Myth Busters: Alienware Overpriced

Stop car shopping in Philly. hahahaha

 

I do like alienware but you get more component options from resellers of other brands and at considerably better prices.

 

I personally just buy after market Hard drives, RAM, and other goodies third party anyway as I can get better performance stuff for a much better price. Plus I get to tweak and play with my machine and that is always fun!!

 

Personal thoughts:

It actually really really irrirtates me when arrogant people makes statements that alienware are overpriced.

You don't pay for looks, It's form factor, design , LEDS, warranty, ports, hardware, cooling and everything else.

You may be able to cut corners by buying ram and HDDS seperately, and that's fair enough - however businesses need to make a premium somewhere, and you also need to keep in mind that you won't be covered in warranty with the parts you replace.

I find a majority of people who belittle Alienware can't afford them initially and alot of their opinions come from jealousy. As so - I don't let their opinion worry me.

 

I truely believe you get what you pay. I had an asus g73. While it was a good computer little problems drove me nuts like the sleep function not working properly. Lack of upgrading ease. And glitchy software.

It is good to have a laptop that just works properly.

 

Short answer is: OF COURSE THEY'RE OVERPRICED! But so are most other high end goods. High price doesn't mean better quality either. It means more features and options available. A VW beetle comes pretty standard with a few customizable options. Compare that to a higher end car like a Ferrari, where you can customize just about any feature. Big difference in options between a low end good and a high end good.

 

Gotta say. I have converted on the m17x and m14x being completely overpriced. I still think the m18x is somewhat fair as it is theoretically the most powerful consumer laptop you can buy and uses a near all metal chassis, but the m14x has now been outmatched by the asus g46, which has a better GPU and better CPU options, and I recently jumped for an Asus g75vx instead of the m17x because it was just to good to pass up on.

Went to Best Buy and they had the asus G75 for 1200$
Included was an i7 3630qm, 8 GB of ram, a 670mx graphics card, a beautiful matte 1080p screen, and a one terabyte HDD. I got it and picked up the best buy geek squad 3 year full coverage warranty (covers all software and hardware problems as well as accident damage) for another 400$. Total price, about 1600 dollars. It also came with a free physical kaspersky security license. Before the purchase I used the AW configuration to see how much more an m17x with comparable specs and warranty would be. I got as close as I could in the configurator, and it came to... 2526$... before tax and after applying discounts...
That sealed the deal.

Brought home the laptop and its fantastic. Don't know what you guys are talking about as far as build quality goes. Its the most solidly built laptop I have had since the all aluminum gateway monster I used in 2001. It had very little bloatware, and windows 8 made it very easy to get ride of (downloaded classic shell of course). I threw in a 128 samsung 840pro SSD and its faster than lighting. I now realize you don't need a 680 to have a good mobile gaming experience too. I haven't even OC'd the card and it plays skyrim on ultra with 20 mods going smooth as butter.

As for the warranty, I mentioned I got the BB in house one, which means any time I have a problem I can simply bring it in no questions asked and get it fixed, no matter what the problem. The warranty even covers full replacements if it gets thrown off a building or something insane like that. Since I can bring it in to a physical location I don't have to deal with the phone runaround Asus, and Alienware themselves (from the multitude of stories I have read of this forum) like to sometimes give.

 

The trouble is i7 3630QM and 670MX are not anywhere good enough in my view. Those are mediocre specs... I'd say entry level in the gaming world. If you're stuck with that GPU, that kind of sucks. If it won't cool well enough to support a better CPU that is overclocked, then it's twice as sucky. If the information on notebookcheck is accurate (and it frequently is not) it takes two 670MX in SLI to match the performance of a single 680M. I don't see where you're getting a bargain with such compromises. You're simply paying less and getting less in return.

I'm not saying it's a terrible machine or a poor value. All I am saying is I don't see where it's a fantastic bargain, all things considered. If that's what your budget allows, then you do the best with what funds you've got to work with. If you are going to compare it to a bottom end Alienware, then it might be a better purchase decision working on a shoestring budget. I guess what I am trying to say is, the price is right, but the specs leave something to be desired.

 

All this time has passed and I haven't posted in this thread!

