Alienware Laptop purchase advice please :)

pookie on 16/03/2016 - 15:54
Last edited 16/03/2016 - 15:56

Hi

I have 6 hours before I am going to work today and I need to decide if the following Laptop is a good deal?

The CTECHIE code on ebay gives a discount of just over $800 , then my salary packaging will pay for it out of my pre-tax pay, and I even get it GST free :) but I am wondering if it is still a good deal?

After all the discounts I worked out it will cost me around $2500

Any opinion is most appreciated.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/321916620426

Specs as follows:

Processor
6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-6820HK (Quad-Core, 8MB Cache, Dynamically Overclocked up to 4.1GHz)

Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64bit English

Microsoft Office 2013
Microsoft Office Trial (Multi-Language)

Memory
16GB Dual Channel DDR4 2133MHz (8GBx2)

Hard Drive
512GB PCIe SSD (Boot) + 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s (Storage)

Video Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 980M with 8GB GDDR5

Display
17.3 inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Anti-Glare 300-nits Display

Wireless
Killer 1535 802.11ac 2x2 WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1

Keyboard
English Keyboard

Primary Battery
8 Cell 92W Hour Battery

Warranty
1Yr ProSupport: Next Business Day Onsite Service

Camera
Integrated Camera Details
FullHD 2MP Camera with dual digital microphones

Audio and Speakers
Audio Details
Creative Sound Core3D-EX Audio with Creative Soundblaster Pro Studio Software
2.1 Speaker configuration includes subwoofer
Audio Powered by Klipsch®
7.1 Digital Audio out using HDMI out connection

Power
Battery Details
8-cell Lithium Ion (92 wHr)
A/C Adapters
180W
240W

Ports, Slots & Chassis
AlienFX Lighting Zones
10 unique programmable zones with up to 20 distinct colors providing over 10 trillion lighting combinations

System Dimensions
Height:
Front: 34.4mm / 1.354"
Rear: 34.4mm / 1.354"
Height (base): 23.9mm / 0.94"
Depth: 291.9mm / 11.49"
Width: 430mm / 16.93"
Average weight: 3.780Kg / 8.33Lbs3

External Chassis Connections
(1x) Power/DC-in Jack
(1x) Killer E2400 Gigabit Ethernet IPV6
(3x) SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Ports
(1x) Thunderbolt™ 3 Port (USB Type-C™ with support for
SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps, 40Gbps Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort)
(1x) Alienware Graphics Amplifier Port
(1x) HDMI 2.0 Output
(1x) 3-in-1 Media Card Reader
(1x) Audio Out 1/8" Ports (Compatible with inline mic headset
(1x) Headphone 1/8" Port (retaskable for Microphone/Line-In analog audio input)
(1x) Noble Lock port (cable and lock sold separately)

Keyboard
4-Zone, multi-color RGB, keyboard with AlienFX lighting controls
5 user-programmable keys providing up to 15 distinct functions per application or game

Touchpad Details
Backlit button image sensor trackpad with all-points addressable (APA)

Memory Slots
2-SODIMMs

** It also comes with a FREE Video Graphics Accelerator thing (worth $350)

Cheers

Pookie

Computing

Comments

  • oscargamer on 16/03/2016 - 16:40
    -2

    sorry - can't say if that's a good or bad price, but the specs are huge and the weight is ENORMOUS

    might need to buy this from Bunnings to drag it around http://www.bunnings.com.au/saxon-120kg-upright-hand-trolley_…

    ;)

  • Powershopz on 16/03/2016 - 17:08

    What do you want to use the computer for?

    Will it be used in various locations all the time?

  • pookie on 16/03/2016 - 17:34

    Portability is not a major concern, I would have prefered a PC, however, for my work to allow me to salary package it they only allow it to be a laptop (ATO Guidelines). , so I guess I can live with a laptop.

    I will probably take it to work to show that it's a 'work' computer ;)

    But mostly it will be at home.

    The weight doesnt bother me either, as it will mostly be sitting on a desk with an external monitor connected.

  • ProjectZero on 16/03/2016 - 18:00

    ** It also comes with a FREE Video Graphics Accelerator thing (worth $350)

    If that is the box attachment I'm thinking about, you need a separate graphics card for the attachment to actually work.

    My advice with Alienware products is this… don't bother, you can find something with similar specs for a lot cheaper. They're basically Apple laptops without the OSX. You will just be paying for the "brand" name.

    What is your requirement for it? To be able to run games? To do a lot of multitasking?

