Got a new Alienware 17 r3. The one-month upgrade thing is LEGIT. Skylake, DDR4 and 240w full power

So I've been looking at getting an Alienware ever since they released there little graphics amp. But decided to wait, and wait , and wait. Until now.

So I make my selections, The best CPU because it ends up being a hundred bucks more(and I do plan to use a GA whenever we get 4k@60fps GPUs), 8gb of DDR3 ram(Its cheaper to get 2x8gbs on amazon than to upgrade there, plus you don't really NEED 16gb), and a 4k display (because I don't spend all my time playing games. And their displays have been said to be pretty amazing looking, even if you play 1080p games on it. Also 400nits is really good).

Anyways, after a military discount it ended up coming out to about 2,000 including tax. But Chase thought somebody had stolen my card, plus I had an additional coupon I wanted to try to use. So I chatted with a Dell lady with an awesome Indian name(Hema), and she somehow managed to add an additional 10% off stating, "we can't add two coupons sorry....". But for some reason the previous coupon I had managed to add for 10% off stayed and became combined for 20% off.

Anyways, AWESOME. Called Chase, paid for it. Boom.

Alienware 17 r3

8GB Dual Channel DDR4 2133MHz (4GBx2)

NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GTX 980M with 4GB GDDR5

Killer Wireless 1535 Driver

1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s

1 Accidental Damage Service, 1 Year

8 Cell 92W Hour Battery

Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6820HK (3rd best, cool should help with throttling in the GTX 1080 ti or w/e) (Quad-Core, 8MB Cache, Dynamically Overclocked up to 4.14GHz)

17.3 inch UHD (3840 x 2160) IGZO IPS Anti-Glare 400-nits Display

240W AC Adapter

Looks like Skylake will be coming, plus it looks like the AC issue is fixed. Also. DDR4. Do I know what DDR4 means? Nah. But w/e still pretty cool.

Also: awesome deal, I think.

This is final price on it Subtotal # $1,718.99

Taxtotal # $107.92

Shippingcharges # $0.00

TotalPrice # $1,826.91

must you use a laptop?

Why do you make random words bold?

Amazing contributions. Amazing.

I'm not a native english speaker so maybe the sentence sound awkward

but seriously, must you use a laptop for gaming there?

@antisoulless: People get really pissy about Alienware and laptops. Wish I could have warned you sooner. You got a pretty good deal on that. You should be able to max anything @1080 without the graphics amp.

Dumb question. Is the answer not obvious enough from him buying a laptop?

Oh. Well what else can you get inside of a laptop? Another 980m? Maybe slap somebody elses name on it and that somehow makes it better?

Oh well.

what would those specs in a non-Alienware model cost, like ASUS or Toshiba? all of the Dell-Alienware models i've ever checked out had added ~$400-500 for the alien head logo.

what is: GTX 1080 ti? they haven't passed 900 series yet.

You can easily haggle Alienware if you order by phone. Just tell them you saw a similar ASUS and they'll take hundreds of dollars of. I got around $500 off my Alienware and they gave me a free laptop backpack that was valued at $120.

Also calling them Dell-Alienware is troll-y and dumb. Just because Dell now owns Alienware doesn't mean Dell makes Alienware. They are in fact two completely separate companies and two different assembly plants. The only thing Dell does for Alienware is customer support ie: if you call Alienware support it's the same as Dell.

no need to get defensive. you could just state you don't know how much the same type specs from a better manufacturer would cost or even ignore the question if you don't like acknowledging that you don't know the answer. but still, you don't think other companies would offer the same type of discount with the same argument?

obviously you don't know how business conglomeration works. a company like Dell or Coca-Cola or Johnson & Johnson don't absorb companies and then just leave them be. they want to make as much profit as possible the same as with their own exclusive brands. yes, you will get models with better hardware and maybe better technicians using Alienware but it's branches run under the same business policies and the same expectation of profit margins.

no one i've read in this thread is bashing your choice of Dell's Alienware models. but you seem to have become very defensive for some reason and unable to answer simple questions.

Backpack for 120$? I guess anything tagged with Alienware brand so pricy, they should compete with Apple's Pen.