Alienware is not overpriced. I hate to see unboxing videos of someone's new Alienware and people are arguing in the comments about, "how it costs too much money," and "we are idiots for buying them." There are great deals (year round), we have the ability to negotiate, everything is covered under a great warranty, and decent support is available 24/7 (it may not always be favorable like everyone wants, but it's there), which makes it worth every penny. Enough said.

An added perk is the aesthetic appeal. :thumbsup:

 

Do people not know that they can haggle with Alienware? (Dell, HP, and Lenovo Business have high sticker prices too, and nobody complains about that.) My m17x with a 7970m would be about the same price if I had bought the 3630qm and a three year warranty with accidental damage coverage.

What I get: MXM GPU, less locked-down BIOS, manual switching, no bezel, no grainy screen, better stock performance, better replacement policy, many more customization options, easier to service laptop, Next Business Day parts, support base, more ports like HDMI-input, better wireless card, etc.

I will not say that I got a better deal, but it's certainly not worse.

The ASUS models are good, but to say that Alienware is necessarily overpriced in comparison is nonsense.

 

Yeah, a lot of people just have no idea... And I was one of those people until I found the NBR Forum.

So, thank you, NBR.

 

You're kidding, right? Dell support is horrible, just like every other company's support is horrible, because they're mostly staffed by know-nothing college students wanting a Summer job, and knowing nothing about the products they're selling/fixing other than what they're told as part of a two week intro course.

Might also have something to do with them running out of the same building, more often than not.

 

All Boutique builds are overpriced but I don't find Alienware in the extreme. If you want overpriced, look no further than Falcon NW.

 

I did not say it was superb...just that it exists, unlike most other companies. Thankfully I know enough about PC's to fix most issues on my own, so I haven't had to use their support too often. But when I have, it has been decent.

 

Its a fantastic bargain compared to an AW with the same specs. Thats the thing.
Instead of buying one high end machine that will last 4 years, I can now buy another upper mid range machine in 3 (with a 970) that will have better performance than the than now low end (formerly high end) machine. For about the same amount of money.
And it does take 2 670mx's to reach 680 preformance... on paper. The numbers do not transfer like that to actual game performance. As I said, I am getting no lag in skyrim on ultra with 20 mods running and I havn't even OC'd the card.

Remember. An m17x starts at 1500$ and you don't even get a GPU above a 660 for that price or a 1080p screen, which is utter bologna. the G75 also has more metal in its construction and a thunderbolt port.

At least FNW builds in America and has fully american based phone and tech support.

Also the main reason for going falcon is the paint jobs they can do on desktops and laptops, which are unequaled by anyone in the industry.

 

FalconNW is close to where I live. There are a lot of good things about them. The people that do the painting for them are very talented. The bottom line is their prices are asinine and their machines are ordinary Clevos with custom paint jobs. So, while they do excel at the painting part, the exorbitance of their prices is also unmatched. Their base configuration on the 17" DRX starts out at a whopping $3400, and it only gets worse from there. Simply changing to SLI and adding a 3920XM to the base configuration instantly pushes the price over $5300, so asinine might be an understatement. If you need anything fixed, you'll box it up and ship it off for them to repair and wait for them to send back to you. There is no next day in-home repair or parts-only service delivery to your home the next business day

I have been the beneficiary of Dell Support for a long time, and numerous times. It's far from perfect, but it is still the best available. It's one of the main reason's I am a Dell/Alienware fanboy. The only times I have ever experienced issues is when I have been forced into dealing with Dell support from India. That is a real joke, but I expect any outsourced task handled in India for any company to be a joke, so that's not a Dell exclusive... it's just par for the course. When I deal with US and Costa Rican support, I don't have any problems.

 

FNW is not my cup of tea, however if I had money to burn I would totally get a DRX with a ridiculously epic paint job.

Good phone support is nice, but with the BB waranty I can simply take my laptop to the store and they will fix it there. If it can't be fixed they will replace it. No India phone line runaround, no haggling, no BS.

