Alienware x51 or custom built ?

[Razpor]

Ok...back on ivg after a long time with an interesting dillema(i probably spelled it wrong),

So here is the deal ,a week before i finally decided to get myself a good rig .

I first decided to go with custom one,for the obvious reasons of future upgradebility.this is what i was going for

i7 3770 .. ,~ 15000

Asus p8z77 v ~ 16000

Gtx 670 ~ 25000

Asus xonar dx 7.1 ~ 5000

Coolermaster haf922 ~8000

Coolermaster 750 w psu ~ 6000

Adding up everything else i think it ll be in range of 85k to 90k *(price doesnt include monitorand speakers i already have em)

I probably can save on motherboard but i knowno good options for this board in india,so any good options would be welcome.

Now my problem is that i recently shifted to the hostel and i am low on space ,not a big problem but i cant realy take the bulky rig back home everytime ,and here comes in the

x51.

http://www.dell.com/in/p/alienware-desktops.aspx?c=in&cs=indhs1&l=en&s=dhs

 

Its very sleek looks great,but has limited upgradebility due to the 330 w psu,but that can probably change with nextgen kepler cards people have already used gtx 670 s with this thing . Edit .. i would go for the model with i7 and gtx 660.

 

So just wanted the opinion ,what you guys think??what should i go for??

 

Edit. Sorry for spellings and punctuation,,typing from my phone,so you can guess.

[ALPHA17]

This is a RIG I can suggest to you(maybe not as good looking as the X51 but much more powerful) --

 

Intel Core i5 3570 ~14000/-

GIGABYTE-B75M-D3H ~4500/-

Corsair Vengeance 4GB x2 1600MHz ~3000/-

ASUS / GIGABYTE GTX660Ti 2GB ~20000/- OR AMD HD7950 3GB ~24000/-

ASUS Xonar DX ~5000/-

Silverstone SUGO SG04 ~4000/- (plus shipping from Prime ABGB Bombay)

Corsair TX650M Modular SMPS ~6700/- (modular system means less cable clutter that you need to clear Corsair TX650M @Prime ABGB)

 

I am considering that you are not over-clocking the system.

 

You do not need a Core i7 processor for gaming. Now OR even the future.

 

Hope this helps, Cheerio!

[Razpor]

Hi alpha long time .. ;)/>/>

Yeah you are ptobably right i wont really need an i7 and overclocking aint my thing,i rather just upgrade to newer hardware.

What do you think of the asus board i mentioned above,is it an overkill?? And the haf 922?? I m not really sure of its availability...

And how would you rate gtx 660 against 660 ti and 670 ...

From what i understand 660 and 660 ti (at 1080p atleast) are probably close in performance if so ,i think the x51 can hold its own against this machine dont you think???

[Big Boss]

Go with custom build obviously. All the slickness and compactness comes for a cost. You wont get proper cooling, your upgrade options will suck and you wont get proper performance to money ratio.

[ALPHA17]

Hi alpha long time ..

Yeah you are ptobably right i wont really need an i7 and overclocking aint my thing,i rather just upgrade to newer hardware.

What do you think of the asus board i mentioned above,is it an overkill?? And the haf 922?? I m not really sure of its availability...

And how would you rate gtx 660 against 660 ti and 670 ...

From what i understand 660 and 660 ti (at 1080p atleast) are probably close in performance if so ,i think the x51 can hold its own against this machine dont you think???

 

It has been indeed.

 

The ASUS motherboard is over-kill especially in-case you are not over-clocking. It is a Z77 chipset based motherboard which supports the same while you won't use it.

 

I would say, if you plan to keep this RIG for any length of time and wish to play on high detail at 1920 x1080 resolution it will be better if you go for the GTX660Ti / 670 OR the AMD HD7950 3GB.

 

Go with custom build obviously. All the slickness and compactness comes for a cost. You wont get proper cooling, your upgrade options will suck and you wont get proper performance to money ratio.

 

Wise words.

[Big Boss]

Here is a big thread about X51: http://en.community.dell.com/owners-club/alienware/f/3746/p/19466261/20183567.aspx

[AK77]

Also do alienware sell desktops here? I don't think

[Razpor]

@akshay

They do indeed,just the x51 though,resembles more a console than desktop tho.But Aurora and area 51 arent available .

 

@rock

You are most probably right.

 

@alpha

I really have very less knowledge about over clocking and all ...do you think i shoud keep overclocking in mind while building this rig??

Also what motherboard you suggest if i have a overall budget of 85k ???

If i go the custom way i am gonna go all the way for the best i can get ,i may even push the budget till 90k...any configurations in that range ????

