Sager/Clevo vs Alienware/Dell

Alienware... bleh. Looks like it was styled for 14 yr old boys

Sager all the way for value and looks. The fact that I own an 8170 has nothing to do with my opinion, I am totally unbiased...

 

i agree i just purchased an p8180 after forever for lookin for highend specs and price and lemme tell ya these reselllers sure treat u better than dell! those guys are bad... from my personal experience rushing you and dont know what they are talking about..lol try out MALIBAL.com all of those who are in debate about it... and I LOVE MINES!

 

I'm sure the next gen of sager laptops in q1 next year will be "true" backlit from under the keyboard.
The light shining on keys tho? Thats totally a Thinkpad trick, called the thinklight from before backlight keyboards were even invented.

 

What made me consider Sager was its clean look but yet powerful specs at a lower price

What made me get Sager instead of other brands was that it allows post-sales upgrades

What made me willing to stick with Sager is its great service

There you go, now if only I can replace the keyboard with a backlit one...

PS: Sager is still using plastic, had horrible=>epic experience about it. Another story for another thread...

 

So... since the new models with all the changes are more or less out would P170EM be a better choice than M17x R4, assuming similar pricing?

 

The M17x should be ahead with a slightly better cooling system (if we assume nothing has changed) other than that, it's up to one self to decide.

I would personally go for the P170EM (now that it has a backlit keyboard)

 

I still dont understand why Alienware is so dam expensive? Is it really that much more reliable? I mean the guts are all the same... your telling me that the logo and the aluminum chasis is what justifies the 25-30% mark up?

 

and the various lights on the case for some of them

/sarcasm

It's the logo.

 

I configured similar 17" rigs on for each of AW and Clevo (using Mythlogic) without looking at the price until I was finished. The price was ~28% higher for AW (which is pretty significant IMO). The customer service reputation is what is driving me to make my next purchase from Mythlogic. Sometimes you can't measure how valuable CS is.

Edit: I forgot to check to see if AW/Dell has a military discount. If they do, then their price might drop to be ~25% higher. Still, it's a lot higher.

 

Best thing about alien ware is the warranty. Point out a clevo reseller that offers accidental damage warranty with next day repairs at your house and I would gladly buy from them. As to the increased pricing, I only order thorough aafes(military) so I get a super nice discount. I'm Not trying to start a flame war, just stating my opinion from the other side of the pond.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 using tapatalk 2

 

But you have to pay extra for extra warranty - and its not cheap btw.

The main difference in pricing is really simply the alienhead logo.

Look, its the same with Apple... production cost inclusive labor for an iphone is about 178,45 USD - retail price 630 USD. Why don't they sell it cheaper?
Its not necessary to do so, as long enough people are buying it for a high price.

Same you could say with Alienware - why lower the price scheme when there are enough people buying for a higher price (especially upgrades are really expensive imo).

 

Considering I only paid $1280 for mine before I upgraded some stuff after market I think I got a great deal. The other thing about alienware I like is disassemblely. Only takes 2 screws on my m17x to get to the hard drives, 2 ram slots, and the CPU and gpu. Are the clevo builds similar as I have never watched a teardown on one before. Just curious

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Honestly that's one of the best parts about owning a Sager/Clevo, it is extremely easy to disassemble and add/remove parts. From my experience (owning both an alienware and Sager), The Sager was by far the better deal. But hey, I'm glad you enjoy your M17x!

 

How was your experience with Mythlogic?

 

Guess it comes down to what company you prefer the most. As long as everyone is happy who really cares what you buy as long as you know what you are buying.

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Yeah, we get a really nice discounts from Dell over there. I think the warranty is really nice for Alienware, I wish some of the builders/resellers would at least offer accidental warranty.

 

I've only had to deal with Dell CS once or twice, and it seemed ok. However, since I'm looking around for a new laptop I've been speaking with Malibal/Xotic and their support has been outstanding so far.

 

Alienware and Dell laptops have improved in build quality so I'd say they are a bit better than Clevo right now. Warranty is also arguably better with Alienware/Dell. But the customization and drop in price is worth it to get a Clevo. Also, if you're a hardware nut, the inside layout of a Clevo will warm your heart.

Edit: Yes, the customer support is so much better for most Clevo resellers than Alienware/Dell.

 

Yea depending on the dell rep you can either have stellar or horrible service. Usually if I get a bad rep, I just hang up and try again. Xotic has some great service, I just liked the quality and features of the m17x when I bought the machine. It has taken almost a year for sager to catch up.

 

So what about screen quality of M17x vs P170EM? Are stock screens comparable or would I have to upgrade if I were to go with Clevo? I didn't consider AW before, but now, after getting price from AAFES, it looks like a viable option (except that it's heavier than Clevo).

 

Get the 1080p screen from alien ware, its a great screen, I skimped out on the full rez display and really regret it now. and didn't clevo finally get optimus/AMD switching? Took long enough.

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So I ended up ordering the m17x R4 today. Rep and I worked out a great deal. Something you can do w/ dell and cant really do w/ the other resellers is negotiate the price. My build came out to about the same price for a similar specd machine i was looking to build w mythlogic.

 

Gratz and welcome to the alienware club

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 using tapatalk 2

 

Good for you.
Aestetically AW looks nice, but at 10lbs seems a little too heavy (although, if plugged in most of the time, shouldn't matter much).
Does anyone know what's the failure rate of AW vs Clevos?