The GT72 by MSI costs about 2k$ with similar specs, so I guess if you've got something that costs 180$ lower it's pretty good.

Asus ROG G751JY is no where cheaper at 2.1k$

@saintsatan said:

@PredatorRules said:

@saintsatan said:

@elessarGObonzo said:

what would those specs in a non-Alienware model cost, like ASUS or Toshiba? all of the Dell-Alienware models i've ever checked out had added ~$400-500 for the alien head logo.

what is: GTX 1080 ti? they haven't passed 900 series yet.

You can easily haggle Alienware if you order by phone. Just tell them you saw a similar ASUS and they'll take hundreds of dollars of. I got around $500 off my Alienware and they gave me a free laptop backpack that was valued at $120.

Also calling them Dell-Alienware is troll-y and dumb. Just because Dell now owns Alienware doesn't mean Dell makes Alienware. They are in fact two completely separate companies and two different assembly plants. The only thing Dell does for Alienware is customer support ie: if you call Alienware support it's the same as Dell.

Backpack for 120$? I guess anything tagged with Alienware brand so pricy

Ummm no? That's average price for a high end armored backpack. In fact I'd say Alienware is a great deal compared to other similar ones. People just seem to love hating on Alienware for no reason, eh? ASUS charges $170 for theirs...

How about a normal laptop backpack? it's 30$

@PredatorRules said:

@saintsatan said:

@PredatorRules said:

@saintsatan said:

…

You can easily haggle Alienware if you order by phone. Just tell them you saw a similar ASUS and they'll take hundreds of dollars of. I got around $500 off my Alienware and they gave me a free laptop backpack that was valued at $120.

Also calling them Dell-Alienware is troll-y and dumb. Just because Dell now owns Alienware doesn't mean Dell makes Alienware. They are in fact two completely separate companies and two different assembly plants. The only thing Dell does for Alienware is customer support ie: if you call Alienware support it's the same as Dell.

Backpack for 120$? I guess anything tagged with Alienware brand so pricy

Ummm no? That's average price for a high end armored backpack. In fact I'd say Alienware is a great deal compared to other similar ones. People just seem to love hating on Alienware for no reason, eh? ASUS charges $170 for theirs...

How about a normal laptop backpack? it's 30$

I'd rather not travel with a laptop that cost thousands in a bag that can be cut open with a knife or doesn't have shock resistance. These armored backpacks are made with bullet proof nylon which is very hard to break into. A $30 laptop backpack is for school kids that just walk in between classes. Armored backpacks are made for travel.

@saintsatan said:

@PredatorRules said:

@saintsatan said:

@PredatorRules said:

@saintsatan said:

…

You can easily haggle Alienware if you order by phone. Just tell them you saw a similar ASUS and they'll take hundreds of dollars of. I got around $500 off my Alienware and they gave me a free laptop backpack that was valued at $120.

Also calling them Dell-Alienware is troll-y and dumb. Just because Dell now owns Alienware doesn't mean Dell makes Alienware. They are in fact two completely separate companies and two different assembly plants. The only thing Dell does for Alienware is customer support ie: if you call Alienware support it's the same as Dell.

Backpack for 120$? I guess anything tagged with Alienware brand so pricy

Ummm no? That's average price for a high end armored backpack. In fact I'd say Alienware is a great deal compared to other similar ones. People just seem to love hating on Alienware for no reason, eh? ASUS charges $170 for theirs...

How about a normal laptop backpack? it's 30$

I'd rather not travel with a laptop that cost thousands in a bag that can be cut open with a knife or doesn't have shock resistance. These armored backpacks are made with bullet proof nylon which is very hard to break into. A $30 laptop backpack is for school kids that just walk in between classes. Armored backpacks are made for travel.

Depends on how much do you travel with your laptop and where.

It's not a nuclear core or something like that, you just need to be careful with, just like you're going to be with this "bullet proof" backpack.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/msi-skylake-notebooks,30182.html

Here you can see, 17inch, ddr4, same CPU and same GPU, except no 4k display (although no g-sync but hwateer I'll get a monitor with it whenever I get a desktop GPU and a GA).