As I was making the purchase a girl ahead of me in the GS line put her laptop one the counter and told me her jerk wad room mates had poured soda all over the keyboard and now it wouldn't even start. When it came to her turn she told them what had happened and they started working on it right away and said they should have it up and running in less than a week and since it was still under warranty it wouldn't cost here a dime.

That sort of "to the pointness" is impossible to replicate outside of a brick and mortar location.

 

I had mine alien fixed in under two days at my house when the same thing happened a while back due to my sloppiness. No way im spending over $2K on a crappy Asus g75 system just to be able to get it fixed for two years by some incompetent tech I can't keep on eye on. Not exaggerating on the price either.

 

You continue to ignore my posts, you have not used an m14x or m17x, and you claim that Alienware is overpriced but charging $3000 extra for a Clevo is justified because of the paint job? That seems troll-ish.

 

This is like cars, when you buy a Ferrari you just don't buy horsepowers, you buy excellent paint, interior and look. Now if we are in the same mall, you with your asus and I with my AW people will look more my AW because its an AW. Also they will say, look other cheap Asus, even that yours was 1,200.

Same with the Ferrari example. You are in a light with your Acura TL and the Ferrari is next to you. Which one you think will get more attention?

You pay for the Kick company. And even that its hard for me to buy an AW I will keep buying them.

 

Yeah, you are exaggerating on the price.

I paid 1600 dollars for mine, warranty included. An AW with the same specs and amount of warranty (3 years full accident protection) would be at least 2500$.
If it breaks I can take it to BB, and if they do happen to mess it up, I can actually go talk to their manager in person and get a full replacement on the spot.

You can get clevo's elsewhere for waaaaaay less. Even less in some cases for the specs my asus has. The main reason anyone should get a laptop from FNW is the paint jobs they can do. Which no one else in the business can match. They offer a special service no one else can do. If you can't see why someone might want to pay more for that I guess you have never had disposable income for something glitzy. (oh wait, you bought an AW)

No... I have gone to several lan parties with this thing already and have received nothing but compliments. It looks cool, yet also professional. When I was shopping for a laptop I asked people at similar events about which brand I should go with. They all said one thing in common. Avoid AW. And these are all guys who know computers.

 

no joke I'll go see if I can take a picture of their system with the price later.

Edit: Of coarse they are going to say alienware is bad, they want to sell you their products. each to their own though.

 

Someone says that you can haggle to get Alienwares cheaper than ASUS models with the same hardware: disregards and types that Alienware buyers have "disposable income for something glitzy."
Someone else says that ASUS overcharges for some models: "exaggerating on the price."



Why is this waste-of-time thread still open?

 

Of course I will get more compliments if I go to a "auto show" where all the cars are Suzuki swift and I came with a $2,500 BMW. But whatever, go buy whatever you want, more for us!! . I love to see this threads because it makes me think that we (AW owners) will still be looking as: "OMG look an Alienware".

 

They obviously don't know computers and I can only interpret statements of that nature as compelling evidence that they are uninformed and ignorant. The next time you hear those comments, challenge them to provide independently verifiable facts and ask them to prove the basis for their statements. Invite them to substantiate those comments by matching or beating benchmarks scores by me, johnksss and Harlon21 with their own brand of laptop. Or, even one of Riri-Fifi's benchmarks with a single GPU. If they can't provide verifiable facts and beat our benchmarks with a laptop they own, then they're ignorant of the facts and can't support their statements.

Avoid the temptation accept any "yeah, but..." rationalized nonsense as justification. Comments based on concepts such as "I only paid..." or "I saved X dollars..." are simply excuses shrouded in a personal interpretation of value. What such comments actually mean are (a) they can't afford to own the best, or (b) they made a conscientious decision to compromise quality and performance based upon price. There is absolutely nothing wrong with either of those personal decisions. On the flip side, it's pathetic when people just make stuff up instead of admitting that they cannot speak intelligently on a subject because they lack the knowledge to do so. But, "Que sera, sera." We're used to seeing that.

What is notable is that you seldom see examples of Alienware enthusiasts going to Asus, MSI or Clevo social circles to criticize those products based on price, quality or performance. That is primarily because it doesn't matter and we don't care. Nobody likes it when an uninvited guest poops on the living room carpet. Whether the carpet was expensive or cheap makes no difference. It's still an unwelcomed deposit by an uncouth stranger.

