Discussion Thoughts on a pre-built pcs worth

[Kcorb]

Hello

I customized this pre-built Alienware Aurora r12 pc ,and am looking for a price check/quality check

(I am always happy for criticism and helpful tips)

The cost is 2,400. USD(I know that is a lot but I am willing to spend on this)

The link below should should bring you to all the specs
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/gam...rationid=90805e75-657e-4e7b-b2ab-5b268f431b56

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

always happy for criticism and helpful tips

no mention of power supply model which is a big issue with the majority of pre-built systems.
many use the cheapest option available which can lead to damage of all connected components.
and with their limited 1 year warranty there will be no refund or RMA when something does get fried after that short period.

using 11th gen processor when 12th gen are far superior for relatively the same price.

slow memory which has more of a performance impact on the later Intel Core CPUs.

no mention of included CPU cooling, and a nicer 3rd party option is necessary for these gen CPUs for gaming or other stressful activities.

only a single 1TB M.2.
you should be opting for a smaller OS & applications M.2 drive and a separate larger SSD for game installations,
which i imagine this system is for since you're choosing an RTX 3000 series card.
Windows 11 is still very "buggy" and often leads to needing to restore or reinstall multiple times.
having games installed on this OS drive will require all of them to be entirely re-downloaded each time something of this nature occurs.
if they are located on a separate disk all that is needed is to allow the distributor(Steam, Epic, GOG, etc) to do a quick rescan and fill in registry entries and other necessary data.

many of these options could be replaced/upgraded personally after you received the system but any manual hardware customization automatically voids any included warranty so this is not an option here.

 

[Kcorb]

Thank you for your thoughts I will keep this in mind while moving forward.

 

[Why_Me]

Thank you for your thoughts I will keep this in mind while moving forward.

Is this for gaming and if so what is your monitor resolution?

 

[jacob249358]

The link brings me to the base model but I wouldn't suggest Alienware. They might be able to beat a custom PC when you just look at CPU/GPU but they have proprietary parts and its just not a good option.
Some solid prebuilts in the $2400 range. The first one is more of a 1440p 144hz or 4k 60 as it has the better GPU but a worse CPU. The second one would destroy 1080p 240 and would be great for 1440 240/144. All this heavily depends on the games and settings that's just a general characterization as I don't know what your monitor specs are.
https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali555-gladiator/p/N82E16883360185R?Description=gaming pc&cm_re=gaming_pc--83-360-185R--Product&quicklink=true

https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali603/p/N82E16883360268?Description=gaming pc&cm_re=gaming_pc--83-360-268--Product

 

[Why_Me]

The link brings me to the base model but I wouldn't suggest Alienware. They might be able to beat a custom PC when you just look at CPU/GPU but they have proprietary parts and its just not a good option.
Some solid prebuilts in the $2400 range. The first one is more of a 1440p 144hz or 4k 60 as it has the better GPU but a worse CPU. The second one would destroy 1080p 240 and would be great for 1440 240/144. All this heavily depends on the games and settings that's just a general characterization as I don't know what your monitor specs are.
https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali555-gladiator/p/N82E16883360185R?Description=gaming pc&cm_re=gaming_pc--83-360-185R--Product&quicklink=true

https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali603/p/N82E16883360268?Description=gaming pc&cm_re=gaming_pc--83-360-268--Product

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fnXsmXzphI

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL-eB_Bv5Ik

 

[jacob249358]

I thought newegg was pretty solid? Is this just a single instance thing? I heard there was a situation but Im not aware of what really happened.

 

[Why_Me]

Here's another option. Pretty much any local mom & pops PC repair shop will build a PC for you for a small fee. Order the parts and when they come in take them down there and have whoever build it for you. This way you know exactly what hardware you're getting.

https://www.newegg.com/black-phanteks-eclipse-p360a-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811854103
Phanteks Eclipse P360A Mid Tower Case $79.99

Exhaust fan for that case.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GJBD69S
ARCTIC P12 PWM 120mm 4-Pin Case Fan $9.58

https://www.antonline.com/Evga/Computers/Video_Cards/Graphic_Cards/1443678
EVGA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti XC GAMING 8GB GDDR6 LHR Graphic Card + EVGA SuperNOVA 750W GA 80+ Gold Fully Modular Power Supply + EVGA X17 Wired Customizable Gaming Mouse + EVGA Z12 RGB USB 2.0 Gaming Keyboard $727.96

