Good Deal for a Project?

Alienware 17 Barebone Gaming Laptop Customize Yourself Warranty Windows 8 1 | eBay
It's a barebones Alienware 17. Sure, I have 2 laptops, but sadly no one uses my HP laptop. So I sell the HP (which means I part with an SSD and external enclosure) and possibly my desktop and buy the 17. No money lost there, and over time, I buy parts for it. Good idea?

 

Mh...i think if you'll buy an MxM video card such a Gtx 880M, you'll probably spend more than a fully Aw17 system.

 

That doesn't make any mathematical sense, sorry. $700 for GTX 880m, $900 for i7-4940MX, $400 for 1 TB SSD, $308 for 32 GB of RAM, $95 for 120Hz 1080p panel, and $100 for heatsink upgrade. Sum total with barebones: $3003. Maybe add $100 for anything I missed, and that still is cheaper than a maxed out 17. It actually is about $4 cheaper than the 3rd configuration on Dell's site that has half the RAM, a slower CPU, 60 Hz panel, 1 TB HDD + 80 GB mSATA, and a blu-ray, but a maxed out 17 doesn't have a DVD, so I would get an added bonus.
Plus, I wouldn't start out expensive. I have some RAM and a SSHD to install for the time being. Just will need the CPU and GPU to get it booting. Found an i7-4700MQ for $120, but a GPU is going to be more expensive than I would have liked. No GTX 860m in sight, and GTX 765ms start at $200.

 

Go for an 7970m for 300 $ , 240 go ssd for 100/120 $ and 8 go ram , that will save you an uge amount of money, i don't see the point to have 1 Tb ssd and 32 go of ram ... The cpu has an i gpu so you can wait for new gpu or a 980m with optimus / dell version that work.

 

it;s a good idea, buy cpu with igpu and wait till gtx970m/ 980m work on the 17 then buy the gpu. best solution

 

So I can use the 17 without a dGPU installed? Because if that is the case, then instant bid. I ask because I pulled a GTX 460m from a m15x, and it wouldn't boot.
I brought up the 32 GB and 1 TB SSD to make a poijt about it being cheaper than a maxed out 17. I have a spare 2 GB stick and a 1 TB SSHD to use just so I can get a start and boot the laptop.
Wait, how does a 7970m work? Wouldn't I have to flash a 8970m / R9 m290x vBIOS on it?

 

I don't know much about lastest m17 , but it was just for the exemple. The 980m will be a much better option when it will be able to work in this laptop. Twice the power for pretty much the same TDP. And yep the alienware 17 can use the intel igpu, you can choose between two mode, one when you switch from intel to dgpu while gaming and an other when you run constently on dgpu if i am right.

 

I am familiar with the discrete and switchable modes.
The barebones is now very interesting now.

 

If you plan on getting one with the 120Hz screen (and you should cause they are amazing ) just be aware the computer won't be able to use the Intel GPU so you will have to have a dedicated card in there. IIRC the Intel one can only output 60Hz so it has to be bypassed.

 

Its not too bad at $500, but knowing eBay it will go up quite a bit. But after a 4700mq~, a decent video card, ram and a HDD/SSD you will be at the cost of a refurb 17 with a 770m. You also will want to change the screen out as well. If you can source the parts cheap then it might be worth the shot.

 

I'm not sure what you are seeing, but I did the same exercise as you. If you compare to the low end i7 AW 17 ($1499), it will actually cost you about $300 more even using used parts. It doesn't come with a CPU. The top of the line is i7-4940MX which is $900. Even when you have all of the big ticket items covered, by the time you buy heat sync's, paste, and on and on it will be at least $200. If you are the $499 bidder, you will already end up upside down if you try and build anything like the models on the website. Too bad as I like your idea. I expect that optimists will bid it plus $700 (at least). I hope I'm wrong. Good luck.

 

Well I am not bidding (money is tight, so yeah). Building the computer won't be as cheap as the 2nd config due to it being $500 discounted than its original value, but apart from that, it would have been a good deal (I already did the math and I already have a few materials like past).
Not sure if you read the ebay description as it clearly comes with heat sinks. It just doesn't have RAM, HDD/SSD, CPU, or GPU.

 

lol it went right for $700

 

I guess people's weights too....

 

Ouch, didn't expect it to go that high. That throws off whatever math I made before.

 

If you have some spare parts already this kind of thing can work.