[ALPHA17]

I really have very less knowledge about over clocking and all ...do you think i shoud keep overclocking in mind while building this rig??

Also what motherboard you suggest if i have a overall budget of 85k ???

If i go the custom way i am gonna go all the way for the best i can get ,i may even push the budget till 90k...any configurations in that range ????

 

If you are not undecided on the over-clocking aspect I suggest that you go for the following components in your build (forsake over-clocking) --

 

Intel Core i5 3570 ~14000/-

ASUS P8H77-V ~10000/-

Corsair Vengeance 4GB x2 1600MHz ~3200/-

Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB ~4000/- (use this as the dump drive)

Crucial M4 256GB SSD ~14000/- (use this as the boot drive and install all commonly used applications here, onlyssd.com)

GIGABYTE-GTX670 2GB ~26000/- OR Sapphire HD7950 3GB Vapor-X edition ~23800/-

ASUS XONAR DX ~5000/-

Corsair TX650M ~6700/-

BitFenix Outlaw APAC edition ~4700/- + add forward USB 3.0 panel ~700/- BitFenix Outlaw review @Hardware BBQ.com (check if cabinet has space for the graphics card in contention)

APC 1.1KVA UPS ~5000/-

LOGITECH G400 ~1500/- OR Corsair Vengeance M60 ~3000/-

[rest up-to you]

 

Hope this helps, Cheerio!

[AK77]

90k budget

 

go for overclock ready rig than mate....

 

also @alpha 14k SSD

 

80GB SSD will fill the requirement too (for OS installation).

[ALPHA17]

go for overclock ready rig than mate....

 

also @alpha 14k SSD

 

80GB SSD will fill the requirement too (for OS installation).

 

OP is not interested in over-clocking, that said a RIG geared towards the same dissipates a lot of resources in the pursuit of components that are capable of stability. This spikes the cost.

 

Yes a 256GB SSD, I told him to use it as an OS drive + install all commonly used application there. Just installing your OS in there does not speed up non-SSD installed applications (unless you have copious amounts of RAM).

[Razpor]

Ok so after a bit of research i have come to the conclusion that overclocking may be helpful in future and i5 is all i need and here is the all new config.

 

i5 3570k

Asus p8z77-v (gigabyte z77 was also in contention but it misses onboard wifi and lacks the variety of options in overclocking,any other options ?? Or should i go with this an an i7 3770k as the gigabyte is cheaper??)

Asus gtx 670

Coolermaster haf 922 /nzxt phantom (help choose??)

1tb 3.5" 7200 rpm hdd(wd or seagatte??)

Sony/asus dvd writer

Corsair vengence ddr3 1600 mhz 8gb(4×2 vs 1×8??)

Corsair psu( tx650 vs tx 750..??wat should i go for ,keeping in mind overclocking and future sli needs??)

Hyper 212 evo cpu cooler fan

Samsung 830 series 128 gb(getting from a friend for 5k)

Logitech g400 mice

This all added up comes down to 88k

Now i need a good keyboard ...any suggestions ..i can probably shell out 4k on that.

 

All the doubts are in brackets....any suggestions regarding them would be really helpful. Also i m still undecided on what os to use??? What are the prices of win 7 and win 8...??

:)/>/>/>

And special thanks to Alpha for all the great advice. :D/>/>/>

[ALPHA17]

Ok so after a bit of research i have come to the conclusion that overclocking may be helpful in future and i5 is all i need and here is the all new config.

 

i5 3570k

Asus p8z77-v (gigabyte z77 was also in contention but it misses onboard wifi and lacks the variety of options in overclocking,any other options ?? Or should i go with this an an i7 3770k as the gigabyte is cheaper??)

Asus gtx 670

Coolermaster haf 922 /nzxt phantom (help choose??)

1tb 3.5" 7200 rpm hdd(wd or seagatte??)

Sony/asus dvd writer

Corsair vengence ddr3 1600 mhz 8gb(4×2 vs 1×8??)

Corsair psu( tx650 vs tx 750..??wat should i go for ,keeping in mind overclocking and future sli needs??)

Hyper 212 evo cpu cooler fan

Samsung 830 series 128 gb(getting from a friend for 5k)

Logitech g400 mice

This all added up comes down to 88k

Now i need a good keyboard ...any suggestions ..i can probably shell out 4k on that.

 

All the doubts are in brackets....any suggestions regarding them would be really helpful. Also i m still undecided on what os to use??? What are the prices of win 7 and win 8...??

And special thanks to Alpha for all the great advice.