 

I've said this before. Try and put together any compact system that pulls similar scores to the benches here and get back with a price. You'll quickly realize that AW's aren't overpriced and they appear to be almost in a league of their own.

 

My only beef with Alienwware, is the charge of $200 just to upgrade the screen. That's ridiculous, when the 1080p option isn't even a premium quality LCD.

 

Bingo! All AW's should come with a full res HD screen being a $200 option is a joke!

 

Yeah, that's why I was hesitant to support more screen options (i.e. higher res., matte, IPS).

 

Well, as far as that goes, I feel that all laptop computers of every brand should come standard with a 1080p screen. Anything less than 1080p sucks. There should be no such thing as 720p or 900p for any laptop or desktop display panel. Save the crappy stuff for netbook/ultrabook junk.

 

I'd protest that. I don't have great eyesight, so even a 1080 panel in a 17" laptop means the pixels are a bit on the small side. A 1600x900 panel would be perfect, but it's not like I want TN either. Just because I can't see small things doesn't mean I can't tell the difference in viewing angles or colour accuracy. Obviously this isn't the norm, but I'm just saying that blanket statements like that in most cases don't work.

 

Complete nonsense.

The 720p screen on a relatives Sony Vaio CW is still sharp and perfectly usable even when compared to my M17x FHD screen.

 

See, I'm just the opposite. My eyes are really bad as well and 1080p is much clearer than 720p or 900p. I suppose that's why they all exist, right? Because we are all different and have our own set of preferences.

I don't mind the 900p option, but on a 17" gaming laptop, I would have never imagined 900p would be default, and 1080p a $200 upgrade. That's absurd.

However, one weird thing about my eyes, anything above 1080p gives me a headache after a while. It's very weird... 2560x1600 looks great but I can't handle it over long periods of time. 1080p (or maybe 1200p) is just right.

 

Well, it might be tolerable (assuming you actually have the tolerance) for web surfing or gaming at low resolution. As I said, " Save the crappy stuff for netbook/ultrabook junk." I put 14" laptops in that same category whether it's official or not. That's just too small for me to regard it as being a good product. I know some people like dinky laptops, which is totally fine... I am not one of them.

When you use Excel spreadsheets for many hours a day like I do, it's not complete nonsense. Attempting to use less than a 1080p display for spreadsheets is definitely nonsense unless you enjoy not seeing much information at one time and wasting a lot of time scrolling up/down/left/right. No thank you. In fact, having 1080p is just barely good enough. My turd Lenovo T420 work laptop is utterly miserable to use, in great part, because of the low (720p) display resolution. How that could ever be considered a "workhorse" is beyond me. It's a real joke. But, it does make me appreciate my M18x a lot more, LOL. Even simple things like Word and Outlook are more cumbersome with 720p and 900p.

Using 1080p you can easily overcome the small text by changing the font scaling to 125% (which is Alienware's default for a factory installation). If your eyesight is poor, that might help. Thankfully, I have very good eyesight and I like 100% scaling better because it wastes less screen space and the slightly larger text is unattractive based on my personal preference.

I agree J.Dre... 1080p and 1200p is perfect to me also. 1200p on the M17x R2 RGB LED is as close to perfect as I could ever ask for in a laptop display. It is still amazing to look at even though my M17x R2 is too old and slow to keep the overall experience amazing. I love how excellent 2560x1440 looks, but if I sit too close to the screen for too long it gives me a headache. I have to set back further from the monitor for that.

 

To give you an idea: My 24" 1080p desktop monitor is at 125%, and I sit around six inches from the screen. If I were to use a 1080p laptop, I'd probably have to increase the magnification to 150% or more. Now, what's the point of needing a lot of graphics horsepower for that, when I could simply lower the resolution and get much higher framerates with no perceived difference in quality.

I also think calling all ultrabooks "junk" as being very heavy handed. They're excellent machines for what they're designed to do. You don't like using them because of what you do, but that doesn't automatically make all of them junk; Alienware machines couldn't hope to match them in terms of size or weight. I'm not saying they should either; I like tank-like laptops.