  • ellave on 16/03/2016 - 18:19

    Have a look here - http://www.metabox.com.au/store/b161/Metabox-Prime-P650RG-G-…

    You can get a metabox which have a very good rep, that model is 15.6" & has the same GPU, if you add the back to school pack you also get a 256gb SSD & 1TB hd plus other bits still comes in at $2700 so you can customize the spec if you want.

  • pookie on 16/03/2016 - 18:57

    I must admit that the 20% discount is very motivating.

    Yes the accelerator attachment box thing is to put a better gfx card in at some time, it's included free atm - so I know the unit comes with a 980M installed so unless I want to go to a much more expensive gfx card (which I dont really need) the expansion box is useless for me right now.

    I just checked out the suggested Metabox unit, not bad I guess, but I have not seen these listed in any top laptops for 2016 articles ?

    My son will be using this more than me, for his gaming, he has an external keyboard and monitor already. His current laptop is not very good (3 yr old Intel i3, no gfx card, 4GB Ram, No SSD etc…)

    I might play the occasional game but probably not much, it's more for him.

  • cDNA on 16/03/2016 - 19:13

    You're a kind father. Everything looks good. Just purchase it. If you can get a 1TB pci-e SSD, I would opt for it, because games these days are so huge and my 500 GB ssd is nearly full.

    Just keep in mind that you can probably build a more powerful desktop computer for $2500.

  • pookie on 16/03/2016 - 20:04

    Hmmm, ok. So if I understand this right, I can get a better system as a desktop for around the same cash price that I would be paying after the discounts etc for a laptop?

    Can anyone recommend a Desktop PC with really good gaming internals for $2500 ? Any on the Ebay CTECHIE deal ?

    Cheers

    Pookie

  • ellave on 16/03/2016 - 21:04

    Pookie, $2500 can get you a great desktop or laptop. The metabox laptops are very good, they are also known as Clevo.

    I would suggest having a poke around the whirlpool forums - https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/7 there is thread at the top currently for a $3000 system, you can just take away one of the SSD's. PCcasegear do pre built quality systems if you dont want to build yourself - https://www.pccasegear.com/category/1411/systems . Check out the $2000 systems & add a monitor of choice

  • Powershopz on 16/03/2016 - 22:06

    My advice would be to hold off. Don't buy anything now and build a desktop in the future.

    These tech 20% off deal pop up every 3 months.

    Work out what components you want to buy and shop for the parts over the next few months and you'll be able to build an absolute beast of a PC for ~$1500 with specs better than the $2500 alienware.

    • Tech5 on 16/03/2016 - 22:16

      Not a good idea to buy PC parts over a period of several months. Chances are, at least one item will be DOA or require you to send it back. By the time your desktop is built, the DOA time period for an exchange is over, and your stuck in an RMA process for the better part of 1-2 months.

      • Powershopz on 16/03/2016 - 22:33
        +2

        True. Didn't think of a new builder. I've got the advantage of having a few working PCs around to test components.

  • pookie on 16/03/2016 - 22:12

    Yes, I think I will wait and grab something closer to the end of the financial year, and keep doing some research on the best bang for my buck in a desktop… and that way I can still claim it against my home business expences :)

    Although I might still need some advice on good quality components and what is going to give the best gaming experience for my 17yr old son. I've asked him but he just says to get him anything better than what he has.

    Thank you all for your suggestions, it may well have saved me from an impulsive purchase.

    Kind regards to all

    Pookie

  • 2Poor4Ozb on 16/03/2016 - 22:28

    alienware - always overprice compare to other laptop with same spec, but then again im always a sucker for it brand got 2 m18x. Not too sure about the 17inch but both my 18inch always have driver problems, given over time, theres always a fixed

    • derek324 on 16/03/2016 - 23:57

      Overpriced if you are not aware that discount coupons exist (25% is not uncommon). If you ring Dell, depending on your negotiating skills you can also get ridiculous discount. Once you disassemble Alienware laptop and compare internals, materials and quality of assembly with other brands, you know what you paid for. Worth every cent.

  • pookie on 18/03/2016 - 16:01
    -1

    Hi, ok so I contacted Dell to see what great discount I could get, chat log as follows:

