Ok need more computer help lol

Halo360Fan · 02-08-2012, 02:42 PM

Tax refund is coming up lol I posted here back in December about just upgrading my current computer with these specs

-AMD Phenom II X4 820 Up to 2.8 GHz
-6 GB of ram
-Windows 7 64 bit
-Integrated graphics ATI Radeon 4200
-1 TB harddrive
-Power Supply 250W

Its a hp computer and back in December I planed on buying a new video card and power supply but then I saw alienware released the Alienware X51 and I just love the small and awesome design my computer right now is big and loud lol and the Alienware X51 would fit in my entertainment center. But I would only be able to get the lower end model of the Alienware X51. With these specs

Alienware X51
-OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit,
-PROCESSOR -Intel® Core™ i3-2120 3.3GHz (3MB Cache) with Hyper-Threading Technology
-OPTICAL DRIVESlot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW)
-VIDEO CARD 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 545
-HARD DRIVE1TB SATA 6Gb/s (7,200RPM) 32MB Cach

I'm not looking to max out games. I mainly want to play star wars the old republic smoothly and maybe halo 2, and a few others.

Is it better to just upgrade my current computer or will the Alienware X51 be better? The only thing that concerns me about the Alienware X51 is its cpu is it a slow cpu?

Thanks guys!

kharaa · 02-08-2012, 02:44 PM

if you're going to go as far as building a whole new computer (or buying one) then avoid alienware, they're over priced as balls.

it's like apple and bose. ;P

Build your own, and if you don't have the knowledge to do that, then i know a few friends that have gone through ibuypower or cyberpowerpc, that i've known had no complaints.

Halo360Fan · 02-08-2012, 02:51 PM

I'm not looking to build a computer lol and I looked everywhere for a small design like this one and no one has a case like it lol so should I just stick with my old computer? Does this alienware have good specs?

marcallo · 02-08-2012, 03:52 PM

Is there a Microcenter near you? You can build a really nice Micro-ATX system through them that will beat the shit out of that Dell errr... Alienware. You're not going to find any enthusiasts here tell you to go buy an Alienware. IbuyPower.com would be superior as would Falcon North West. But Alienware is not the company it used to be. Not for a LONG time. They are basically trumped up dells.

Halo360Fan · 02-08-2012, 04:04 PM

There is a microcenter but its about 2 hours away from me and I went to their website and I'm quite confused what exactly they are lol but I could not find a small case computer on their website either. Falconwest is expensive as hell lol. I'm looking for a small computer like the alienware x51 but can play games decently for the same price as as the x51 which is 699.99 if you guys can help me find something like that that would be awesome

marcallo · 02-08-2012, 04:12 PM

It's the small case that's going to be the problem. There are plenty of mATX cases out there, but that AW one is custom they must get thousands of them at a time. And yeah, F-NW's frag box is the way to go, but it's like 1700 dollars on the cheap side. "

I mean you COULD go with the A-W... just seems like your spending a lot of money for that name. What is your actual budget?

awol · 02-08-2012, 04:15 PM

Like has been said before, you're not going to find anyone here that will tell you to buy this.

I knew nothing about building a PC from scratch and yet I did it myself just a couple months ago. It's really not that hard. And there are cases available that will fit in a Home Entertainment center just like this Alienware one will. I saw this on Engadget this morning as well, and I know it seems appealing.

All of that said, it should run what you're looking for at acceptable performance. That said, I've seen it said that Halo 2 for PC will not run on Windows 7... So YMMV.

Halo360Fan · 02-08-2012, 04:47 PM

I have halo 2 right now working on my current computer with windows 7 but its max FPS is like 26 then drops to like 12 or lower when theres a lot going on. But 700 is like my max budget. If you can just find a case thats pretty small but I cant find one on neweggand ect. I just really like that case on the alienware and the components seem like a good deal lol

kharaa · 02-08-2012, 07:57 PM

Can you link me the machine, Halo, let me see if I can find you a solution.

Halo360Fan · 02-08-2012, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kharaa

Can you link me the machine, Halo, let me see if I can find you a solution.

sorry the alienware one? lol What machine are you referring to

kharaa · 02-08-2012, 09:18 PM

yeah the alienware.

were you referring to any other machines that you could link to? If so link them as well!

Halo360Fan · 02-08-2012, 09:41 PM

Here is the alienware thats in my price range lol and again thanks for the help!

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...alienware-x51&

amdgamer · 02-08-2012, 09:48 PM

I would stay away from those designer gaming computer brands, especially if that is all your budget will allow for. The problem with going with a process like the i3 is that you are seriously taking a step backwards since more and more games are requiring threads. I can't remember whether the i3 is a dual core processor or a single core processor with hyperthreading. This is going to seriously hurt you as more and more games are now taking advantage of 4 or more cores.

