XPS 8300 or Alienware x51 or ???

[tcedwards92]

Hello,
I am currently looking to buy a new computer. I own a 2 year old sony vaio (works fine but not very good for gaming and gets really hot really fast, good for checking email/writing papers) and a transformer prime. I want a desktop for gaming and watching netflix/dvds/etc. My price range is 900-1400 but cheaper is better. Ive first found the Alienware x51, sounds perfect for me, good size and has good solid specs for the price(im interested in the highest model) I recently came across the XPS 8300 and for around the same price i get the same thing as the X51 but with 4 more gbs of memory and a moniter/wireless keyboard/ wireless mouse. Also the XPS has 500 more gbs of space. Which is the better buy? Is the size of the X51 worth the better hardware of the XPS? I am a college student with divorced parents, so size does matter. Please help me choose one or suggest another?

 

[kodysch]

Well the better buy depends on your priorities, The XPS 8300 is a better system, plus it has more room for upgrading, if size is really important to you though, I guess the x51 would be a little easier to carry but not by much.
But you would really be best off with taking that budget and getting a better system that you could customize and build, and it's a great way to learn a lot about computers. I bought a dell xps studio in 2009 and it's still chug-a-lug'n but now when i'm looking to upgrade the oem parts and mobo are really a pain as upgrading is hard or not possible. Consider building your own and you could fit it to your needs without having to compromise.