Now I'm not saying that because of this one use-case every company should continue to offer 1600x900 screens for all of their 17" laptops, I'm just pointing out that they have their place.

 

You'd think a moderator of a LAPTOP forum would do as best to be as impartial as possible rather than slam the laptop size choice of others as "junk".

Screen resolution isn't everything - There are phones now with excellent screens and even they don't breach the 1080p mark.
This aside we're moving into another debating field.

Alienwares are overpriced because they are owned by Dell and it's blatantly clear how much that company overcharge for individual components - I've owned enough laptops to know this from its competitors.
However there are superb deals to be had as well as refurbished offerings (Which most would be hard pressed to tell the difference between it and that of new) and their warranty service is second to none.

 

Fair enough. It all comes down to individual need and personal preference. That's what makes it nice to have choices. One advantage to having higher resolution is it can be lowered to suit need or preference. When the maximum resolution is too low, increasing it is not an option when you need or want more.

Changing the scaling should not require more graphics power.



Mr. Caladdon, this is an Alienware sub-forum. I am a volunteer moderator only in the Alienware sub-forum. I don't need to be impartial in this sub-forum and I am entitled to express a personal opinion the same as anyone else. I give you that latitude as well... knock yourself out, dude. Just follow my example of abiding by forum rules, being polite and not insulting individuals for expressing opinions different than yours and things will be fine.

I am partial to Alienware and I'm not going to change that because one person visiting the Alienware sub-forums publicly flaunts a chip on the shoulder. I have been a computing enthusiast for more than 25 years. I have owned and used many dozens of laptops. I have lost track of how many desktops I have built from components for personal pleasure and business use. So I have a solid basis for personal preferences regarding computers. If I think my Lenovo T420 is a pile of junk, I don't need to mince words about it. Important point: this is not in a Lenovo sub-forum. If I was in a Lenovo thread, that might be considered by some to be trolling despite the fact that I use one daily and have a basis for the opinion. You don't see me in bashing them in Lenovo sub-forums.

For the record, I think my Dell Mini-9 is a piece of junk, too. It does everything it was designed to do flawlessly, and never gives me a lick of trouble. It's better than nothing, and I have it because I paid nothing for it (traded for something). I keep it in case I find myself in a position of needing it in a pinch. I have used it for downloading drivers for a fresh Windows installation on my M17x and my M18x a number of times. But, it's still a piece of junk in my view... it's junk by design. A very dependable, trouble-free, underpowered, low-spec pile of trash in my opinion.

 

There's nothing wrong with stating opinion. To be honest I went to an m18 from a iMac 27 so my first impression of the screen was 'mmm ok'. I would like to see m18 atleast have an option for a better screen just to shut up alot of mac users (and so some users could have it all), even though I would probably still get the base model as I hook it up to a TV 80% of the time anyway.

 

So you reckon 'volunteering' mods deserve some slack and don't really need the professionalism? Hey, don't whine about taking up the responsibility...
You're not just expressing opinion - you're baiting with talk like that.
Those laptops are not junk - They serve different purposes for different users. Comparing your M18x against a cheaper machine in order to degrade it is nonsensical.

I highlighted this because of just how retarded a statement it is.
You are almost always throwing down every other machine when brought into comparison. It's getting tiresome and you're being found out by others in doing so.

Chip on the shoulder?
From what exactly? Has my laptop collection history in the signature just slipped past you?
Moving on....

Congratulations....really....

No - You'd rather just dance about the Alienware section and fire criticisms about every other cheaper system like it's some sort of bragging right.
Every time another system is brought up you slate it just because it's not as expensive. It's ignorant and stupid, not to mention pointless.

Would win the global prize for contradictory this one.

One mans junk is another mans treasure.
You're beginning to put forth more comment rather than just criticism here - Keep it up, there's hope for you yet.

 

Let it go mate. If you've got something personal to say use a PM rather than
spit your venom around this thread and mess up the Chi.

