Alienware

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ivantrv

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Mar 2, 2007
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Hey, I'm new here. I've always wanted to buy an Alienware since I was little, and now I finally can. I placed an order for an Area 51 7500 on the United Kingdom website since they ship to New Zealand where I live. I haven't payed for it yet though, I'm going to in a few days. I'm having some doubts however.

When I called up Alienware because I wanted to modify the specs of my computer, I got put through to an indian guy and I could barely understand what he was saying. He didn't even know anything about computers. Part of the conversation went like this:

Him: What part of the order would you like to modify, sir?
Me: The operating system.
Him: Ummmm, the processor?

It took 20 minutes on the phone just to modify a few simple things. Not to mention since I'm in New Zealand I have to pay the phone bill since its an internation call.

I've called them up a few times and I think I've always been put through to indian people. Is their tech support in the UK or in india lol?

Are these indian people the same people who will be assembling my system or will actually competent english people assemble it?

What do you guys at [H] think of Alienware? I know [H] consumer has reviewed two Alienware systems and one even got a Editor's Silver Award, but I'm just a bit nervous that their tech support will be crap if anything goes wrong with my pc.
 
The call center is probably outsourced to the Middle East, but the people assembling the computer are probably based elsewhere.

I think Alienware is overpriced. They're all empty hype. Nothing special. If money is no object, you've made the right choice ;)

The [H] Consumer reviews greatly value tech support, so if they awarded them a Silver, the tech support (that they experienced) must have been quite good.
 
i was planning on getting an alienware until i built my own.

alienwaers r overpriced, not as much as voodoo but still are.

the tech support isnt the smartest and will lie to you, alot. one tech told me there was only 1 fan in their new cases even tho there are 3. they have a picture of a 7800gs as there 7900GT.

alienware has very cool cases and good products.

i dont recommend canceling or returning your order because they charge a restocking fee and its just not worth it. im sure ull like ur system and alienware usually sends out a tech to fix ur problems instead of u having send back ur comp.
 
I too wanted an alien until I started really researching and reading (8-9 months ago).

I was going to deride alien from personal experience, but instead Id just direct you to be sure you plunk down the cash, look at Velocity Micro, AVA Direct, Maingear and OverdrivePC.

Make no mistake, a lot of people buy and like Alien. I personally am thrilled by the service that VM provides. One fella at VM, who really knows his stuff and with perfect diction and articulate, bent over backwards to far as to provide me his personal cell phone should I need or have questions any time. That is the kind of dedication and personal service that makes VM really stands out.
 
Alright sweet, I'm going to go ahead with it then. It wasn't actually that expensive, I managed to catch an awesome offer (it was only for one day or something, not on the site anymore) and I saved $1000+ USD.

O and xnikx, I doubt they'll fly over a tech to New Zealand (you do know where that is right?) lol.

mket, I don't really like those companies, I prefer to buy a popular one that stands out like Alienware or Voodoo. Money is not much of a problem right now tbh.

Also I'm getting Windows XP Pro with my system as thats the only XP they offer (I'm trying to make them get me Home). What are the differences between Home and Pro? I don't want Vista, I hate it. :p
 
All reputation Alienware had, has probably changed because Alienware was bought out by Dell.

Alienware computers used to be made in Miami if I am not mistaken, a few people at my school worked there.
 
ivantrv said:
mket, I don't really like those companies, I prefer to buy a popular one that stands out like Alienware or Voodoo.
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If they don't stand out to you now, you better stare at the names for a few minutes ;)




They're very popular here at the [H], and I know the forum has reps from at least Velocity Micro and AVA who try to monitor threads that pertain to them. Not sure about Maingear or Overdrive.

Hell, even Corsair has a rep here.
 
Compare XP Home and XP Pro

As for Vista, I have xp pro and vista in dual boot. Im still waiting on solid nvidia and arecea drivers before I commit to vista 100%.

Just curious, why dont you like any of those companies?
 
ivantrv said:
mket, I don't really like those companies, I prefer to buy a popular one that stands out like Alienware or Voodoo. Money is not much of a problem right now tbh.
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Very ill-advised approach to take. The biggest mistake people make is buying systems based on brand recognition. That's for noobs.