 

Okay considering that you need an over-clocking capable RIG, this is what I suggest --

 

Intel Core i5 3570k

GIGABYTE-Z77X-UD3H (you can get a USB wireless receiver dongle for less than ~1000/- and a good router for ~2500/-, you will need both for a wireless setup at home and then the investment in this motherboard makes more sense. Also, the board is a good over-clocking platform GA-Z77X-UD3H review @Anandtech.com / Two High-Quality LGA 1155 Mainboards from Gigabyte: GA-Z77X-UD3H and GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB WIFI Review)

ASUS / GIGABYTE GTX670 2GB (personal opinion, get whichever between the two has a higher core-clock) -- Also with such a powerful card in your build SLi is rather redundant later on, better jump to the next generation if you are going to be so demanding.

Hard-drive go for the Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 1TB OR Western Digital Black edition 1TB both perform the same but the latter will be more expensive as it carries 5 years warranty vis-á-vis the formers two years limited cover

RAM, try to go for G.Skill RIPJAWS instead of Corsair Vengeance and always in pairs, depending on the multi-channel memory controller used for a particular processor + chipset. In this case Intel Ivy-Bridge chipsets are based on dual-channel memory controller so it is best that two modules be bought, for more on topic --> Multi-channel memory architecture @wiki / Choosing the Best DDR3 SDRAM for Ivy Bridge.

HP / ASUS (boxed) optical drive (avoid SONY optical drives they have a pathetic track-record)

Corsair TX v2650W (if you are adamant about SLi go for the TX v2750W ~7000/-)

Thermalright Silver Arrow (personal opinion over the Hyper 212 EVO which I used to own and it had a poor mounting system)

Corsair Carbide 400R (the best cabinet in that price-range bar none)

Okay go for the SSD but then you will have to decide the OS partition and carry a very limited number of games / applications in it.

 

For keyboard you can look at the following options --

• MICROSOFT Sidewinder X4
  
• LOGITECH G105
  
• TVS Gold Mechanical keyboard

 

Also look at the following gaming mice instead of just the G400 --

• Roccat Kova[+]
  
• Corsair Vengeance M60

 

Hope this helps, Cheers!

[Razpor]

@alpha

Ram

I looked it up a bit and 2133 mhz ram is actually cheaper than i thought,so going for that at 4.8 k (gskill ripjawz)

 

Graphic card

Do you think hd7970 is worth the extra few bucks?? Or should i rather stay with gtx 670??

 

Kb and mouse

I am going with logitech g400 and microsoft x6 (cheap and looks cool)

Not really into wasting that much in kb and mouse. May i ll upgrade in future to mechanical kb but not now.

 

Also is microsoft sidewinder x8 mice anygood?

[ALPHA17]

@alpha

Ram

I looked it up a bit and 2133 mhz ram is actually cheaper than i thought,so going for that at 4.8 k (gskill ripjawz)

 

Graphic card

Do you think hd7970 is worth the extra few bucks?? Or should i rather stay with gtx 670??

 

Kb and mouse

I am going with logitech g400 and microsoft x6 (cheap and looks cool)

Not really into wasting that much in kb and mouse. May i ll upgrade in future to mechanical kb but not now.

 

Also is microsoft sidewinder x8 mice anygood?

 

How much RAM for that price? 4GB x2 is required, at the least.

 

And if you are going to dabble in over-clocking why not get a pair of cheap 1600MHz RIPJAWS and learn the tools of the trade by trying to clock them as high as possible. This means money saved in the short-term and gain of knowledge for future application.

 

No, stick to the GTX670 if you don't plan to go over 1920 x1080 with high graphical fidelity. If you see yourself using a multi-monitor OR super high resolution display (I am talking of 2560 x1440 and above) then only plan on putting the HD7970 into the mix.

 

GTX670 vs. AMD HD7970 GHz edition. Also power consumption shoots up, so you will need to invest in a better SMPS.

 

Stay away from that MICROSOFT keyboard, the X6 is over-rated. Suggest the X4 because it is priced modestly and performs well to boot. MICROSOFT Sidewinder X4 Ghost in the Shell / Sidewinder X4 reviewed @bit-tech.net.

 

The TVS Gold Mechanical keyboard retails between ~1200/- -->1700/- (dependent on source) and if you are not interested in back-lighting of keys is the best keyboard amongst the ones I have listed.

 

Again the Sidewinder X8 is purportedly Wireless so look at constant battery replacement which can be quite expensive in the long run.

 

Look at the Corsair Vengeance M60 --> Corsair Vengeance M60 @Benchmark reviews / http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Corsair-Vengeance-M60-Mouse-Review/1526Corsair M60 reviewed @Hardware Secrets.