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813144531
MSI PRO B660M-A DDR4 $139.99

https://www.newegg.com/intel-core-i5-12400f-core-i5-12th-gen/p/N82E16819118360
Intel Core i5-12400F $199.99

https://www.amazon.com/DEEP-COOL-GAMMAXX400V2-GAMMAXX-400/dp/B085G8WJCC/

DEEPCOOL GAMMAXX 400 V2 CPU Cooler $36.41

https://global.deepcool.com/1700MountingUpgrades/index_global.aspx

https://www.newegg.com/ballistix-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820164176
Crucial Ballistix DDR4 3200MHz 16GB (2x8GB) CL16 $74.99

https://www.amazon.com/PNY-CS2130-Internal-Solid-State/dp/B0869C35V2/
PNY CS2130 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe Gen3 x4 Internal SSD $184.99

https://www.amazon.com/Windows-USB-English-International-Upgrade/dp/B09RGQ7YVJ
Windows 10 Home USB | 32-bit/64-bit | Free Upgrade to Windоws 11 $109.00

Total: $1563 *not including shipping

https://www.amazon.com/MSI-Optix-MAG274R2-Adjustable-Compatible/dp/B093WMSLQQ/
MSI Optix MAG274R2 Full HD Gaming Non-Glare Super Narrow Bezel 1ms 1920 x 1080 165Hz FreeSync G-Sync Compatible 27” IPS Gaming Monitor $265.99

https://www.msi.com/Monitor/Optix-MAG274R2

https://www.phanteks.com/Eclipse-P360A.html

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/PRO-B660M-A-DDR4

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

I thought newegg was pretty solid? Is this just a single instance thing?

i've purchased the majority of components from them for 10+ years now and the only bad experience i've had was when buying from a third party vendor selling through their site.
in this instance the 3rd party, from China, kept changing the reported packaging and then shipping dates over and over.
finally after ~30 days I contacted Newegg support directly and they cancelled the order and refunded the money very promptly.

i've seen reports of quite a few even worse instances reported when dealing with 3rd party sales through them.
so if using Newegg make sure you select "Sold By: Newegg" in their left-hand menu options on the site.

but of course as they've become a multi-million+ dollar retailer there's many more employees and many more chances of possible mistakes to be made during any interaction.

pre-built Alienware Aurora r12

as previous post stated, the best route with pre-built systems is always through a local shop.
preferably a small business and not a Best Buy type chain.
this way you have local support for any issues that may arise, no extra shipping costs, and easy upgradability through the same location.
also these type of shops tend to follow actual product manufacturer warranties that are usually longer and more inclusive than pre-built vendor's overall coverage.

most will help to guide you through picking out the best possible components and can sometimes get better pricing through their suppliers.
or will allow you to purchase your own hardware and will only charge a flat rate for installation and testing.

 

[Why_Me]

i've purchased the majority of components from them for 10+ years now and the only bad experience i've had was when buying from a third party vendor selling through their site.
in this instance the 3rd party, from China, kept changing the reported packaging and then shipping dates over and over.
finally after ~30 days I contacted Newegg support directly and they cancelled the order and refunded the money very promptly.

i've seen reports of quite a few even worse instances reported when dealing with 3rd party sales through them.
so if using Newegg make sure you select "Sold By: Newegg" in their left-hand menu options on the site.

but of course as they've become a multi-million+ dollar retailer there's many more employees and many more chances of possible mistakes to be made during any interaction.

as previous post stated, the best route with pre-built systems is always through a local shop.
preferably a small business and not a Best Buy type chain.
this way you have local support for any issues that may arise, no extra shipping costs, and easy upgradability through the same location.
also these type of shops tend to follow actual product manufacturer warranties that are usually longer and more inclusive than pre-built vendor's overall coverage.

most will help to guide you through picking out the best possible components and can sometimes get better pricing through their suppliers.
or will allow you to purchase your own hardware and will only charge a flat rate for installation and testing.

I'll never understand why peeps go with prebuilts. I live in Alaska and off the top of my head I can think of at least two local mom & pop PC/laptop repair shops within a twenty minute drive from me that offer to build PC's if you order the parts and bring them there. That's not including the peeps who work out of their home/garage and build PC's on the side for some extra dough. Same thing with those guys ... order the parts, bring them on down and pay afterwards.

 

[Brian D Smith]

"I'll never understand why peeps go with prebuilts"

I guess that might depend on what you mean by 'peeps'.
I am typing on a XPS L702X -2.20 gigahertz Intel Core i7-2720QM 4 Core....10+ yrs old from Dell. I have a nice enough desktop...but this little thing is rock-solid, never had a problem with it, huge, beautiful screen and sound.

If this thing ever gets replaced, I think I might just have to give it a beautiful funeral and a nice headstone extolling it's virtues.