Alienware computer vs other prebuilt vs build your own-HELP!

Hey everyone. I have always went online and prebuilt thru dell when buying a computer, I haven't had a new one in like 7 years. I want a desktop and want to get back into gaming, focusing on the total war games and MMORPG's for sure. I feel like if I'm going to get a good gaming computer then while I don't want to spend a fortune if I have say X price but can get better graphices or better monitor for a little more I'mwilling to spend it for sure. I have never built a computer beofre, but been doing a lot of research online. I first heard about alienware like 10 years ago so they are the only prebuilt computers for gaming I'm familiar with.

I've heard the processor and graphices card are the most important things for gaming, but unsure which to get? I would love to keep everything around 1,500 or less, but would spend more if spending a little more will be worth it and give me a better gaming experience. I mean if I'm spending 1,500 I might as well spend a few hunderd more if worth it. Also, I might be able to get a 15-20 percent discount thru dell so really I could build an aleinware for 2,000 but pay a few hunderd less.

With all that said: what processor do you recommend? What graphics card? What type of monitor?

I started with the alienware Auoroa for 1,499 and started plaing around with changing up the componenets. I also went to tigerdirect, amazong, and new egg and compared pricing on all the available alienware processors and graphics cards listed below and honestly they were all about the same price, so not seeing the value for trying to build one myself or get someone around where I live to help.

PROCESSOR: At 1,499 you get intel® Core™ i7-4820K Processor (Quad Core, 10MB Cache, up to 3.90 GHz). For $400 more you get Intel® Core™ i7-4960X Extreme Processor (6 Cores, 15MB Cache, Overclocked up to 4.1GHz w/TurboBoost). For $500 more you get Intel® Core™ i7-4960X Extreme Processor (6 Cores, 15MB Cache, Overclocked up to 4.3GHz w/TurboBoost)

GRAPHICS CARD: At 1,499 you get AMD Radeon™ R9 270 with 2GB GDDR5. For $250 more yuou get NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 760 Ti with 2GB GDDR5. For $400 more you get NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 770 with 2GB GDDR5. For $600 more you get AMD Radeon™ R9 290X with 4GB GDDR5 or you can get NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 780 with 3GB GDDR5.

Hard drive that comes with 1,499 is 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 6Gb/s

Memory that comes with 1,499 is GB (4 X 2GB) Quad Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz

Also, monitor is Dell UltraSharp 29 Ultrawide Monitor - U2913WM for extra $549.99

Also, say in a few years I want to upgrade some compnenets can you do this with alienware or is it harder too as opposed to building your own? I've heard alienware builds their own motherboards, but not heard if this is a problem for future changes.

I know I wrote a lot, but I tried to lay everything out as I see it. What do you all recommend? Help me build an awesome gaming computer I can use for a few years, and remember I might can get that 15-20% discount so technically I could build a 2,500 dollar computer thru aleineware and get it for 2,000, or say a 2,000 dollar one for like 1,600. I would love to keep under 1,500 or 1,600 for EVERYTHING, but if I need to spend more that's ok if you believe it would def be worth it. Thanks in advance.

The discount also is paying a role in me leaning toward alienware unless you all recommend not doing thru them. Because comparing the compents I listed buying them thru alienware vs tigetdirect vs new egg vs amazon it was about the same price thru them all, well if that's true then getting that 15-20% off thru alineware would technically put the individual parts thru them pretty well under the price of buying thru say tiger direct or another place. Again, give me honest opinions and all, I'm not set on alienware, just trying to provide all information I have gathered so far.

If you need a monitor, buy that first, I'd go the Dell 2411h or better.

If you don't, then building is easy, its like Lego.

@GTR12: Thanks for the reply. If you were doing it, what processor and graphics card would you go with? I listed the ones I've researched, but not sure what's worth it for the prices.

@willsumpter:

CPU: i7 4770k

GPU: GTX 780Ti

Your budget is really high anyway, so get the best GPU, you can get a 6 core CPU if you want but only if you do other things as well gaming. You would be paying an extra $200 for the 6 core CPU and a mobo.

@GTR12: Yea I heard go with I-7, but then someone else said go with Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor unless your doing video editing or stuff. Do you agree, or for gaming would you go with I-7? is the i7 4770k cheaper than th4820, 4960x, etc...

One more question, someone had said for all mmorgp to get Gigabyte Radeon R9 290X 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card would you def go with GTX 780TI? Please advise!!!!