This is the Alienware evaluation you should take into consideration, not the one we did a year ago.

If you've got money to spend, go with Maingear or Falcon Northwest. Falcon is just as recognized as Voodoo - they were the first boutique builder. If you really want a big name, it doesn't get bigger than Falcon. If you're willing to trust us, Maingear is the way to go - you won't find higher customer satisfaction.
 
Well the companies that you guys listed don't ship to New Zealand (beneath Australia if you dont know). The only boutique pc builders that I can find that ship to New Zealand are:

Alienware
Falcon Northwest
Voodoo

I considered falcon northwest earlier but they're even more expensive than Alienware and I got a really good deal with Alienware.
 
Alienware's prices are insanely high. I don't see how anyone could use their online integrator without starting to feel physically ill :)
 
I own a alienware and never had a prob with it. I have called their TEC and hated them :/
 
im sure ur gonna love ur alienware, what case color and lights did u get? i was gonna get silver with aqau. did u get alienware fx? if u didnt i know a way u can change the color of the lights without it. also will u be posting pics of ur comp?

i knew falcon northwest befor i knew dell and alienware.

i love the falcon nw mach v case! alienware still looks cooler but i love the sleek and cooling looking design. i wish u can buy the alienware cases.

since ur getting an alienware i recommend u go here and read some reveiwes
http://www.notebookforums.com/forum54.html
 
I bet you'll love the Alienware but personally...I have one and I wasn't very impressed. One tech took 3 hours to solve no problems that I mentioned at the beginning of the call, with no intention to really do so. Also, one fan vent came missing a screw and the side fan was not secured in the appropriate slot leaving it hanging in the middle of the case. They are extremely overpriced I mean, before you can add anything the price is up at $2400 for the A-51-7500 and thats with barely anything inside. I don't think I'll ever go back to alienware.
 
I too wanted an Alienware PC ever since I knew what a PC was ;)

However, I just recently was able to purchase a new computer and I research the different companies for about two weeks before I made a decision.

By the end I choose Velocity Micro without any apprehension. They have EXCELLENT tech support (All in the USA I beleive), great build quality, good prices (not the absolute lowest, but you get what you pay for), I could go on and on. The President of the company is a member on these forums and helps people with their problems. There is also a woman from Velocity Micro customer care on here (her name is Heather and you couldn't find a more helpful person than her).

Velocity Micro also uses name brand componants for almost everything. No HP or Dell OEM crap there. Since most of the products are name brand, you can register them with their respective manufacturer and get the manufacturer's warranty. That way when the Velocity Micro warranty runs out, you will probably still be covered on most of your componants.

Other boutique builders might do that too, I don't know.

This is my opinion, hopefully it will be helpful in your decision. Good luck with whatever you decide!

P.S.
I believe that Dell recently bought Alienware. Not to say that they will change anything, just keep that in mind.
 
I just checked...

- velocity micro ships to the whole world
Velocity Micro ships computer systems in the contiguous 48 states via UPS Ground Service. Alaska, Hawaii, and the rest of the world are serviced via air delivery.
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- although I cant find a statement on where maingear ships, they have a number for international customers.

- I cant find any info one way or the other about AVA, but im sure they do.

- from OverdrivePC
Do You Ship International?
We currently ship systems anywhere in the world.
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So I guess I have to ask, have you even looked? You say they dont ship to NZ, but they say they do.

Seriously, do yourself a big favor and check them out.
 
Alright thanks, I'll check them out also. Can anyone please tell me what's so good about windows xp professional that most boutique pc builders offer it instead of xp home? Isn't xp pro like just for businesses or something, what features in it are actually useful to the average gamer?
 
I believe i speak for the entire [H] community when i say "Thumbs Down!"

First off, Dell bought Alienware, they are one and the same company now. Alineware is just centered more on high end, not to say you cant get a high end dell, or a low end Alineware, its just there form of marketing.

What you wanna do is talk to these people. Real parts, good warenty service, good customer support, OK prices (not as good as DIY but, close to).

Both Alienware and Velocity Micro offer good service.

Both Alienware and Velocity Micro offer good warenties.

Dell charges what in my mind is an unbelievable amount on poor systems. My rig has so far set me back maybe $1600. For a MUCH poorer dell system, (featuring a 7900GS) you would pay $2400. Velocity Micro gets the parts OEM, and charges you for labor and warnty service.