    Time Details

    03/17/2016 09:18:07AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "hi Phil, how are you?"
    03/17/2016 09:18:41AM Phil: "Hi, I am looking for a decent gaming PC, there are a few stores near me that are trying to sell me other brands but Alienware has a great reputation for quality components and build quality, so I thought I would explore this option also."
    03/17/2016 09:18:46AM Phil: "HI, thank you."
    03/17/2016 09:19:01AM Phil: "I have been looking for a gaming computer for my 17 yr old son. Most of my research brings me back to a choice of 3 brands, including Alienware."
    03/17/2016 09:19:39AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "yes is there a model on the Alienware you choose, the 13, 15 or 17?"
    03/17/2016 09:20:16AM Phil: "I think he wants a desktop PC that will allow him to play his games on a very high graphics setting."
    03/17/2016 09:20:33AM Phil: "Is a laptop better, or a PC ?"
    03/17/2016 09:20:35AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "ok"
    03/17/2016 09:21:41AM Phil: "I have just missed the Ebay 20% off deal over the past few days - but perhaps you may be able to do even better :)"
    03/17/2016 09:22:50AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "may not be possible by much on the Alienware as our limits are just 5%. But still will try the best option."
    03/17/2016 09:25:11AM Phil: "ok, thank you. I see that the 17 R3 laptop has the 6th generation CPU, whereas the Area 51 Desktop has 5th Gen CPU. Is there a performance gain with the 6th Gen CPU ?"
    03/17/2016 09:26:05AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "Desktop and lap top cannot be matched spec to spec, 6th gen is more into saving battery power for laptops. How ever the power wise may not notice much difference."
    03/17/2016 09:28:30AM Phil: "I see. Is there a desktop with a Nvidia GTX 980Ti Graphics Card or similar?"
    03/17/2016 09:29:56AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "we have 980Ti on the Area 51 only. "Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti with 12GB total (2x 6GB) GDDR5 - NVIDIA SLI Enabled""
    03/17/2016 09:37:42AM Phil: "Thanks. So what price can you do for the Area 51 with the Dual 980Ti or dual GTX 970?"
    03/17/2016 09:38:01AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "what is the other configuration you will need?"
    03/17/2016 09:38:12AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "http://www.dell.com/au/p/alienware-area51-r2/pd?oc=y2117a4au&model_id=alienware-area51-r2"
    03/17/2016 09:38:30AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "please check the link its the top of the line configuration on all."
    03/17/2016 09:38:36AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "except the GPU."
    03/17/2016 09:40:55AM Phil: "Intel® Core™ i7-5930K Processor (6-cores, 15MB Cache, Overclocked up to 3.9 GHz w/ Turbo Boost); 32GB (4X8GB) DDR4 2133MHz SDRAM Memory; Dual NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX™ 970 with 4GB GDDR5 each (NVIDIA SLI® Enabled); 512GB SSD 6Gb/s Main + 4TB 5,400RPM SATA 6Gb"
    /s Storage
    03/17/2016 09:41:10AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "ok, give me a moment please"
    03/17/2016 09:41:19AM Phil: "Thanks."
    03/17/2016 09:43:46AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "the given configuration will be able to get for $ 4,802.86 can round off to $ 4800"
    03/17/2016 09:45:19AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "a total of $ 530+ discount."
    03/17/2016 09:45:41AM Phil: "ok…but I could have got a much better deal if I had bought yesterday with the Ebay deal :( closer to $4,000 at 20% off"
    03/17/2016 09:47:38AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "I understand, ebay purchases in bulk from us so they get a better price. since we are doing it as a single unit and then offering customization as well the price is higher, but sure I can tell you this will be the best price on the system."
    03/17/2016 09:47:56AM Phil: "Im willing to spend $4k immediately but thats about my limit I'm afraid :( I appreciate your help but I think I will shop around, and wait for another big discount deal."
    03/17/2016 09:48:37AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "I am sure, no one would get this price after tomorrow, as the free memory upgrade to 32GB is compensating the additional benefit and I am doing it on zero margin."
    03/17/2016 09:49:36AM Phil: "OK, If I really streth my budget I can go to $4200 to get the extra extra Ram, but thats it :)"
    03/17/2016 09:50:00AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): ":) if its only with the 256GB SSD can go to 4500"
    03/17/2016 09:56:43AM Phil: " I see. But I'm still loosing 256GB SSD and going several hundred above what I can spend :( Again, I really do appreciate your help with this but unfortunately I can only goto $4200 - and I would prefer the 512GB SSD. If you can't do it I understand,"
    03/17/2016 09:58:27AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "We are limited, as if we go negative margin will not get the approval for the price. It was a pleasure assisting you. In case you anytime wish to check for the best offer, you can Email me on [email protected] or you can call me directly on "AU 1800 261 699
    03/17/2016 10:02:07AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "Phil I will send a request for the price, but may take some time if that is fine for you, with the best possible offer?"

    Today I received an email from someone at Dell telling me that the lowest they can go is $4800. So I declined. I didn't feel that they had done the best they could do for me. Perhaps they did, but I just didn't feel like I was being offered something too good to refuse.

    I will keep looking I guess.

