Windows 7: Opinions on this Alienware? (mainly for gaming)

First off, I'm not exactly sure if this is the right place to post this in, but I posted it here because I need some opinions on a computer I may get that is manly for gaming. The link defaults back to the default, non-customized version of the computer, so I have to copy and paste the specs from the site. My apologies if this is hard to read.

Alienware X51 - Alienware X51
OPERATING SYSTEM - Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64Bit, English
PROCESSOR - Intel® Core™ i7-2600 3.4GHz (8MB Cache) with Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost Technology 2.0
MEMORY - 8GB (2x4GB) Dual Channel DDR3 at 1333MHz
CHASSIS COLOR - Matte Stealth Black with Dark Chrome Accents
VIDEO CARD - 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 555
HARD DRIVE - 1TB SATA 6Gb/s (7,200RPM) 32MB Cache
WIRELESS - DW1502 Wireless-N WLAN Half Mini-Card
Adobe Reader Software - Adobe® Acrobat® Reader
ALIENFX - AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
AUTOMATIC UPDATES 330W External Power Supply



I don't know much about how good each part of this is, but I do know enough to realize it is not a piece of junk. The total (without shipping and those costs) is at $1,181.99. So what I'm asking is, can this run most modern games without much issue? There is not too much I can change about this, as Dell has a somewhat limited variety of parts for this computer.

Sure, it looks alright.

Though I would certainly not recommend an Alienware to anyone. They are overpriced as you pay more because its a 'premium' brand. I would recommend either building a gaming rig yourself, or if you don't know how to or don't want to, you can choose the parts from certain shops and get them to build it for you.

However, if you do want to stick with the Alienware you should be able to game at medium-high settings on most games. It really does depend though on what games you are planning on playing. The GTX 555 is decent but not a card I've seen many people purchase.

Now, are you planning on overclocking? The i7-2600 is a very good CPU however, it has a locked multiplier which means you will only be able to overclock to around 3.8Ghz if you're lucky. I wouldn't worry though as the i7-2600 is a high-end card and you should be very satisfied performance-wise.

The RAM looks good as does the HDD. The only thing I would be worried about is the PSU. That graphics card only needs a 150w power supply but a 330W power supply does not leave you with much headroom for future upgrades.

Since you are shopping for a pre-built, I assume you have little or no interest in building your own.

I'd go to Dell's standard desktops and see what you can configure there with similar specs---the 2600 processor, a 1 TB drive, 8 GB RAM, and a mid-level graphics card.

That may well turn out to be cheaper than the Alienware and a better value--without all the flashing lights and "gaming" hype associated with Alienware generally.

That was concern, but I'm not sure how much I will be upgrading it, if I buy it.

I'm probably going to look over at those desktops, and is nVidia the best graphics card manufacturer? I have always been happy with the ATI Radeons, but I haven't been playing games like BF3 and Portal on the computer I have now.

you can make a better pc for a bit cheaper then buying a prebuilt and is better parts. I selected some parts and it would run anything and is a good build

Total $994.92 usd if you build it your self, plus you get two free games with it which are Codemasters Operation Flashpoint: Red River and and Dirt 3

Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER-U3 Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ,comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, front mounted dual USB 3.0
Newegg.com - XFX HD-687X-CNFC Radeon HD 6870 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX8GX3M2B1600C9
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Newegg.com - ASRock H61M/U3S3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-2600 Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I72600
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - Operating Systems
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148697

Wow! Thank you for taking some time to throw this list together, but if I order this, do I have to put it together myself? I don't know much about the inner workings of a PC, so I wouldn't want to screw anything up. I will look into this list when I get more time.

ye you would have to built it your self but you could possibly pay somebody to put it togther for you

Also np i got extra time on my hands :P

Edit: also im amusing you already have a monitor or tv and mouse and keyboard already that you could use for it right?

Everything on that list looks good and decent. However i would suggest he gets a different processesor. Instead of getting that i7 he could look at getting an i5.

i5 Option one. Its about a hundred dollars less, and offers the same amount of performance. A quality Chip for a lower price.
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2400S Sandy Bridge 2.5GHz (3.3GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 65W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I52400S

i5 Option 2. Its 30 Dollars more than the first i5, but this one has unlocked cores. That means if you wanted to , you could overclock it and gain a performance boost down the road. These are very good chips, and can really go toe to toe with an i7 any day.
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K

If he chooses to get an i5, the money saved could go towards picking a different card. The card i suggest he looks at is an Nvidia Gtx 560 Ti. I will list 2 options, the Msi and the EVGA one. If he sticks with the Radeon thats fine, these are just suggestions. These are the Nvidia equivalent of the HD 6870. Very Solid cards, and will run alot of recent games on High with no Problems.
Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Newegg.com - MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Something i forgot to mention, none of the parts i suggested include free games. I really don't see it as a con, but its up to the OP to decide.

I just got a brand new 32" TV, and I have two spare monitors at my house, and I have a keyboard and mouse, just not the best for gaming.

oh ok cool man