GT72 Dominator 2,600.(tax included? I dont know). Yeah...no. Maybe you could take some stuff off , maybe it has a little more customization. Like maybe you can take off stuff. But still...no 4k?(which is amazing for surfing and netflix and whatnot).

1080 ti is like...a hypothetical. I don't care what they call it, I just went to 1000 because 800 to 900.

Looked at those. No optical disk drive. Slow compared to what else you can buy in the price range. Arsehole alienware giving people the low wattage powerbrick stock. Decided not to give them my money. Brought a 17" ASUS ROG G751 i7 4860HQ 32gb Ram and GTX 980. Upgradable graphics card later down the line.... Screw alienware!

I don't know if you realize it but optical drives are really really outdated. Most newer computers don't come with them and when people build rigs they never put um in anymore. It's not 2005 anymore, it's time to let go.

@saintsatan: I watch Blurays and dvd's on mine. I collect games, so i like to keep most physical copies. Also have a decent steam library, but I prefer to have the option. No disc drive is just a pain in the arse for me. Alienware have gone backwards this gen.

I still do, as do all my friends.

Why you ask? Cause sometimes buying retail is cheaper than digital. Simple.

@elessarGObonzo I got to this forum from searching about memory and cant believe you hate a quality computer manufacturer so much. I just bot one with a gtx 980 with 8 gbs, a I7 6820 HK with 8 mgbs cache, a 4k display, 16 gb's of ram and soon upgrading to 32, and the optional graphics amplifier and have no problem with how much I paid, I shopped around through Gigabyte, Razor, Asus, and several others and I honestly got the best deal. So quit giving people bull shit because they have and Alienware...It's really one of the dumbest things I've ever heard...who gives a **** what computer you buy....and yeah you can build a desktop for cheaper but some people like myself cant use a desktop...so Alienware is an awesome choice and there are other brands that can offer a good deal too. Honestly cant believe that hate for people who have an Alienware because they can be actually cheaper and a better deal. Buy what you want....who should honestly give a shit. If your that jealous or have nothing better to complain about than that, just sad for you.

well, it's funny you would take such offense to someone questioning your purchase. sounds more like you are the one worrying so much about the brands. it's jealousy because we've informed others about better purchases? you have a serious personality disorder if information about products you've purchased really upsets you this much.

and I too have a nice laptop and while doing my 4 months of price vs hardware research the Alienware models had/have a huge price difference, being $400-600 dollars more for near the same specs. I say "near" because doing more research into the builds and the Alienware-Dell models all list using cheaper onboard components; cheaper heatsinks, cheaper RAM, cheaper fans, cheaper LCDs, etc.

On the other hand, I think an external drive is a better option, if you own both a rig and a laptop.

I just bought Alienware 15 R2 970M i7-6700HQ straight online from Alienware Japan's website. It was indeed overpriced (around $1,900) but I had little choice and lots of things are more expensive here in Japan. I currently live in Tokyo where you can't find a gaming laptop with an English keyboard. I despise the Japanese keyboard. Going to the store to order a laptop with an English keyboard from ASUS or MSI from outside Japan is going to be a bother and will probably cost shipping and customs fees.

I am most curious about the cooling and sound produces? I still sport my Asus ROG 46vw and I am impressed to this day how silent and cool the system remains even on the heaviest games it plays.. My friends Gigabyte laptop on the other hand, nice looking and good specs, sounded like a intolerable god damned jet engine.. If these companies are going to make these gaming laptops, they should make them a bit larger to have proper cooling and low noise production... No one is going to use these laptops, even the 15 inch ones, as ultra books where they do menial tasks on the go.. Furthermore I can't fathom the people who even care about battery life when gaming on these things.. If your going to be situated in a place where your going to be gaming for a extended period of time, your going to have a outlet next to you..

Where do you live? Because it usually is the complete opposite of that.. Places like Steam Sales, G2A, etc etc sell games for far far FAR cheaper than anything I have seen from the physical sector.. Furthermore most physical copies now a days, requires you to have it registered with a drm service like Steam..

