Alienware X51

[FrkyDkyDutch]

I have a question for the mulit-platform gamers out there. I have recently started playing Rift during the course of the week and realized that my computer is having issues keeping up to speed with the actual game. Since I have been a primary console gamer all my life I really haven't had the need for a computer to handle anything more than YouTube and Word.

I was wondering if anyone out there had an Alienware and could post some reviews about the product. I like the fact that the X51 is basically the same size as a console and would hook up to my LCD/LED TV with no complications. I was just wondering what to look for and how the different processors stack up.

I love Defiance but I really am waiting until there is more events to complete with my friends, so I decided it was time to try Trions other game now, especially since it is free to play. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

[twitch reflex]

Alienware is garbage IMO you can get a way better PC for the same price. Go to the pc forums and post your question and you will see how many real PC gamers agree that Alienware is notthing but a rip off

[GiantInMaine]

With alienware you're just gonna be paying 100's of extra dollars for the name I would try and find something else.

[BVegas]

Alien ware was good back in the day now that it was bough out by I think dell it sucks. Best bet is build your own PC or find a person that knows how to and go that route WAY more bang for your buck

[Conceit]

Alien ware was good back in the day now that it was bough out by I think dell it sucks. Best bet is build your own PC or find a person that knows how to and go that route WAY more bang for your buck

^This SO much.

AW is now just a pricey Dell in a slicker case. You'd do much better to find a local shop to build one to your specs if you can't DIY.

[Mirimon]

not surprised to see an alienware topic in the 360 thread..misinformed consumers..



well, at least people are setting him right about keeping Dellienware away from his wallet.

Like others have said, there are better "brand name" labels for laptops (if getting the longer lasting, cheaper, and versatile desktop is not good). Even Asus, and Acer have much more for less, and better reliability.. but yeah.. shop around, or spend 15 minutes reading how2 mags and make your own.

[Conceit]

Like others have said, there are better "brand name" labels for laptops (if getting the longer lasting, cheaper, and versatile desktop is not good). Even Asus, and Acer have much more for less, and better reliability.. but yeah.. shop around, or spend 15 minutes reading how2 mags and make your own.

Yeah, if you are looking for a laptop find a better "brand name" (OEM) to go with than AW. Even a Dell with the same specs is cheeper. A desktopp is by far you best option for gaming though. I can't stress the local shop option enough if you are not a DIYer. They can bulid to your specs or help you spec one out. Every shop I have ever seen has at least one tech who games and can help you figure out what you need/want. It shouldn't cost you more than parts + 1 or 2 hours labor. Plus it is really good karma to support local independant business.

[Mourneblade]

not surprised to see an alienware topic in the 360 thread..misinformed consumers..



well, at least people are setting him right about keeping Dellienware away from his wallet.

Like others have said, there are better "brand name" labels for laptops (if getting the longer lasting, cheaper, and versatile desktop is not good). Even Asus, and Acer have much more for less, and better reliability.. but yeah.. shop around, or spend 15 minutes reading how2 mags and make your own.

I'm going to assume this thread was moved from the 360 forum to the PC forum, but if it wasn't, the above poster is an idiot who should learn to navigate the internet.

I also see no one actually answering the OPs original question. Keep your garbage biased opinions and your poor-man's alternatives out of it. Yeah, we all know you can build some strange mutt system out of an amalgamation of budget parts for cheap. That's not what the OP asked, so if we could all just take a moment, remove our heads from our own *****, and try to answer the guys question without bashing a PC company because we can't afford one of their "overpriced" machines, that would be great.

In any case, all these "PC elitists" are either too broke to afford an Alienware or they have no idea what the hell they are talking about. I've owned 2 Alienware PCs, the first being an Aurora and the second being the beefed up X51. Both have been phenomenal systems, with the Aurora having built in liquid cooling for overclocking, and the X51 rather chilly and quiet for all of it's packed in power. Both systems are alive and kicking, with the Aurora being more than 3 years old with no hardware failure after thousands of hours of raiding and gaming, intensive GPU usage, and general purpose use.

I love my X51, and traveling is super easy with it. It is roughly the size of a standard Xbox 360 or PS3, and the mid and high tier versions pack a powerful punch as far as processors, RAM, GPU, and hard drives. The slot loading optical drive is really nice as well.

If you wanted to go all out, I'd recommend the higher end X51, with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM, the core i7 processor, the Nvidia GTX 660, either a hybrid SSD/HDD for multipurpose, a 256GB SSD if it's only for games, or a 1TB if it's your main PC. Also, if you plan on turning into an entertainment console, a BluRay optical drive is a must have for watching movies in HD.

It can also function as a set-top-box of sorts, and setting up Netflix, Amazon Prime, or On-Demand services is as simple as opening a web browser. Also, using the new Steam gaming UI, navigation and gameplay can be handled with any current controller, provided you have the cheap wireless peripheral or have the controller driver for direct-connection.

The Nvidia GTX 660 is insanely powerful for it to be such a low wattage card, and is super-efficient if you're the "green" sort of gamer who likes to conserve power. I personally have not had any graphical issues and every game I play runs at a beautiful 60 FPS with full V-Sync. Defiance is no exception.

In summation, ignore the nay-sayers and folks talking out of their *****. People like to pretend that the Alienware isn't using premium hardware, and that it's "garbage" because they aren't willing to give an AW rig a chance due to a price tag. Not everyone has the time or patience to sit down and build a PC from scratch, and some folks can afford convenience and quality. The X51 price range makes it a great out-of-the-box PC, and after two years, you can re-sell it back to AW for a nifty discount on your next, more cutting edge rig, if that's your thing.

The idea of it is simple: A small, efficient, console sized powerhouse that is easily 2-3x more powerful than even the next gen consoles, and allows for far more freedom when it comes to gaming and entertainment than a console or full sized tower.

The tech specs are on the AW site, so you can compare and build your own from there to see the price ranges and get what you want. I hope this information was useful to you and I hope to see you on the AW Arena forums in the near future!

[Imani Hype]

I think having 2 previous Alienware rig makes your opinion biased already no matter how you want to spin it. The fact that you view building a PC with the EXACT same specs as the standard x51 for $300 cheaper a "strange mutt system" shows you have no grasp with computers. You are exactly AW's target consumer, clueless with money to spend, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I do agree with you that time is money.

@OP, IMO for you, x51 is a decent deal for what you want especially if you're buying it for its console-like sleekness. If you solely want to just play Rift on Max settings, you'll have little to no hiccups. However, if you do want to do some research to build a better rig at the same price point or the same rig as x51 for less $ then there are other alternatives. From what I see through your post, I'd just jump the gun on the standard x51. Go with i7 if you want it to be "foolproof" for a couple of years and replace the HDD with an SSD if you want lightning fast load times.

[Blondin]

You better buy Asus for gamer, dedicated for gaming, much much better than Alienware, and at better price.

Seriously Alienware is a trap