 

I lug my M17x around and its not to heavy for me. I got a good backpack to carry it and all my stuff though.

 

What I like about Sager/Clevo compared to Alienware/Dell is that when I try to build an Alienware machine with parts that match Sager's, it always calculates to be way more expensive. Also, I can't help but feel that I've outgrown Alienware's aesthetic design in favor of Clevo's sleekness.

 

Grow more, choose Apple

Seriously

 

I don't think an Apple can produce the level of performance Sager can. And let's not even get into the issues of Flash and Games when it comes to Apple, or the fact that I grew up on Windows.

Or was that a joke? I don't know when it comes to the Internet.

 

I do like Clevo design as well, even though it's not as futuristic looking as AW.

It is actually cheaper for me to get M17x through AAFES with 7970M and i7 2760QM than P170EM with stock screen using any reseller. I think it maybe possible to go even lower on AW price if I call them directly.
I'm just kind of wary a little about AW reliability since quite a few people on this forum said that they have used their warranty many times and it just can't be a good sign.

 

You just see more complaints online.. Is someone more likely to find a public forum to express happiness, or to complain? Complain.. I wouldn't read too much into it. I'll be getting a 150EM, but Dell has very good warranty support, especially if you talk to the right person..

 

In a couple months, I'm getting either the P150EM or the M17x R4. Right now, I'm leaning a bit towards the AW. But it could go either way in the end, as both have certain advantages over the other.

 

Maybe we should flip a coin?

 

dell's alienware pay too much attention about the cost-control

 

Mythlogic offers a accidental warranty coverage if that is what is holding you back from considering Sager/Clevo.

 

I hear all the time, that everyone gets really good deals on Alienware, how come? you just... talk with the sales man?
Or there is a web were you get cupons or something?
Cuz right now, i leaning towards AW just for the 7970 and the look, but... the price is around 1800ish

 

Military people can get a pretty decent discount on Alienware if they buy at the right time..

for discount strategies see this thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/456885-aw-dell-ordering-advice-how-save.html

For US Dell outlet coupons see this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/notebook-tech-bargains/636641-dell-2012-outlet-coupons.html

 

Good thing I didn't need a laptop a year ago!

From what I've seen now, though and for what I want/need, it looks like the Sager laptops have the best price/performance, unless I'm missing something when I price Alienware machines.

 

What has happend to you? Do make me a cheap Apple gaming PC, impossibruu

Unless I become a full time photographer, I won't have to use my moms macbook pro PC is just fine if you want a gaming life with enough customization that you'll stay a real man .... just sayin'

 

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Here is more information: Get 10% off top Alienware gaming PCs

 

Already have one but I'm looking at other brands.

 

It was a semi joke, hehe. But I was also half serious. Yes, you are right about performance but the thing is what do you need a laptop for. I have a M18x and most of the time keep both GPU's disabled as am not using the power it packs. So, for me a MBP/A is a great choice. For you it may be a bad idea if you depend on microsoft products and need the extra power. But the thing is, there are always things that get sacrificed. With apple you sacrifice versatility and power but get reliability and outstanding quality. Sager has a lot of power to offer as well good screen options but less features and lower quality. It has limited warranty, bulkiness and weight but can be easily upgraded and maintained down the road. There's no simple choice.

 

Alienware M17X R4 with Soft Touch
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit
2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-2760QM
6GB DDR3 at 1600MHz (2DIMMS)
17.3-inch WideFHD 1920 x 1080 60Hz WLED
2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 7970M
750GB 7,200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s
AlienFX Quasar Blue
Stealth Black with Soft Touch Finish
Creative Sound Blaster Recon3Di with THX TruStudio Pro Software
Slot-Loading Dual Layer DVD Burner (DVD+-RW, CD-RW)
Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 2230 With Bluetooth 4.0
1 Year Basic Plan
$1608

or identically speced P170EM w/ 8Gb RAM & stock screen for
$1800+

I think I may go with AW

 

Same exact system I would buy If I bought another one, Nice config

 

I just priced out exactly what you had and it came out to $2100+....

 

I think he specced it out in the aafes store. They give out quite the discount to our protectors in the armed forces.

 

And no tax

 

I was surprised to see such a nice military discount. I may have to reconsider since the Clevo/Sager resellers discount is only 3%.

 

Dell's discount goes up and down. Just wait for a good deal. I got my rig for like 30% off

 

Haha ah yes, the good old bargain days! Got my exactly 25% off mine, XPS M1530, been a while now

 

For me the dealbreaker with AW is the difficulty of getting one shipped from US to EU. The prices for them in EU are just a joke and a mockery towards consumers. The same spec M17xR4 in eu is about 500eur more expensive than in the US (not top of the line but not the cheapest either). Also to the price issue I have to add the waiting time for each order.

On the other hand, for a P170EM, from a random reseller in germany I got almost the same price as I would get for a close speced AW in the US. I can imagine that it would be even cheaper over there.

Another + for clevo for me is the looks. The main reason for getting a gaming laptop is because I travel a lot for work. I am pretty sure I would feel a little awkward with a futuristic AW when doing work on customers sites. On the other hand, I really like how the AW look, different from all the other brands, I like the keyboard, the display, the shape...

As a conclusion, I have to look at the numbers and at the moment there are more +es for clevo. I'll make the actual purchase in about 1 month so I still have time for research and decision making.

Thanks for having the patience to read through my rambling