Ratnix wrote...
Lady_Intimidator wrote...
I did some research, oh.. a few years ago, mind you, this was before even vista came out. But I found that AlienWear are the best as far as pure gaming PCs.
Years and years ago, Alienware were the easiest and best solution for getting a pre-built gaming rig, but those days are long gone.
There was a time, where, unless you were a complete computer geek, building your own computer was far from easy. These days, with all the information you are able to access on the internet and the advancements in computers, building a computer that can play games is as easy as plugging all the hardware together and installing your OS.
Unless you plan on doing some high end modding, which there are guids out there for it, anybody can build their own computer. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable installing water cooling on a new computer I was building, but once I do it on an older computer I don't believe it would be any harder than putting in any other components.
A guy I work with, who wasn't able to google the error code he got trying to install a new dvd drive on his laptop, built his own desktop. If somebody who can't read a microsoft help page telling him to delete a registry entry is able to build their own computer, anybody can do it.
Alienwares are just overpriced computers anymore.
Quite far from truth. Sure it is easy IF you have done it few times before. But MOST people are never open computer case. Truth is that most people are scared to look inside. It seem to be quite big step for most people to actually buy parts and look empty case, then start to wonder "hmm, this is called motherboard now what should I do with it?".
I know for fact (because of my work) that there are "intresting" people out there. People who make "funny" mistakes. I have managed not to laugh when I have explained that "no here is no guarantee because you used self drilling wood screws here, you have put glue between your motherboard and CPU, more glue between your CPU and your cooler, you have pressed by force (wrong way) RAM and basic this computer is burned so badly that I am amazed that we managed to safe disk drive" (yeah, even DVD-RW was broken, it smell quite intresting so he choose to get new case also..)
But sure, if you know what you are doing you can get quite cheap quite good computer. I have now in use:
* Windows XP professional 64bit
/ Windows 7 64bit Ultimate
* MB: Asus P5K
* Power: 600W Targan U33
* CPU: Intel Quad 6600 3.2 GHz (2.4GHz by default)
* Graphic Card: Palit HD4870 1Gb Sonix PCI-E
* Netgear cable modem 3mb/600
* HD's: Seagate 1,5Tb SerialATA, Seagate Barracuda SerialATA150
160Gb, Maxtor DiamondMax 10 SerialATA150 200Gb, Maxtor DiamondMax 10
SerialATA150 300.0GB
* RAM: 3X; 2GB 850MHz DDR2
(800 by default)
* Soundcard: Soundblaster X-FI Platinum Fatal1ty (get free from friend, old one was Soundblaster Audigy Platinum)
* AVR: Denon AVR-1603 + 5.1 system
* Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster 2493hm 1920x1200
* CD/DVD: LG GSA-H55N
And I just update this when I need to. So yes, you can save quite huge amount of cash if you know what you are doing and sell old stuff when you get new in.