@willsumpter:

Well to be honest, you have $1500, why get an i5? I wouldn't go 4770k, my mistake, go for the 4790k its better than i5 4690k and you have a lot to spend...

The 780Ti and 290x trade blows with the 780 marginally faster... again, you have a lot to spend, or you can go even better with the Titan Black, there's only 1 card faster and that's the Titan Black Z, it makes the 290x and 780Ti look like babies in comparison.

That's why I said, first get a monitor and then see how much power you need running games at that res and frame rate.

@GTR12:

Okay this is a huge help,and all of thiswould be upgradable in the future right? I need to go look at them and pick a size, but I was thinking 27 inches or 29 inch, I read online you should get 120 HZ and if 27 inch or bigger go with 2560x1440 resolution? Is that true?

@willsumpter:

People generally upgrade GPU's only (that's the weak point for PC gaming), the CPU will last 5yrs+ with an overclock, CPU's are extremely powerful for games, even a 1st gen i7 920 wont have any problems.

For the monitor, you need to decide NOW, either 120Hz or 1440p as a resolution, you cant get both as of yet, and depending on what you choose, I personally build a rig around it, people are different and you may choose to build a rig then buy an adequate monitor. If you go 4k or something, you need a beefy GPU with a lot of VRAM, if your looking at 120Hz, you just need a beefy CPU.

I am not sure about what discount you're talking about but...

MAKE SURE YOU HAGGLE THEM! (if that discount fails)

I got a few hundred dollars off my Alienware 18 laptop plus a free backpack AND gift certificate and that was the week it came out. Say you saw something similar for cheaper and they will knock some money off of the price. If they won't give you a discount hang up and try again with someone else. They WILL give you a discount.

As for video cards get Nvidia over Radeon. I've had about 5 cards of each brand and I've almost always preferred the Nvidia. Go for the GTX 780.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FftPQ7 just a regular gaming beast which pre build would never have.

Great rig but I'd make 3 changes personally, bump up to a i7 4790k, cut PSU to 850 watt, and throw in an SSD.

I'd also change RAM to 2 4GB's personally.

And you need i7 because every gamer is some sort of personal editor?

The recommended Watt for my setup is 900 with 4.6Ghz OC, without OC the GPUs which you'd want to do anyway.

Also there's no real performance boost going from single dimm to dual channel or quad.

You may cut off 1 GPU and get 250Gb SSD but I'd rather having a rig that will last max graphics for more years to come than load levels faster.

If Say I had £3000 to spend on my new Rig would I be wise to wait till next year when all the new CPU's and new GPU's come out which will handle the next gen games, I know I could spend £3000 now and be fine but I know that there are new tech coming soon which are of next gen tech so am i best waiting??

if you are going prebuilt then dont bother with pc gaming you are tossing away heaps of cash. Its not that hard to build it your self.

as for monitors you can get some amazing deals on Korean monitors from Ebay like a 1440p display for 300 bucks with IPS.

$40 extra for an i7 over i5 is worth it in my eyes.

Recommended can say whatever the **** they want, it wont use 900 watts at full load, keep the 1kw PSU but I know it wont use all that juice with only a crossfire rig, 3 GPU's is another scenario, but it wont use 1kw anyway.

Its just personal preference with RAM, I just like keeping it even, also if 1 DIMM fails, the rig will still run, its just MY preference, no-one has to follow it.

After using an SSD for like 3 yrs now, I cant not have one.

Try a 100$ extra for i7.

@PredatorRules: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i74790k

That link says $50 more.

4690K 230$, 4790K 340$

That link says In store pickup only, what if you don't have microcenter close to you?

I dunno, I'm not from the US so I wouldn't know, when TC's looking at a $700+ monitor, I doubt $100 would matter anyway.

LoL 550$ for a monitor? you can setup a 3 gaming monitors for less than that, Yeah can't really recommend on that monitor.

But it's also not a matter of if you have spare money to throw, you can invest in gaming accecories like keyboard and mouse.

@PredatorRules:

Well I spent $700 on my monitor and I love it, it was more than $1000 RRP anyway.

i7's are pretty worthless for the extra money you pay, as used in gaming; in contrast with current i5s. Most games don't use hyperthreading. This is assuming the same number of cores, same architecture, cache size, etc.

Even if you save $50-100, put that money towards a gaming mouse, or headset, or mechanical keyboard, etc.

of you are in the Uk go to Pc specialist

if in US cyberpowerPC

Please do not bump old threads like this one.