Need help on a decision!

[Bluemeth]

So I'm getting my first gaming pc and I have a hard decision to make. I have to choose between a Alienware Aurora R5 or a IBuyPower bb921. I want to run games at 1080p.
I just want to know what other ppl think. Any help you will appreciated

 

[PCtryhard]

If you can, build one. If not, I myself would lean Alienware. I own one of their laptops and have been pleased. Under the assumption you are looking at the best Alienware configueation, it is a better deal, too. -PCth

 

[Dugimodo]

Here in NZ many PC suppliers will build to order with whatever parts you want, a great option if you don't want to build it yourself. Might be worth considering. I can't comment on the IBuyPower, they don't sell them here, but the Alienware will be a nice machine, they just tend to be a bit pricey from what I've seen.

 

[Jeff Kaos]

You'll need to post links because when I Google the bb921 I just get a generic Intel build. Back in the day both of these were considered decent companies with Alienware holding the lofty position of "best boutique brand" for a long time but they seemed to lose a lot of cred when they got bought out by Dell. You'll probably get a few responses telling you to "build your own" and there's a lot to be said about that. First you'll typically save at least 10-25%, second it's a lot easier to do than you think and third you'll get exactly what you want. With a boutique off the rack build you usually get crappy motherboard and PSU in the build. But the up side is that you'll get some sort of warranty with the system which may or may not be worth the extra money you'll pay. And you'll almost always get lifetime tech support which again may or may not worth the extra costs. You also get to avoid the hassle of "what could it be" if you're DIY build won't boot up. Since this is your first gaming rig I personally can't say that you absolutely shouldn't buy a pre-built rig (I know I have a couple of times). And as you become more familiar with PC gaming you can always upgrade yourself or build you own system "next time". But yeah, post some specs or links.

 

[Bluemeth]

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


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ibuypower-desktop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1060-120gb-solid-state-drive-1tb-hard-drive-black-red/5623270.p?skuId=5623270


This are the links to both pc

 

[Jeff Kaos]

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


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ibuypower-desktop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1060-120gb-solid-state-drive-1tb-hard-drive-black-red/5623270.p?skuId=5623270


This are the links to both pc

Tough choice. I can see the appeal of both but personally I'd go with the iBuyPower rig. You're getting 8 gigs of extra ram, a SSD and the latest graphics card. The only downside is that you're not getting integrated wifi receiver but a wifi receive is pretty cheap and easy to install. And in as pinch a usb wifi reciever will do the trick and only run about $50 at most for a good Belkin.

*edit* The only thing I don't like is pairing a 1060 with an i7 but it won't be that big a deal and the i7 CPU will last for a while either way. And here's a link to give a quick overview between the 2 cards
http://gpuboss.com/gpus/GeForce-GTX-970-vs-GeForce-GTX-1060
And that's really the main factor when it comes to PC gaming and will most likely be the first thing you'll upgrade.