Asus i5 vs Alienware i7? Which one is better?

[sky gazer]

Hi everyone! I am newbie to this forum with a question about two different desktops. I am torn between two different ones and am having a hard time deciding. I want a gaming computer that will play current games and will be VR ready. I will not be able to get VR until prices come down, but I want to make sure my purchase will be able to perform when I join the VR world. I also want a desktop that will last around 5-6 years. I will most definitely be changing graphic cards during that time, but processors will not be changed. I have provided links and details about each one below.

Option 1:
Asus
i5 6400 Intel
2.7 GHz base processor speed
3.3 GHz turbo clock speed
GTX 970 graphics card

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-desktop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-silver-and-red/5070700.p?id=bb5070700&skuId=5070700

Option 2:
Alienware
i7 6700
3.4 GHz processor speed
4.0 GHz turbo clock speed
GTX 970 graphics card

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/alienware-aurora-shadowcat-desktop-intel-core-i7-8gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-970-1tb-hard-drive-epic-silver/5330000.p?id=bb5330000&skuId=5330000

No matter which one I get, I'll be adding a 128 SSD and extra RAM. I am sorta afraid of ASUS, because I have had two previous laptops from the company and both have messed up majorly on me. As a matter of fact, my previous ASUS is the reason why I am looking for another computer, since it quit after having it for only 4 months. I purchased it at a local store and have to purchase my next computer there, due to their protection plan rules. So, these are two of my only options at the moment. I am not necessarily concerned about the price difference, if the Alienware is better suited to play intensive games and if the i7 6700 will be a better option, as far as the computer no becoming obsolete sooner. However, if they are both pretty much the same, I would like to save some money!

Thank you all in advance!

 

[bwen1]

If money is not a problem, definetely go for the i7. But you could get more performance if you bought the i5 and use the money saved and the money you were going to buy the new RAM with and buy a new graphics card. A GTX 1070 is much much better than the 970.
But of course, building your own is the cheapest. Prebuilts tend to use generic parts for their power supplies and fans etc.

 

[cl-justin]

For future proof, if money is not an issue, then I'd get the Alienware. Better yet, I recommend you build your own computer since you're willing to dish out that kind of budget. You definitely can build something better with that kind of budget than that Alienware.

 

[sky gazer]

If money is not a problem, definetely go for the i7. But you could get more performance if you bought the i5 and use the money saved and the money you were going to buy the new RAM with and buy a new graphics card. A GTX 1070 is much much better than the 970.
But of course, building your own is the cheapest. Prebuilts tend to use generic parts for their power supplies and fans etc.

Thank you for the response! I really like the price tag of the ASUS, and was planning to upgrade to a 1070 or 1080 in the future anyway. I was just worried that the i5-6400 may limit my gaming options later. I want to keep the computer for a long time, but do not want to have to play using low settings either. Do you know if the i7-6700 will be capable of playing at higher settings in the long run? I plan to keep the GPU as up to date as my budget allows. I am fairly tech savvy, and have built a computer in the past, but there were small issues that were hard to tweak and were frustrating. As much as I would like to customize a PC, I do not want to go through having to pinpoint little problems/issues that arise.

 

[sky gazer]

For future proof, if money is not an issue, then I'd get the Alienware. Better yet, I recommend you build your own computer since you're willing to dish out that kind of budget. You definitely can build something better with that kind of budget than that Alienware.

Thank you for the advice! I really like the Alienware, I just wasn't sure if it is worth the extra $$, 450 $$ to be exact 😱. Money isn't as much an issue, since I plan to keep the PC for a long time, I just want to make sure it is something that will provide a better gaming experience for longer. I really wish I could build a computer, but my skills are rather limited when it comes to actually building one from the ground up.

 

[bwen1]

For future proof, if money is not an issue, then I'd get the Alienware. Better yet, I recommend you build your own computer since you're willing to dish out that kind of budget. You definitely can build something better with that kind of budget than that Alienware.

Thank you for the advice! I really like the Alienware, I just wasn't sure if it is worth the extra $$, 450 $$ to be exact 😱. Money isn't as much an issue, since I plan to keep the PC for a long time, I just want to make sure it is something that will provide a better gaming experience for longer. I really wish I could build a computer, but my skills are rather limited when it comes to actually building one from the ground up.

$450 for just a CPU upgrade is way too much. You'd be better off buying the i5, then selling the i5 and replacing it with a i7 6700k. And upgrading GPUs might be a pain with pre builts. The powersupplies they give you are usually very generic no branded PSUs. You should replace your PSU too if you are to put an expensive part like the GTX 1080 in there. And if this was the case, you might be better off just building it completely. You can save a lot of money and the parts will be much higher quality. You can also choose a nice windowed case and add nice LEDs