Cancel the order, if its at all possible.

If not, well, create a new thread:
"Pimp my Alienware"
 
Errr... what? All the intel alienwares have 680i sli motherboards... Dell bought Alienware but Alienware still operate independently, they just report to Dell and Dell sometimes makes them sell only their monitors and not other brands and things like that. No dell parts go into Alienware systems. I'm looking at vm and other builders and will tell you when i decide. Can someone anwser this question now:

Can anyone please tell me what's so good about windows xp professional that most boutique pc builders offer it instead of xp home? Isn't xp pro like just for businesses or something, what features in it are actually useful to the average gamer?
 
As new news came up, I'd say you cancel the Alienware ASAP and get yourself a velocity micro. I've done plenty investigating around these boards on them and they are extremely popular and know how to do their jobs. Unless you just want that case because it's super alienish and you're willing to pay an extra $1000 for it then I'd say you should go velocity micro. With Alienware when you buy a system, you're buying the case. But, again if you have the money and really don't care about saving the $1000 then go ahead, it's all up to you.
 
your correct, i was mistaken, the stock Alienware board is now on the 680i chipset. Just took em a while to get there.
 
ivantrv said:
Can anyone please tell me what's so good about windows xp professional that most boutique pc builders offer it instead of xp home? Isn't xp pro like just for businesses or something, what features in it are actually useful to the average gamer?
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Your question is based on a false premise. More integrators offer Home and make you pay extra for Pro.

I personally find Pro more stable. It has some added functionality in networking, but nothing you'll miss as you're a novice user. Otherwise, they're pretty much identical. Go with Home if you can unless they'll give you Pro for free. But I think the only company that does that is OPC. Everyone else sells Home standard - or now, Vista Home Premium. It's getting harder to find XP machines.

Whether or not you think you're getting a "good deal" from Alienware, you're not. Listen to the people here - or at least listen to ME as I'm the only one here who has SEEN all of these companies - and seriously consider going with another integrator.
 
Thanks Jason. Alienware, Falcon, Maingear, Overdrive PC, Voodoo and Velocity Micro all offer only XP Pro as standard unless you want vista. Not even an option to choose home edition for.

I'm checking out the other integrators in your reviews now. I kind of like Voodoo PC, they have a high rating on reseller ratings. What do you think of them (keep in mind that price isn't a matter for me atm)? Maybe you should review an Omen or something since it's a long time you've done a review on them.

I also liked overdrive pc but I hate the cm stacker 830. If they were offering their old case then I would probably go with them. I know a case isn't everything, but to me its important.
 
If money is truly not a consideration for you, I recommend Falcon NW. Stay away from Alienware (=Dell).
 
I have an Alienware and as much as I have grown to love it I feel that I must caution you before you make this purchase. When I bought my computer in September I had no idea about other boutique builders and I wish that I had. Money wasn't an issue but I could have saved hundreds by going with VM or one of the many others. After placing my order I was lied to time and time again about when my computer would ship. I got it 2.5 months after my order date, initial estimates were that it would ship in 2 weeks, LOL. They will promise you each and every week that it will ship by Friday, since you pay to call them I suggest you purchase some calling cards to pay for the long wait/call times. Furthermore, the customer service is hit and miss. They have 2 different sections of CS, one outsourced overseas and the other based in Miami (so the representative from Miami tells me). You have to get through the overseas division and prove to them they can't answer your problem before they will transfer to the local branch. (not sure how AW UK does it) I just RMA'd one of my video cards and that was painless enough.

If you are looking for more opinons on AW I suggest you look at these sources. This is a 46 page thread of AW orders that took more than two months to ship. Strangely enough we had all ordered our systems at about the same time and we all had similar experiences with the post purchase support team lying to us.

http://www.notebookforums.com/thread168276.html


And lastly look at http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1650-p4-s1-d1.html

Check out some of these reviews to get an idea of their service as well.
 
ivantrv said:
I'm checking out the other integrators in your reviews now. I kind of like Voodoo PC, they have a high rating on reseller ratings. What do you think of them (keep in mind that price isn't a matter for me atm)? Maybe you should review an Omen or something since it's a long time you've done a review on them.