 

I think he raises valid points, actually. Might be slightly on the aggressive side, but they're none-the-less valid. I certainly wouldn't class his comment as venomous. I've found myself that Fox comes on very strong when anything non-Alienware is mentioned. The vast majority of the time everything is readily dismissed as inferior, be it for size or brand reasons. He is of course entitled to his opinion as I'm sure several people are itching to jump down Caladdon's throat about, but as a moderator one would expect him to be a little bit more impartial.

 

That's fine, there is no reason anyone shouldn't be able to state the way they feel about a product, good or bad, mod or not.
But is it so hard not to be a bit more pleasant in how one goes about it ?

 

I don't see what's your problem with Mr. Fox opinion. An opinion isn't debatable, that's how he thinks. I agree with him, must of the laptops are just junk that will last you around 2 years without any option to be fixed. So in my opinion that's called junk.

 

I would like to add my two cents to this topic

Alienware is only overpriced if you get them for theirs specs. Most if not all computers can be build cheaper then they are sold to costumers. But you can not forget about the fact that most ppl don't want to waste time looking for computer parts, they don't want any problems when using them, and just don't know how to build them.

Now if you are getting Alienware for warranty and Dell service then you can't say that they are overpriced. I only pick Dell Alienware for this reason, Yes I paid premium for it, but I'm ok with it. Anyone who want a powerful machine and don't want to give a dam when it brakes will pick Alienware.
I got more then a year ago R3, but thanks to Dell service I am geting a new R4 for free what more my warranty will be renew. I don't know any company(in Poland) that would do something like this.

And last but not least if you are a Fan you can not say that they are overpriced, you are a fan you will love them no matter what price.

That is all from me.

PS. I am very sorry for my poor English

 

I'm not here to debate opinion.
I'm here against the incorrect terminology and uncalled for slander against "lesser" systems by Fox & others and if it means opinions are either in the firing line or to be changed then all the better.

I'm tired of his continual slamming on cheaper systems - It's the same story with him.
Puts the M18x on a holy pedestal and talks the dirt on practically all other systems.

Has he forgotten just how expensive that "holy relic" was to purchase?
Has he forgotten that even at the price, the screen is the same FHD as that of the FAR cheaper M17x and is also outclassed by Apples Macbook Pro retina on a system that is considered an already luxury purchase.

It's not just Fox, it's actually several M18x forum users.
There is none of this class attitude present in ANY other sub forum.

The whole "junk" thing is bogus.
If that's what you really believe then all laptops are junk because ultimately they all currently share the same fate.
All will one day be considered out of date, slow, or just non-functional altogether.
Yes you can upgrade but with motherboard changes or some new flassy component that's only available on the next revision all you do is prolong the inevitable.
I guess some just end up with with nicer husks to degrade away in.

 

Man, does NBR need an IRC channel or what? :thumbsup: You all can argue/debate in real time.

 

What? It's an opinion, not 'incorrect terminology and uncalled for slander'.

Performance-wise, it's hard to beat an Alienware M18x R2. Only the Sager 370 and 570 even compete in the same weight class. There is no arguement to that. He even goes on to say that there are pluses to smaller form factors, but that they're not at all the same computer. Price doesn't matter, screen quality doesn't matter. In raw brute force, Ultrabooks are horrid.

 

If Alienware's support were always so good, this thread might not exist.

Interesting example, that RMbP: the screen doesn't seem particularly good besides the resolution and viewing angles. I would have cited the Precision m6700 and Elitebook 8770w IPS screens. Still, Alienwares might be the most expensive laptops to come with low gamut mirrors. They are not bad, but for $2500+... (Much of why I didn't buy an m18x.)

To be fair, a few people in the Sager/Clevo forums rant that Alienwares are overpriced junk and Sager is the "real deal," many of whom cannot get over bad experiences with DELL. It's not as common in the MSI forums.

 

Living in Canada the price difference between Sager and Alienware is not that much. I built a NP9370 from Reflex Notebook's website and it came to $2926.57 where an M18X with the same specs is $3199.99. For the larger screen, better look and build(in my opinion) and the support from Dell I would pay the extra $273.42 for Alienware hands down.

 

In that example sometimes its just better to pay the difference.

In others such as the M14x R2 costing nearly twice as much as an Inspiron 17R with FHD screen and similar spec elsewhere the difference becomes more pronounced.