.00 price difference which is barely over 10%.

As for the quality of parts - I believe they are pretty much the same; I used a [filtered] MB as that's what people always say alienware goes with. I also went with a modest 750PSU since I assume alienware skimps a bit there being that they don't give any details on it.

Lolol someone's on Dellienware payroll.

First off
Biostar is garbage, Go with EVGA or Asus or even MSI.

2nd Youre missing the Liquid cooling system that Alienware has inside of every one of its desktops.

3rd Alienware has a few OEM parts inside that system that is controlled with their "Command Center" software.
its called a MIO controller board, and it moderates the lighting systems and the computers power management and other Alienware prorietary. add in the lighitng and it costs about 120$
Where are your custom lighting options? Installed OS based cooling controllers and lighting controllers?

4th Where are you extra casefans?

5th The alienware Aurora case isnt a cheap case. its a Massive and highly detailed case. It has lighting systems and branding built in as well as a graphics card shroud(cage), and is made of hgh grade plastics and steel. its worth about 250$ market price.
The Alienware Area51 case, no longer in production, was worth about... 375$ because it was a full metal tower with lighting and extras.

6th, Alienware offers tech support, for the entire system. and has overnight shipping on RMA and replacement parts. with each part you buy separately youre going to have to talk to a different techsupport person every time. and Alienware wont void your warranty for upgrading, infact they'll help you with it, even if you didn't buy the upgrade from them.

Customer support is nothing more than a tech that goes through a script to help ID
the issues/fix/RMAs or Just for feed back. See Cheep OverSeas Labor for more
details Via HP/Dell. ^^;

Quote: Dracoda on 05/14/2012, 10:32 AM

I always build my own when it comes to my gaming / work machines because I like easy upgrades and don't want to have to worry about running into glitches with proprietary systems - so I started wondering how much truth their is to this giant disparity people claim regarding alienware vs build your own. I built a couple of matching systems - screenshots below because I'm sure the formatting just won't hold up.

In short, with similar hardware the price difference was ~400.00 higher for the alienware. What you get extra on that system is a 1 year over the phone diagnosis and in-home repair warranty, and you don't have to build it yourself. In other words you save about 300.00 by skipping the warranty and 100.00 by building it yourself. I suppose those values could be argued, but even if you split them in half, we're talking about a 200.00 price difference which is barely over 10%.

As for the quality of parts - I believe they are pretty much the same; I used a [filtered] MB as that's what people always say alienware goes with. I also went with a modest 750PSU since I assume alienware skimps a bit there being that they don't give any details on it.

First off
Biostar is garbage, Go with EVGA or Asus or even MSI.

2nd Youre missing the Liquid cooling system that Alienware has inside of every one of its desktops.

3rd Alienware has a few OEM parts inside that system that is controlled with their "Command Center" software.
its called a MIO controller board, and it moderates the lighting systems and the computers power management and other Alienware prorietary. add in the lighitng and it costs about 120$
Where are your custom lighting options? Installed OS based cooling controllers and lighting controllers?

4th Where are you extra casefans?

5th The alienware Aurora case isnt a cheap case. its a Massive and highly detailed case. It has lighting systems and branding built in as well as a graphics card shroud(cage), and is made of hgh grade plastics and steel. its worth about 250$ market price.
The Alienware Area51 case, no longer in production, was worth about... 375$ because it was a full metal tower with lighting and extras.

6th, Alienware offers tech support, for the entire system. and has overnight shipping on RMA and replacement parts. with each part you buy sperately youre going to have to talk to a different techsupport person everytime. and Alienware wont void your warrenty for upgrading, infact they'll help you with it, even if you didnt buy the upgrade from them.

Uhhhh, I think the only ones who hate on Alienware of people who are to poor to afford it.
I have an Asus thoooooo