Do I build this, or just go buy an Alienware X51?

Hi all –

Skip to the end if you just want to get to the build, if however you like long introductory rambling, read on.

I'm looking to build what I consider to be a "reasonable" gaming machine - which is to say, it should be able to run all current games on "high" while maintaining acceptable / playable FPS if you push some things to ultra....but don't get carried away. It should also provide reasonable assurance that this level of "playability" can be sustained through the next generation of games, say, 1-3 years - understanding of course that by year three...it may be fielding more "medium-high " settings and fewer "high-ultra" settings. In short – it doesn’t need to be a monster, but I’d like it to have teeth – I’d also like to build it for $1200 ;-)

I’ve built machines several times before, but typically I’ve just asked the guy behind the counter to give me parts - sort of a “It needs to be a good computer, what do you suggest” build – and I’ve never really built something with gaming as the primary purpose. So, my options are to build or buy, and the Alienware X51 seemed ok to me, with my X51 config coming in at $1,249. Still, I’ve been cobbling together my own computers since my first Compaq Presario 400Mhz “internet PC” died a slow and painful death, and I figured it was worth taking a crack ant building my own gaming PC – here is what I’ve come up with:

“Allan’s almost awesome gaming PC”

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor

Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (there are less expensive ASUS boards, but several recent reviews suggest more than a few common issues with them – everything from bad drivers to funky USB ports. This one and the Z87 Pro however are universally highly rated with something like 70%+ in 5 eggs, 5 stars or whatever the rating mechanism is – I decided to go with this one because its the same price as the PRO right now, ……and red. Also, I wont use an MSI board probably ever again, pretty set on using ASUS –never an issue to date.

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (CAS:7, Timing: 7-8-8-24

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive

Video Card: EVGA Superclocked GeForce GTX 760 2GB w/ACX cooler

Case: Apevia X-CRUISER3-GN ATX Mid Tower Case

Power Supply: SeaSonic G-750 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (OEM) (32-bit)

Total: $1205.23, including shipping, taxes, etc.

And some data you might need:

Do I plan to overclock? - Not really – I have in the past, but only using the onboard tools (typically form ASUS) and I don’t try push the envelope. Eventually I did overclock my current chip – I forget what it actually is, but with the ASUS tools from the MOBO, it thinks it’s an AMD Phenom II X4 B55 (3 cores unlocked, 4 is unstable) running at 3.72GHz. – and yes, my PC is that old. Currently paired up with a Nvidia 9800 GT

What games do I play: None – I have kids – HA! ….ok….while that is true, I USED to play FPS, strategy games, I like Skyrim and MMORPGs here and there. I’m not up on what new out there, but first-person shooters where I get to kill things for looking at me funny tend to be something I’ll look at.


So, do I build it, or by the Alienware machine? Anything I’m missing, keeping the $1200 target in mind.


Thanks all -

Allan