I also liked overdrive pc but I hate the cm stacker 830. If they were offering their old case then I would probably go with them. I know a case isn't everything, but to me its important.
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Voodoo is fine, but if you're willing to spend that kind of money, there is only one system I would buy - a Falcon Mach 5. We had one in the office a while back, and though we couldn't publish it for various internal reasons, it's one of the finest pieces of hardware I've ever seen.

Admittedly, I've never seen a Voodoo Omen in person, but I've seen two other of their machines and interacted with their support first-hand. Your money is better spent with Falcon.

I'm sorry you don't like the Stacker case - I think it's pretty slick. We were very happy with its construction.
 
You know, I'm actually rather curious. Is it cheaper to have a computer shipped to New Zealand from a Tier-1 integrator like Dell or Apple, or is it cheaper to build it? I can imagine that the cost of shipping a whole computer might be less than if you ship each part individually...
 
Kmillion said:
I have an Alienware and as much as I have grown to love it I feel that I must caution you before you make this purchase. When I bought my computer in September I had no idea about other boutique builders and I wish that I had. Money wasn't an issue but I could have saved hundreds by going with VM or one of the many others. After placing my order I was lied to time and time again about when my computer would ship. I got it 2.5 months after my order date, initial estimates were that it would ship in 2 weeks, LOL. They will promise you each and every week that it will ship by Friday, since you pay to call them I suggest you purchase some calling cards to pay for the long wait/call times. Furthermore, the customer service is hit and miss. They have 2 different sections of CS, one outsourced overseas and the other based in Miami (so the representative from Miami tells me). You have to get through the overseas division and prove to them they can't answer your problem before they will transfer to the local branch. (not sure how AW UK does it) I just RMA'd one of my video cards and that was painless enough.

If you are looking for more opinons on AW I suggest you look at these sources. This is a 46 page thread of AW orders that took more than two months to ship. Strangely enough we had all ordered our systems at about the same time and we all had similar experiences with the post purchase support team lying to us.

http://www.notebookforums.com/thread168276.html


And lastly look at http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1650-p4-s1-d1.html

Check out some of these reviews to get an idea of their service as well.
Click to expand...
I was in the same boat as well. When i ordered in Jan 07, I knew nothing about other boutique vendors. It was not until I already placed my order that I tumbled on to [H] reviews (love them btw). Alienware certainly is overprice compared with others. But I would have to disagree on the slow shipping time (may be I was one of the lucky one :D).

Place oder on 1/25/07
Change my mind, and re-edit order 1/27
Having to wait for credit of 1st order to be cancel to apply to 2nd ordered
Computer shipped on 2/5
Received 2/8

While I like the design on the case :rolleyes: , in restrospect, wish I'd gone with a different vendor. The case is just not worth $1k and could've invest that money somewhere else.
 
It looks like you have your mind made up already but Il try to save you trouble. Alienware has turned into a much bigger company than they were in the day and now they seem more focused on volume that customer satisfaction. I have a few friends that ordered alienware in the last year and every single one of them had problems. Alienware did send out tech support but the person they sent out had to call their helpline to know where the videocard goes and how to get to it. With that said, If you want quality no one on the planet is better than Falcon Northwest. You pay for it though.
 
I got my aurora 7500 from AW a few years back, it fuked up but they came good for me, that was the irish company as its based in athlone ireland and not england.

they service europe and asia and the middle east and have many different ppl from different countries working for them, but if you do have problems, they will come good for ya.

check this out

www.alienwareniche.com loads of AW owners from usa and uk visit that site and all or most have a good story to tell.

they have AW reps on that forum, so if you have any qquestions or probs, they will answer them for ya.
 
Brian Boyko said:
You know, I'm actually rather curious. Is it cheaper to have a computer shipped to New Zealand from a Tier-1 integrator like Dell or Apple, or is it cheaper to build it? I can imagine that the cost of shipping a whole computer might be less than if you ship each part individually...
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Here in Hawaii it breaks just about even. Thank goodness for zipzoomfly (and a few other companies that ship cheap to hawaii) or I'd be dying over here :rolleyes:
 
FlyinBrian said:
It looks like you have your mind made up already but Il try to save you trouble. Alienware has turned into a much bigger company than they were in the day and now they seem more focused on volume that customer satisfaction.
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Yep, sounds like Dell ;)
 
But if you'd like to talk to me about our computers, Ivan, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have. I've been out (sorta) on maternity leave, but I'm there mostly every day starting this week.