I would honestly recommend that you head to a Micro Center and have them build you a custom system. They charge you $99 to put it together, or $149 to assemble and install the OS + all relevant drivers. That system starts at $700. For a little more than that, you could put together a pretty kickass gaming computer that will allow you to get some sweet graphics. The other option is to have Kharraa build you a system at Nathan's computer store where he works.

kharaa · 02-09-2012, 12:09 AM

www.xscomputersolutions.com

is an option, halofan as AMD said this is the company i work for.. I can ask my boss what he can do for you in regards to a slim form factor gaming machine.

edit: our website is a mess, if you have any questions let me know.. the products listed on the site are just prebuilds we do, and may not reflect all the current prices/parts

this could be an option for you, case wise.

http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Produc...C=1466&ID=1989

railven · 02-09-2012, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halo360Fan

Tax refund is coming up lol I posted here back in December about just upgrading my current computer with these specs

-AMD Phenom II X4 820 Up to 2.8 GHz
-6 GB of ram
-Windows 7 64 bit
-Integrated graphics ATI Radeon 4200
-1 TB harddrive
-Power Supply 250W

Its a hp computer and back in December I planed on buying a new video card and power supply but then I saw alienware released the Alienware X51 and I just love the small and awesome design my computer right now is big and loud lol and the Alienware X51 would fit in my entertainment center. But I would only be able to get the lower end model of the Alienware X51. With these specs

Alienware X51
-OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit,
-PROCESSOR -Intel® Core™ i3-2120 3.3GHz (3MB Cache) with Hyper-Threading Technology
-OPTICAL DRIVESlot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW)
-VIDEO CARD 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 545
-HARD DRIVE1TB SATA 6Gb/s (7,200RPM) 32MB Cach

I'm not looking to max out games. I mainly want to play star wars the old republic smoothly and maybe halo 2, and a few others.

Is it better to just upgrade my current computer or will the Alienware X51 be better? The only thing that concerns me about the Alienware X51 is its cpu is it a slow cpu?

Thanks guys!

Honest opinion:
From what you described and the specs on your computer, you don't need to do a full overhaul.

I'd look at an HD 6850/6870 or GTX 550 ti/GTX 560 for <$180 up front, and with some should have a $20-30 rebate.

Pick up a Cooler Master 450w PSU for like $50, or try to find a 450w PSU for about the same cost with a rebate (good brands: Corsair, Seasonic, OCZ)

If the case is truly horrid, swap it for something nicer or just deal with it.

All in all, you can turn your current PC into a decen gaming machine for under $200 after rebates.

Installing a PSU and a GPU is relatively pain free but if you'd rather not, see if you have a friend who does this (everyone usually does, avoid 2+2's friends.)

You're Rig is decent for mid-range gaming. No need to really buy a new one.

EDIT: Added some links so you can see what I mean. While looking, found some really good GPUs for like $130 with rebates, and saw a Corsair 450w for like $55 with a rebate, I think total you can easily bring it down to like ~$150-160 after rebates. That's less than a current console, and you should be able to do 1080p game no problem with ultra setting on 5% of games, high settings 80% of games, and medium the remaining 15% of games.

02-08-2012, 02:42 PM	#1
Halo360Fan Xbox 360+HDTV= Amazing Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 414	Ok need more computer help lol Tax refund is coming up lol I posted here back in December about just upgrading my current computer with these specs -AMD Phenom II X4 820 Up to 2.8 GHz -6 GB of ram -Windows 7 64 bit -Integrated graphics ATI Radeon 4200 -1 TB harddrive -Power Supply 250W Its a hp computer and back in December I planed on buying a new video card and power supply but then I saw alienware released the Alienware X51 and I just love the small and awesome design my computer right now is big and loud lol and the Alienware X51 would fit in my entertainment center. But I would only be able to get the lower end model of the Alienware X51. With these specs Alienware X51 -OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit, -PROCESSOR -Intel® Core™ i3-2120 3.3GHz (3MB Cache) with Hyper-Threading Technology -OPTICAL DRIVESlot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD±RW, CD-RW) -VIDEO CARD 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 545 -HARD DRIVE1TB SATA 6Gb/s (7,200RPM) 32MB Cach I'm not looking to max out games. I mainly want to play star wars the old republic smoothly and maybe halo 2, and a few others. Is it better to just upgrade my current computer or will the Alienware X51 be better? The only thing that concerns me about the Alienware X51 is its cpu is it a slow cpu? Thanks guys! __________________ Sharp 42inch 1080P LCD HDTV LC-42SB48UT Samsung 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound Xbox 360 Slim (250GB)- HDMI Razer Chimaera 5.1surround sound headset Halo Edition Xbox 360 (250GB) - HDMI Xbox 360 HD-DVD Drive PlayStation 3 Slim (120GB)- HDMI Nintendo Wii - Component Logitech Revue- HDMI Turbo Dish HD- HDMI

02-08-2012, 02:51 PM	#3
Halo360Fan Xbox 360+HDTV= Amazing Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 414	I'm not looking to build a computer lol and I looked everywhere for a small design like this one and no one has a case like it lol so should I just stick with my old computer? Does this alienware have good specs? __________________ Sharp 42inch 1080P LCD HDTV LC-42SB48UT Samsung 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound Xbox 360 Slim (250GB)- HDMI Razer Chimaera 5.1surround sound headset Halo Edition Xbox 360 (250GB) - HDMI Xbox 360 HD-DVD Drive PlayStation 3 Slim (120GB)- HDMI Nintendo Wii - Component Logitech Revue- HDMI Turbo Dish HD- HDMI

