Is this Alienware 17 worth it?

Hello guys, I am new to the forum! I just won an auction on eBay for an alienware 17 for £780. Do you think it is worth the price for the specs as mentioned below? :


Product Identifiers
Brand Dell
Model Alienware 17
MPN DKCWJ15H
UPC 884116132929
Color Silver
Laptop Type Notebook

Power
Battery Type Lithium Ion

Processor
Processor Intel Core i7 4th Gen. 4700MQ (3.4 GHz)

Memory
Installed Memory 16 GB (1600 MHz)

Hard Drive
Hard Drive 750 GB 7200 RPM HDD (Hard Disc Drive)

Display
Display Size 17.3"
Video Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M



It has been listed as in brand 'new' condition and the link is given here: Dell Alienware 17 17.3" (750 GB, Intel Core i7 4th Gen., 3.4 GHz, 16 GB) Noteboo | eBay

Is this a good deal, considering what is available out there at the moment? Thanks guys, appreciate it!

 

How would this compare with a VortexIV 15 inch from PCSPECIALIST?

For £916, I can get the following:
Vortex Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Intel Core i3 Dual Core Mobile Processor i3-4110M (2.60GHz) 3MB
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X Genesis 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (1x 8GB)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M
Memory- Hard Disk: 750GB WD SCORPIO BLACK SATA 6Gb/.s 16MB Cache (7200rpm)
30GB INTEL 525 mSATA MLC SSD
ARTIC Thermal Paste
GIGABIT Lan Killer 1202 Wireless Gaming

 

Well the item is sold so it would be an ok deal for a 770m.

Sent from my One using Tapatalk

 

I could always get him to give a second chance offer to the second highest bidder. I asked for more specifications like the warranty number so I could track the date but he hasn't replied any of my messages as of late..

I mean objectively, would this be a good deal for an alienware 17, if not, would it be a better deal then what I am currently looking at, at PCspecialist? Thanks again! (thanks for replying, thegh0sts!) Sorry, I don't have much experience with gaming laptops!

 

It's a far better spec than the one PCSpecialist are offering.

 

How come? Is it because of the screen/processor? Thanks!

 

That configuration has a i3 CPU, which isn't too great. The 17 chassis is also made much a lot better, with an aluminum alloy frame versus a plastic shell.

Given the low spec CPU and low-budget Vortex configuration, that 860M is probably the Kepler variant rather than Maxwell. While an 860M is clocked higher, the 770M has higher memory bandwidth and wider memory lane interface than 860M does. Here's a rough comparison of Kepler 860M versus 770M. A Maxwell 860M would be a little better but the system would still be crippled by the i3 CPU. (What sometimes sounds like big numbers expressed in percentages often equates to something far less impressive, like a 2 FPS or 4 FPS increase, so avoid getting too excited about marketing numbers that sound bigger than what they look like in real world performance.)

 

Thanks Mr Fox, that is very informative! I heard that the Alienware 17 has an outdated processor, which is actually at 2.4GHz with a turbo of 3.4GHz. Is that true? So technically it is incorrect for him to list it at 3.4GHz?

 

i wouldn't get an i3 for anything other than basic word processing, email, watching videos.

i5 is decent for mid-range gaming while the i7 is the flagship...always aim for the best

 

Thank you! I will get the i7.

Would you think it is better value for money if I went with this at £998?:

Vortex Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD LED Widescreen (1920x1080)
Intel Core i7 Quad Core Mobile Processor i7-4710MQ
8GB KINGSTON DDR3 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (1x 8GB)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M
Memory- Hard Disk: 750GB WD SCORPIO BLACK SATA 6Gb/.s 16MB Cache (7200rpm)
120GB Kingston ms200 mSATA
ARTIC Thermal Paste
Wireless Intel

Or is this Alienware a better deal at £800 still, with the superior 17 chassis? Thank you again everyone! Appreciate your advice.

 

GeForce GTX 860M vs 780M

as per the link the 780m outperforms the 860m, even though the 860m has high GPU clocks and lower power draw, probably due to the low number of shader units. so if you're planning on having this as a gaming PC then go for the 780m.

 

I wouldn't always count on that site for accurate information in regards to performance of GPU's, but in this case, it's obvious that the 780M is better. I don't see why anyone would think otherwise. Because the 860M is Maxwell? That name doesn't magically give it more power than everything Kepler.