    • ProjectZero on 21/03/2016 - 15:16

      03/17/2016 09:29:56AM Agent (Bharath_Narla): "we have 980Ti on the Area 51 only. "Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti with 12GB total (2x 6GB) GDDR5 - NVIDIA SLI Enabled""

      LOL, i stopped reading after this… I don't think the agent knows what they are talking about…

      If you are planning on getting a Desktop, just do some research on parts or use on the builds available on whirlpool or ozb and ask a computer store to put it together for you… Will be cheaper and you get someone that knows what they are talking about (probably)

    • Powershopz on 23/03/2016 - 11:48

      Haha, that's so overpriced.

      For reference Pookie,

      This was the build I put together a few months ago - http://au.pcpartpicker.com/user/Powergamez/saved/2skMnQ

      It's a very high end PC built for 1440p gaming, photo/video editing, streaming and computational simulations. It can play even the most demanding games on max settings and get over 60 fps at 1440p. The build should last me 4-5 years and can be upgraded in the future.

      I bought a fair few components in Nov/Dec through sales and it cost me around $2850.

      This build is overkill (especially if you're only 1080p gaming) for what you need so you could downgrade components.

      This PC is so much better than that Alienware desktop and for much cheaper.

        • Powershopz on 23/03/2016 - 14:23

          Yeah, phrased that wrong.

          Should of said "This PC is better value for money and has comparable real world performance for almost $2000 cheaper"

  • biozet on 21/03/2016 - 15:30

    build and don't be ripped off. also you can talk specs to people all day long but you could build something half that price and it still rip through modern games. the benefits of 32 gig of ram seems insane to me…insane in the sense of cost v actual benefit I mean. maybe its worth it if you're into bragging rights

  • juzz0 on 21/03/2016 - 15:43
    +1

    Beware of purchasing Alienware products from Dell Outlet. Mine was bluescreening the day it arrived (on Friday), panel also had backlight bleed issues from the corners to centre of the screen. I paid $2000 for it and called up today but was told since it was a DFO unit they couldn't replace it. Unbelievably told me backlight screen issue was common in "reviews" and on "YouTube" that the screen was "per spec" and that it wouldn't be replaced. http://imgur.com/FoGBsiv

    The DFO unit I purchased was a new preconfigured unit and not a refurb. Also under ACL if there is a major problem with the product (like failure to boot/DOA) I thought it was a customers right to request a choice of repair, replace, refund. Apparently a refund will take up to three weeks to process and they will only repair with refurb parts (despite my unit being new), they refuse to replace the unit (despite it being a recent model and being notified of the problem the very next business day).

    They said that it could be a faulty operating system installed and that I should reinstall the operating system but since no media is included and I don't have a disc drive that they will send out a USB and that I will have to install the OS! At the very least I thought they would schedule a tech to inspect.

    I don't want to go whining to fair trading and like to fight my own battles but if I get no response from the email I send the Customer care team I will have to go to fair trading for a resolution. I was flexible and told them if the outlet didn't have any Alienware laptops I would accept an XPS or other Dell computer with the same processor and resolution screen (even if it didn't have the same graphics card, build quality or connectivity) but they told me no replacements are permitted on DFO orders. I could understand if my unit was a refurb but it was new.

  • Mikinoz on 23/03/2016 - 11:50

    Best advice just dont do it!

  • australian88 on 05/07/2016 - 22:14

    Dont pay 4 grand when you can buy an Alienware 17 for half the price. see below, got a gtx970, I would say it more than enough the power

    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Alienware-17-R3-NEW-AU-2016-GTX-9…

  • Avacardooo Rayy Mee on 06/07/2016 - 13:20

    Waste of money, dont bother, i ust to repair them, they turned out to be garbage.

  • pookie on 07/07/2016 - 18:38

    OK, thanks everyone. I decided to buy individual parts and do a PC build. Works out cheaper and I get a better computer :)

    • Asus ATX Z170 Pro Gaming motherboard
    • Intel i6700k CPU
    • Corsair HX 750i PSU
    • Corsair 100R Mid tower case
    • 2 x 850 Pro Samsung SSD
    • Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 2 x 16gb Ram modules
    • WD Velociraptor 1TB 10000RPM internal HD
    • Asus PG279Q monitor 27"

    Only thing is I bought a graphics card 980Ti but decided to pass it onto a friend and wait and see what the new cards are offering…so I am still undecided but looks like probably a 1080, waiting for prices to settle first.

    So atm I still need a Graphics card and a CPU cooler, thinking of Noctura NH-D15 but am concerned if will not fit over Ram modules :/

    Cheers

    Pookie

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