Hey guys. I need some advice. I recently got a new job, so I have some extra cash. My laptop is almost full, or will be after this sale is over. I have been wanting an Alienware pc for a long time. I can pick up the Alienware X51 for 900.00. Is that a good deal, or would I be better off looking elsewhere. Thanks.

Also, I'm not really wanting Windows 8, but I guess it will have to do. Will I have any problems playing Gog games?

Alienwares in general are usually considered overpriced.

Besides, a quick rummage around the Internet suggests that they made quite a few different versions, all called X51. Any specs on the one you're looking at?

3.0GHz (with Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz)
8 GB Ram
NVIDIA GeForce GT 645 dedicated 1GB GDDR5
Intel 4th Generation Core™ i5
I have heard that. That is why I'm being cautious. Back in 95-96 I bought a Sony Viao for 3600.00. Big mistake... :(

Whoa, I thought Turbo Boost died along with the 486 chip.

And yes, with Alienware, you end up paying a lot more for the hardware just because of the name.

If you really have cash to burn, you'll be better off building your own PC.

I guess the current benchmark I am shooting for would be Outlast, Civilization V, Witcher II on max settings. I don't play fps. Normally more of a rpg, sim/strategy type of guy.

But he wants a laptop, they aint so easy to build.

... Could be a market there.

Ah, sorry. For some reason I missed the word "laptop" in the OP :-/

Well, I'd never buy a laptop for gaming.

Thanks. I guess the cool colors are not really worth the extra cash. I have never bothered building my own PC. Maybe now is the time.

That is quite a bad (well awful really) GPU for gaming. The reason Alienware computers are overpriced is because they don't choose the best components to optimise price v performance. They put in great processors then stick in an awful GPU. They also restrict your choice to force you into paying more if you don't want a bad PC.

I'd suggest looking at an AMD build with a better GPU for that budget tbh. Or you may be able to get a secondhand i5. I live in the UK so I don't know about prices in the US so an i5 may be doable. But building it yourself or buying from a better place will get you more for your money.

No, I'm using a laptop currently. I want to get a desktop. I have a few older ones with XP and 98.
Sorry if I was a bit misleading. :)

Well, I'm not an expert but I would expect at least a GTX card for that sort of money. The factory-overclocked GTX 560 Ti that I got three and a half years ago in a machine that cost less that 900€ (in Finland, no less) seems to be roughly as powerful as that, or more powerful by some margin. To give you an idea of what you're looking for, the GTX 560 Ti mentioned above runs The Witcher II very nearly maxed. I think I dumped AA altogether, but that's about as much as I had to lower the graphics settings. Isn't the X51 a desktop only? Even the specs mention a GT645, without the "M" suffix that you would expect from a laptop GPU.

Ah, but as wpegg pointed out, I didn't realize that you were after a laptop. One of those, I wouldn't recommend that you build yourself.
Hehe, okay then. Yes, then I recommend you build it yourself. It's not that difficult, and you can get precisely the hardware you want. Also, in a few years, you can upgrade it quite easily.

My mistake,

I recently went through a major upgrade, so if you have a new build you want to run by me, let me know. I encountered a few hiccups in the process.

As Wishbone says - build it yourself.

However, plan it first, and run it by people that know. It's easy to make mistakes, and plugs that don't fit will never fit. Cases that are the wrong size will require drills to sort them out (my failure there).

Thanks for the tips. I'll look into building my own. I just hope I have the patients. The only work I have ever done on a pc was changing power suplies, videocards, and ram. Sounds like it could be rewarding though.

Amd and laptop in the same sentence is.... just weird and masochistic. At least cpu-wise. Anyway I'd check out an Asus G750....