Bullet Proof Nylon

I lol'd

you bought a laptop (and even a gaming laptop) in 2016 without an SSD? that's very... adventurous.

this is what pisses me off about people so often. you can barely get a decent quality backpack even at $160, and even then it's made in china. SURE, i admit i don't know how bad price/quality ratio that aforementioned Alienware backpack has, but im talking about in general.

$30 for a backpack? it must be total shit in quality. and i mean MUST be. the manufacturing cost for such bag would be something like $5-$10. that includes materials and labor. no wonder this world is sinking into shit. no one is ready to pay from quality anymore. quality is seen as "over-priced shit" these days (and yes, i'm aware that over-priced shit also exists).

i'm sorry i jumped off topic, but this matter always presses my buttons. people should buy less but higher quality stuff, rather than more and lower quality crap.

E: i've had numerous backpacks, tube bags etc. break on me since... well, when i was a kid. usually the fabric wears out making a hole somewhere, or even more commonly, the shitty seams of the straps rip out, or the bad quality strap adjustors break under load.

or as the saying goes, poor people cannot afford cheap things.

Sorry to say but it's not total shit in quality, it actually got pretty awesome quality, well padded and everything - I'm sorry but I'm a person who takes care of his hardware and doesn't need some "gaming" branding tagged to it so they'll increase the value of the merchandise.

It's some module from Swissgear - most of them cost about 30-50$, the statement that quality backpack is barely achieved at 160$ is false IMHO.

yes, gaming branding shouldn't increase the price too much. that would be stupid to pay from, but right off the bat i can tell you that the $50 backpack is made from thin polyester for sure, compared to the dense nylon that the Alienware backpack has.

beyond that, it's hard to say without closer inspection (seams, zippers etc.). i can only tell you that it's downright impossible to make high quality backpack that sells for $50. can you still carry a laptop in it? sure you can, but i would definetly get a better one, if were to carry my laptop around much.

E: oh, sorry. it's ASUS backpack, not Alienware. anyway.

Most people that work with laptops everyday actually buy laptop bags and not a backpacks - they cost from 15$-50$ - most of the the pricey ones are from leather.

yes, i know. and that's what i would personally get myself too. the leather one, i mean. i'm a sucker for leather. especially nicely oiled, italian full-grain leather, but that's when vanity kicks in, and i'm aware of it :D

##@antisoulless:

Ok, I'm replying to an old thread.. so I may go unread.. but hey.. f&%^ it.

First off, whoever said Alienware uses cheaper components compared to Asus needs a good f&^&$£$ shake.. I've had the majority of Asus high end laptops and know all their issues.. and have finally moved on. Besides their horrible design, their heavy cooler sound, and their flex in the case when lifting it is not for the faint hearted.

Also, who says why you buy.. a laptop? Your a tool.

Anyway the thing that made be laugh most was the discussion about the backpack. Having had top of the line Asus and Alienware laptops.. having probably the first 17" laptop that came on the market, and also buying the only available backpack for it.. that didn't come from china, and was expensive I know when someone says $30 backpack is as good as these higher price inflated laptop bags obviously has never had a laptop bag that was purposely made for their laptop, and that your cheap.

Asus do a deal where you get the mouse, the bag etc.. the bag was impressive.. hard wearing, and looks after your laptop having its own section.. I actually tried to buy the same bag.. but china had managed to get hold of the design and start copying it. eBay sold me a copy and did nothing about the supplier.. anyway.. somethings hold a price for a reason and there is a reason why cheap things don't.

Alienware; being someone who rides a motorbike with a hardened laptop bag/shell the Alienware is a great piece of kit. Your laptop has a chance of survival should you come off. The quality as soon as you pick this thing up you know it's worth the extra in cost. Now on price comparing it to $30-50, it wasn't build for your laptop.. also made cheaply, all you know.. when you buy a cheap bag is that your happy to take the risk with an expensive piece of hardware which tells me again your a tight a55.

Back to Alienware.. they aren't the same highest end laptop they once were before Dell bought them because before Dell bought them they were the best by a big margin.. now that margin has reduced but so has the price.. and now with their 4k screen with high res it provides something the asus doesn't.

Old thread. No bumping please.