02-08-2012, 04:04 PM	#5
Halo360Fan Xbox 360+HDTV= Amazing Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 414	There is a microcenter but its about 2 hours away from me and I went to their website and I'm quite confused what exactly they are lol but I could not find a small case computer on their website either. Falconwest is expensive as hell lol. I'm looking for a small computer like the alienware x51 but can play games decently for the same price as as the x51 which is 699.99 if you guys can help me find something like that that would be awesome __________________ Sharp 42inch 1080P LCD HDTV LC-42SB48UT Samsung 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound Xbox 360 Slim (250GB)- HDMI Razer Chimaera 5.1surround sound headset Halo Edition Xbox 360 (250GB) - HDMI Xbox 360 HD-DVD Drive PlayStation 3 Slim (120GB)- HDMI Nintendo Wii - Component Logitech Revue- HDMI Turbo Dish HD- HDMI Last edited by Halo360Fan; 02-08-2012 at 04:08 PM.

02-08-2012, 04:47 PM	#8
Halo360Fan Xbox 360+HDTV= Amazing Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 414	I have halo 2 right now working on my current computer with windows 7 but its max FPS is like 26 then drops to like 12 or lower when theres a lot going on. But 700 is like my max budget. If you can just find a case thats pretty small but I cant find one on neweggand ect. I just really like that case on the alienware and the components seem like a good deal lol __________________ Sharp 42inch 1080P LCD HDTV LC-42SB48UT Samsung 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound Xbox 360 Slim (250GB)- HDMI Razer Chimaera 5.1surround sound headset Halo Edition Xbox 360 (250GB) - HDMI Xbox 360 HD-DVD Drive PlayStation 3 Slim (120GB)- HDMI Nintendo Wii - Component Logitech Revue- HDMI Turbo Dish HD- HDMI

02-08-2012, 09:41 PM	#12
Halo360Fan Xbox 360+HDTV= Amazing Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 414	Here is the alienware thats in my price range lol and again thanks for the help! http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...alienware-x51& __________________ Sharp 42inch 1080P LCD HDTV LC-42SB48UT Samsung 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound Xbox 360 Slim (250GB)- HDMI Razer Chimaera 5.1surround sound headset Halo Edition Xbox 360 (250GB) - HDMI Xbox 360 HD-DVD Drive PlayStation 3 Slim (120GB)- HDMI Nintendo Wii - Component Logitech Revue- HDMI Turbo Dish HD- HDMI

02-08-2012, 03:52 PM	#4
marcallo HD Lover, 3D Hater... Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 3,295	Is there a Microcenter near you? You can build a really nice Micro-ATX system through them that will beat the shit out of that Dell errr... Alienware. You're not going to find any enthusiasts here tell you to go buy an Alienware. IbuyPower.com would be superior as would Falcon North West. But Alienware is not the company it used to be. Not for a LONG time. They are basically trumped up dells.

02-08-2012, 04:12 PM	#6
marcallo HD Lover, 3D Hater... Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 3,295	It's the small case that's going to be the problem. There are plenty of mATX cases out there, but that AW one is custom they must get thousands of them at a time. And yeah, F-NW's frag box is the way to go, but it's like 1700 dollars on the cheap side. " I mean you COULD go with the A-W... just seems like your spending a lot of money for that name. What is your actual budget?

02-08-2012, 04:15 PM	#7
awol I'm Fabulous. Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 5,641	Like has been said before, you're not going to find anyone here that will tell you to buy this. I knew nothing about building a PC from scratch and yet I did it myself just a couple months ago. It's really not that hard. And there are cases available that will fit in a Home Entertainment center just like this Alienware one will. I saw this on Engadget this morning as well, and I know it seems appealing. All of that said, it should run what you're looking for at acceptable performance. That said, I've seen it said that Halo 2 for PC will not run on Windows 7... So YMMV.

02-08-2012, 09:48 PM	#13
amdgamer AMD must survive Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 4,593	I would stay away from those designer gaming computer brands, especially if that is all your budget will allow for. The problem with going with a process like the i3 is that you are seriously taking a step backwards since more and more games are requiring threads. I can't remember whether the i3 is a dual core processor or a single core processor with hyperthreading. This is going to seriously hurt you as more and more games are now taking advantage of 4 or more cores. I would honestly recommend that you head to a Micro Center and have them build you a custom system. They charge you $99 to put it together, or $149 to assemble and install the OS + all relevant drivers. That system starts at $700. For a little more than that, you could put together a pretty kickass gaming computer that will allow you to get some sweet graphics. The other option is to have Kharraa build you a system at Nathan's computer store where he works. __________________ X360 Elite with HD-DVD add-on, gamertag junehhan Toshiba HD-A1, XDE-600 players -Klipsch RSW10, Pioneer VSX1016TXVK Goodbye our friend PFC5 and Loves2Watch. You will be greatly missed

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