 

true, it just gives a spec comparison more than anything else and not bench tests.

 

You've found an amazing deal on an alienware 17 which is better built and fully upgradeable in terms of it can go up to 880m graphics. PCSpecialists products from experience are poorly built and the warranty is nowhere near as good as what Dell offers.

 

The guy who is selling that Alienware 17 to me tells me that he doesn't know what 'Warranty' is, when I asked for the service tag number. He claims that it is a brand new laptop sealed in a box and says the item location is in Italy. Is it possible for a seller not to know what a warranty is??? sounds ridiculous, or maybe his English is just bad. What do you guys think?

 

Maybe he meant to say he doesn't know what type of warranty it has. He should be able to see the service tag on the packaging slip attached to the exterior of the box.

 

Remember with Alienware, you aren't just paying for "specs" but also the Alienware name (and Dell that backs it up) and the fact you will have proper cooling (something I've heard is lacking in some MSI Gaming series laptops) and have a pretty good upgrade path later on down the road. When I bought my M17x R2 back in 2011, I could have gotten an ASUS G series or MSI Gaming series NEW for the same priced I paid for a used R2, but I opted for the R2 for the service.

 

Alienware's warranty service is much better than most others so I'd buy them in a heatbeat

 

Uhmmm Italy, this guy ain't a scammer is he? Id be careful, however in case he isn't then this is a fantastic deal the 770m paired to an i7 is truly worth it, last you a good year at least after which you can hunt hunt for either a 780m or perhaps an 880m cuz u will fit either of them in that chassis

 

Sounds like a scammer. I asked him to send me the photo of the box since he couldn't find the service tag number; and he sent me a photo of an Alienware m14 box that can be found online. After I exposed him he said that he thought I wanted a picture of a box. Haha. What a joke. Now he is claiming that the service tag number is a personal number of the laptop that can be seen on the bill, so he can't show it to me and that he has an electronics shop in Italy. Then he said that If I was 'remorseful', I could cancel the transaction. Absolutely ridiculous. Definitely a scammer!

 

Ugh... now I'm in a dilemma.

Can someone with dell laptop experience give me advice?
The Italian seller got back to me again. He might have misunderstood me previously when I asked for a picture of the alienware box. This time he posted pictures of his alienware this time. He wrote his name on a piece of paper and took the picture of it next to the laptop, as I requested. However, he says that he is not willing to give his Service Tag Number because it is a 'personal number'. He said that he would show it to me after I pay for the laptop. What should I do? I can't check the warranty status of the Alienware and verify the specifications. If i pay for it and it turns out that it's not what he says it is.. I have to wait for a month to lodge a dispute and get my money back. That will be so annoying... omg

 

Service tag is only showing all the specs on Dell website and is used for warranty claims. You can not see any info on the buyer only having the service tag, that is if you are another buyer. Dell should be able to see the details of the order by the service tag. It is possible to transfer the warranty using the service tag, but I am pretty sure Dell would ask for more details before actually moving the warranty to another person's name. In private he should have no concerns providing you with the service tag if you explained that this allows you to confirm the system specs and warranty status. I would give him 2 links (warranty status and system specs), so he could make sure what can be seen when entering the service tag. If he still refused to provide the service tag, I would not buy the product. Especially after being sent picture from the internet of the box, which is for a wrong laptop. It does look like scam I am afraid, at least to me.
Also item location is London, UK, but the price in $? This seems odd, but there might be a valid reason for a different currency. It's just something I have never come across before.
Also his eBay profile says 'Based in Albania, mgjeta2012 has been an eBay member since 23 Jun, 2012'. To be honest I would have asked for the service tag even before bidding on the laptop. As he is not accepting returns I would not pay until he sends his service tag to make sure everything is as described.

 

Exactly... I have been quite concerned about this transaction. You have brought up so many points that I feel are questionable, yet part of me feels that he is genuine too. He told me that he is based in Italy and gave me his shop address, though I cannot verify if that is actually his shop per say. I am trying to make him provide the service tag number, which I feel is only fair to me. I can't even confirm what I'm buying!


He says that it is a rule of work, not to give me the 'laptop number' until I pay for it. Has anyone heard of such work ethics before?! Seriously.

 

Closed. I'm not buying from eBay anymore. Will buy straight from retailers. Thanks guys for all the help