Build my own or buy alienware x51 for $949?

[ltbenjamin]

ok i was thinking about getting a desktop to play guild wars 2 on ultra settings. i looked up site that show requirements for games (game debate.com) i found this dell x51 would do it for $949. my question is would building my own be better and cheaper? the dell x51 with an i5 processor 2320 3ghz, 8gb of ddr3 dual channel sdram 1333mhz, windows 7 home 64bit, nvidia geforce 1gb gddr5 gtx 555 gpu, 1tb sata 7200rpm hd, dvdr/cdrw, dw1502 wireless n wlan half card. it also comes with mouse keyboard and 1 year service plan. ive got speakers, and was planning on buying a dell ultrasharp 21.5 inch led screen for $220 to go with it. ill also need a mic to talk on vent.

if your answer is build my ownn, please give me a list of parts to buy.

 

[adgjlsfhk]

You could build this for about $600. Just get the parts that are listed by you. Ripsaws memory. And a corsair 600 watt psu and you should be good to go.

 

[Proximon]

Here, more PC for less:

■SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE - OEM
■XFX Double D FX-785A-CDFC Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
■XFX Gift - Dirt3 Game Coupon
■AMD Gift - Dirt SHOWDOWN Gift Coupon
■Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 996995
■ASRock Z77 Pro4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
■Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM
■Rosewill RANGER Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case,two-toned interior coating,come with Three Fans,Support up to 7 Fans, ...
■Rosewill Green Series RG530-S12 530W Continuous @40°C, 80 PLUS Certified, Single 12V Rail, Active PFC "Compatible with Core ...
■Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 ...
■Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
■Newegg Promotional Gift Card - $10.00
TOTAL: $901.91

There's a gift card and rebates in there that lowers it more.

 

[ltbenjamin]

ok building seems the way to go. my only questions are would the gtx 560ti 2gb be better? its only 20$ more. and would the psu need to be better than 530? would changing the mushkin for g skills ram matter? and would a small ssd hd be better (120gb) i think they are similar price and i dont need alot of harddrive memory( just enough for games) isnt ssd faster?.

 

[azeem40]

2gb should be good at higher res, but atm, no.

 

[FinneousPJ]

No, the 560 Ti is worse and the 7850 already has 2 GB, why are you even asking? :lol:

 

[Proximon]

7850 is the stronger card by a good margin.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7870-review-benchmark,3148-6.html

No the MB linked will be just fine.

That is a budget PSU that will work. See my PSU guide for details. If you want to spend more on a PSU I can recommend many, or you can see a list here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/322966-28-list-recommended-psus#t2430472

No but if you want to by G.skill modules of the same specs that would be fine. 1.5V CL9 1600Mhz.

SSDs cost a bit more, but yes you could use one in place of the HDD. A 128GB Crucial M4 would be good. You will fit about 3 games an the OS on one comfortably.

 

[azeem40]

It depends on the game. For BF3 and Skyrim, the 560ti is better.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/547?vs=549

 

[FinneousPJ]

Not on the Tom's Hardware test which I would say is a lot more reliable and convincing scientifically.

 

[azeem40]

It is not more reliable just because it is THG. That is a GPU comparison chart. Read the card specific reviews on anandtech before judging.

 

[ltbenjamin]

ok so ill stick with all the items on the list. is a ssd worth it? and u said the psu would work but would it be worth it to pay more for a better one?

 

[Proximon]

I'm OK with Anandtechs results, but given the apparent edge the 7850 has in general, I have to think it's the better card and those are just driver issues. Still, it's interesting. I'm low on time now but perhaps someone could locate a more recent review? There is probably a fresh 7850 review out there somewhere, and most use BF3.

Always good to look these things over.

 

[azeem40]

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5625/amd-radeon-hd-7870-ghz-edition-radeon-hd-7850-review-rounding-out-southern-islands/11

 

[ltbenjamin]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102983

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130687

these are better but would they work with the list of parts he gave me?

 

[FinneousPJ]

It is not more reliable just because it is THG. That is a GPU comparison chart. Read the card specific reviews on anandtech before judging.

I didn't say it's reliable because it's THG, I said it's reliable because it's actually a written article where I can see what was done and under what conditions which is the basics of scientific writing.

 

[mousseng]

While the 570 and 7870 are both better (and both will work well with the part list Proximon put together), there's the significant cost increase to be mindful of - the 570 is $80 more than the 7850, and the 7870 is $110 more. Also keep in mind that the 7850 will dominate GW2 - even my low-end, $500 laptop can run GW2 at low/med settings at around 45 fps (on integrated grahpics). If I were you, and I were looking for a DIY build to compete against that X51, this is what I'd go for:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 PRO3 GEN3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($249.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec 550W ATX12V Power Supply ($68.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH22NS90B DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $886.90
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-05-24 18:56 EDT-0400)

Some things to note about the list:
- It does not include any combo deals or rebates into the total price; it totals the cost minus promos plus shipping only. If you scroll towards the bottom of the page on Newegg, you'll find a link for all the combo deals including the item you were looking at - browsing through those can save you a handful.
- If you're looking for a bit more computing power, then spend an extra $50ish and buy the i5-2500k and the CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ or Hyper 212 Evo and go for a good overclock.
- Feel free to change the case as you please; I like the NZXT Phantom for its combination of aesthetics, features, and quality. I thought you might like it in comparison to the Alienware.
- The XFX 7850 comes with both DIRT Showdown and DIRT3.
- I honestly haven't looked much into Ivy Bridge past its price and some THW benchmarks for it, and I really don't know that it's worth the premium for the extra efficiency. If that's your thing, look into getting the i5-3570k (or 3450 for a more affordable option) and I'd recommend one of ASRock's Z77 motherboards to go with it.

 

[ltbenjamin]

thanks guys that helps me a ton.

 

[Hirachi]

If your build is going to be very similar to the X51 than no since the price difference between an X51 and a custom built wouldn't be very big, but what you want to build you is not very similar you could get a pretty powerful fulltower