 

You will be hard-pressed to find a better constructed mouse at the ~3000/- price mark with Corsair's reliability and robust after sales in-case anything slips up.

 

Hope this helps, Cheerio!

[Razpor]

2×4 gb for 4700 and i think its pretty good for the price,1600 mhz one is about 1200 less so i ll rather go with this.

 

Gpu

Sticking with gtx 670 as my monitor only supports 1080 p.

 

Mouse

Corsair really seems to be a steal at that price i was looking at some older prices where it was close to 5k

Going for m60 now.

 

Kb

I l probably see whats available ,maybe x4 or g105,whatever i get easily.

 

Btw wat do you think of

Water cooling for cpu,is it worth it??

[ALPHA17]

2×4 gb for 4700 and i think its pretty good for the price,1600 mhz one is about 1200 less so i ll rather go with this.

 

Gpu

Sticking with gtx 670 as my monitor only supports 1080 p.

 

Mouse

Corsair really seems to be a steal at that price i was looking at some older prices where it was close to 5k

Going for m60 now.

 

Kb

I l probably see whats available ,maybe x4 or g105,whatever i get easily.

 

Btw wat do you think of

Water cooling for cpu,is it worth it??

 

Okay, suit yourself on RAM.

 

No the Corsair M60 was never close to ~5000/-, the elder brother of this the Vengeance M90 might have peaked to that price.

 

Water-cooling on your RIG, no. Mainly because an entry level closed-loop solution costs more than a top-of the line tower based air-cooler and performs below these OR at par, making the setup rather redundant. I would have suggested if you had a space constraint in your cabinet.

 

You can check these out though if the closed-loops intrigue you --> SVG Tech HOC 20.

 

The prices are on the palatable scale of things and performance is great, also the company is Pune based so you can have a word with the owner who started this out of passion. SVG Tech HOC 20 reviewed @TechEnclave.

 

Hope this helps, Cheers!

[Razpor]

@alpha

Dude..help ne out here

For the graphic card

I have narrowed it down to

Zotac gtx 670 amp!

Asus direct cu2 top

 

Now zotac seems to be out performing asus in every thing...by a lil margin..and costs about 1.5 k less ..at 27800

 

But i just ran into this review of the zotac ..

http://www.techpowerup.com/mobile/reviews/Zotac/GeForce_GTX_670_Amp_Edition/1.html

Apparently it has a lil flaw in design which can be fixed but i am not too confident i can do it ,never done it before ,what you say ...lol

 

Also for the cabinet i am inclining to corsair 500r simply cause its white and matches my monitor,however i seem to like the nzxt phantom 410's design ...so is nzxt any good should i get this instead???

 

Thanks in advanced!!!! :D/>

[ALPHA17]

@alpha

Dude..help ne out here

For the graphic card

I have narrowed it down to

Zotac gtx 670 amp!

Asus direct cu2 top

 

Now zotac seems to be out performing asus in every thing...by a lil margin..and costs about 1.5 k less ..at 27800

 

Also for the cabinet i am inclining to corsair 500r simply cause its white and matches my monitor,however i seem to like the nzxt phantom 410's design ...so is nzxt any good should i get this instead?

 

Avoid ZOTAC!, ASUS OR GIGABYTE should be on the priority hit-list.

 

Here are the ones I suggest (in no particular order) --

• GIGABYTE GTX670 @flipkart.com
  
• ASUS GTX670 2GB @hardwire.in

Avoid the Corsair Carbide 500R, go for the 400R period.

 

Hardware BBQ reviews the Carbide 500R

The only issue I have is that the case is weak and packaging doesn’t really do the justice of protecting it properly. I haven’t taken a look at the 400R yet, but if its the same case design and built quality I am very dissapointed on the 500R because it commands an extra premium. Its not the best case Corsair came up with. The front panel design is nothing new, Lian Li did it with K62w and Antec pretty much has it on 1200 Full tower. Both are solid steel cases and both are very strong. 500R is more designed to be a mass produced model to go head to head with few best selling cases for the price point, but its too expensive and not really worth the risk. The weight of the core configuration does hold the case together (In layman’s terms: imagine its like a packaging box- like the case’s packaging box. Its weak because its empty but once the box is filled with stuff and properly taped on both ends, it does hold the basic cube shape and they don’t wobble.) and most of the wobbling does stop (despite filling it up and when you remove the HDD case, the case does tend to bend).

 

NZXT Phantom 410 is also worth considering but it is more expensive than any other option you have currently and I dislike its glossy finish surface. Prone to dirt, scratches and smudges.

 

Hope this helps. Cheers!

[Sackboy]

NZXT might be expensive but they make the sexiest cabinets around .