Me, personally...I take a lot of pride in what we produce, or I couldn't come into a public forum like this and stand behind our systems. To be fair, there are a lot of great manufacturers out there, and you should take your time to make sure that you're getting exactly what you want--it's a major purchase. In the end, all that matters is that you get the kind of computer, and the type of purchasing experience, that makes you happy.

If I don't hear from you, I certainly wish you the best of luck, and I look forward to seeing what you finally do settle on.

(Hi Laz and Mket..great to see you...everything going okay for you two?)

Heather
 
Hey. I ordered the Alienware. I know everyone said that they suck but I don't reckon thats true. Alienware is owned by Dell but all that means is the head of Alienware now reports to Dell, they don't get any parts from dell or anything. They're not overpriced either, around the same price as any boutique system builder. And I have learned that english professionals will be assembling my system, not people from india which was my main concern.

I've always wanted an Alienware since I was 11 years old when I saw one of their ads in a pc magazine (this was back even before the first predator chassis) and now I will finally get to own one.

Anyway I've payed for it and immediatly the next day after I payed, my system went from phase 1 to phase 4 (pre production) on the order status so it's looking good at the moment and hopefully it'll stay that way.

Thanks for the offer VelocityCare but I already payed before I read your post and even if I had read it before I'd still probably be dead set on the Alienware. :p
 
I'm sure you will like it. I owned one as well. Alienware computer is not bad or slow, just more a bit more expensive than some of their competitors, ~$600-$800 :eek: more for similar config. Hopefully everything went as smooth for you as it was for me (only took 2 weeks total to from ordering to delivered). Please post back to let us know how it works out for you. :D
 
VelocityCare said:
But if you'd like to talk to me about our computers, Ivan, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have. I've been out (sorta) on maternity leave, but I'm there mostly every day starting this week.

Me, personally...I take a lot of pride in what we produce, or I couldn't come into a public forum like this and stand behind our systems. To be fair, there are a lot of great manufacturers out there, and you should take your time to make sure that you're getting exactly what you want--it's a major purchase. In the end, all that matters is that you get the kind of computer, and the type of purchasing experience, that makes you happy.

If I don't hear from you, I certainly wish you the best of luck, and I look forward to seeing what you finally do settle on.

(Hi Laz and Mket..great to see you...everything going okay for you two?)

Heather
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you forgot me :( :p

Congrats on the kid :D may he/she not drain your wallets dry in the next 15 years :D Good luck :p

Congrats on the alienware IF it all works out of the box... otherwise, have fun dealing with tech support...
 
I...uh...was saving the best for last? ;) Seriously, Omega...thanks so much for the good wishes.

I wish Ivan all the best with his Alienware, and I look forward to reading about his experience with them--in the end, it's all about what makes you happiest.

I do try to keep up and answer any questions for prospective customers, but like I said...I'm not in sales...lol. Tech support's kinda my thang, so I try to stick to that.

Best wishes and good luck!
 
on xmas(2006) was gona get aurora laptop, but they were all sold out:( , and instead of two weeks delivery if i ordered mine'd arrive only late spring. Was asking em if i pay more can i still get it within two weeks, they hungup on me..., now imso f***** glad I didnt get it, coz it was over 5K and now itd been well outdated...
 
Good luck Ivan.......
my first hot rod computer was an Alienware.....not bad,not great.....they delivered what they offered.
But......the customer service at the time really treated people like noobs. I wanted to upgrade some things after about two years......reasonable stuff....and a practice that AW encourages and markets......I really got a ton of BS from them and since I was past my warranty, I was a non issue as far as they were concerned.
It really soured me. Since then I sucked it up,went to the books and good forums like this one and now do it myself.
I'm just one guy.....I could go on......Alienware isnt a bad company, but at this point in my life if I was going to buy a prebuilt computer, I'd look elsewhere.
Have fun. I hope you got an extended warranty.:D
 
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