Help for a Dell gaming computer - is this enough?

[Erasculio]

Hello, I'm planning to buy a new computer soon, and I would like some help in choosing it. The idea is to buy a computer for gaming that would allow me to play some new games at highest specs; not Crysis 3, but still somewhat demanding games such as Mass Effect 3 and Assassin's Creed 3. I would also like a computer that could last at least 4 years playing games in medium to high specs.

Due to some problems (long story), I'm going to buy a computer from Dell. I don't have all available options, but for now what I'm considering is:

Alienware Aurora

• Inteo Core i7-2600k 9MB cache overclocked turbo boost to 4,1GHz
• Windows 7 Ultimate Original 64-bit
• RAM: 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 1600MHz (4x2GB)
• Hard disk 01:512GB RAID 0 (2 x 256GB SATA 3Gb/s) Solid State Drive
• Hard disk 02:SATA with 1TB (1024GB) 7200 RPM 3.0Gb/s - 32MB cache
• Screen: Alienware with 21.5 inches Full HD OPTX™ - Widescreen
• Graphics card: 2xATI Radeon HD 6950 2GB each w/ CrossFireX™
• Integrated soundboard 7.1

Now, I have some questions:

1) Is that good enough for what I want, or would I need a better computer? Is it a bit too much, or is that the kind of thing I need to have a computer that can last some years?

2) Is the RAM good enough? Is there a big difference between 1333 MHz, 1600 MHz and 1866 MHz? Would it be better to get 16 GB, or is 8 GB going to be enough?

3) Does it work to have a solid state drive as the main hard disk and a common one as the second hard disk? Or would the second hard disk reduce the advantages of the solid state drive?

4) Is a "21.5 inches Full HD OPTX" (no idea what that means) good, or would it be wiser to get a simpler, but bigger monitor?

5) Are the two graphic cards good enough?

6) I'm worried that this computer has way too few PCI slots; it cannot handle a sound board, for example, other than the 7.1 native to the computer. Is this a big problem? How worse is the audio from an integrated board in comparison with, say, a Creative Sound Blaster soundboard?

Thanks for all the help,
Erasculio

 

[mvbighead]

It... is... overkill. Of course it's enough.

 

[fffblackmage]

1) Is that good enough for what I want, or would I need a better computer? Is it a bit too much, or is that the kind of thing I need to have a computer that can last some years?

More than good enough.

2) Is the RAM good enough? Is there a big difference between 1333 MHz, 1600 MHz and 1866 MHz? Would it be better to get 16 GB, or is 8 GB going to be enough?

8GB is more than enough already.
The only difference you'll notice between the speed of the ram is the price tag.

3) Does it work to have a solid state drive as the main hard disk and a common one as the second hard disk? Or would the second hard disk reduce the advantages of the solid state drive?

The preferred config is to have the SSD as an OS/app drive, while the HDD handles bulk data storage. Your HDD won't slow your SSD down.

4) Is a "21.5 inches Full HD OPTX" (no idea what that means) good, or would it be wiser to get a simpler, but bigger monitor?

I have no idea what that is either. After a quick google search, it looks like "OPTX" is just the Alienware line of monitors.

It should be fine. Personally, I like my 26" 1920x1200 display. 1080p on a 21.5" screen would mean everything looks small. This is a personal choice, however. Some people like smaller pixels. Some people like larger pixels.

5) Are the two graphic cards good enough?

Are you kidding? If you're gaming on just a 1080p screen, it's overkill. Well, except for a handful of games, I guess.

6) I'm worried that this computer has way too few PCI slots; it cannot handle a sound board, for example, other than the 7.1 native to the computer. Is this a big problem? How worse is the audio from an integrated board in comparison with, say, a Creative Sound Blaster soundboard?

For many people, integrated sound on the mobo is good enough.

 

[Dr.Bubbles]

Is it powerful enough? Defiantly, too powerful in fact.

Should you buy it? I wouldn't advise it, Alienware is massively over priced, you will get ripped off.

 

[mnewsham]

Is it powerful enough? Defiantly, too powerful in fact.

Should you buy it? I wouldn't advise it, Alienware is massively over priced, you will get ripped off.

Definition for defiantly:
rebelliously: in a rebellious manner; "he rejected her words rebelliously"

I DEFINITELY think it is also over priced and too powerful.

OP, what is wrong with building your own?

 

[ensign_lee]

Holy F, way more than enough.

I'd venture a guess and say tha tsince that is from alienware, that computer is $3k...

 

[rasczak]

buy me one please.

 

[BoomerD]

Definition for defiantly:
rebelliously: in a rebellious manner; "he rejected her words rebelliously"

I DEFINITELY think it is also over priced and too powerful.

OP, what is wrong with building your own?

Yep...it'll do the job, but at a very inflated price as compared to building one yourself.

As compared to building computers 10-15 or more years ago, modern computers are very easy to build. Yes, there's some attention to detail in the assembly process...and yes, you can FUBAR a processor/motherboard if you screw up...but it's not THAT difficult to do right.

 

[SMOGZINN]

I really hope you are trolling. It looks like the computer as you configured it costs somewhere around $4000 USD! For that price I could build at least 3 such computers. I could probably build 4 computers that were 90% as good at it.

If you are dead set on ordering a pre-built computer from Dell here is what I would do:

Cut the i7-2600 down to a i5-2500 for 175.00 in savings.
Downgrade to Windows ultimate down to home premium for another $150 savings.
Go down to 8 gig of DDR3 1333 for $350 savings(!?! they really sock it to you on ram, hell at their prices even if you wanted the 1600 ram you could get the 1333 ram from them, sell it and buy your own ram for like 1/4 the cost!)
Drop down to the HD 6870 for a $500 savings.
Drop the SSD altogether, leaving only a 2TB 7200 RPM drive for a $1000 (!) savings (then go out and buy your own SSD drive for $200!)

That is a savings of $2175 USD (actually more, as you can drop down the case and PSU also). Take that money and put it in the bank and upgrade when ever this system start to feel slow. It will be enough to buy an entire new system faster then the maxed out system you are talking about now.

 

[ManBearPig]

Yep...it'll do the job, but at a very inflated price as compared to building one yourself.

As compared to building computers 10-15 or more years ago, modern computers are very easy to build. Yes, there's some attention to detail in the assembly process...and yes, you can FUBAR a processor/motherboard if you screw up...but it's not THAT difficult to do right.

Just out of curiosity, what exactly was more difficult?

Also, that computer would be amazing, but everyone here is worried about the price you're paying. If you don't care about the price tag, then by all means, get it. Otherwise, as the people here have said, you could get a better value elsewhere.

 

[Erasculio]

I really hope you are trolling. It looks like the computer as you configured it costs somewhere around $4000 USD! For that price I could build at least 3 such computers. I could probably build 4 computers that were 90% as good at it.

Sorry :'( I'm not trolling. See, I'm not in the USA. Around here, everything is overpriced (it costs more than $4000 USD, if I did a direct conversion), which is just something we have to deal with; but it's hard to find reliable parts. I could pay a bit less (not as much less as all the way up there) and build myself a computer, but if it stopped working I would be left wondering which of the parts was actually a hidden piece of trash and then waste a lot of time and effort in trying to make repairs. I'm willing to pay the higher price for reliability, if nothing else.

And thanks everyone for the advice. I have lost track of this kind of thing years ago; I knew what was a good RAM back when buying my good old 386, and hard disk space was defined as megabytes, not terabytes. It's amazing how fast those things grew over time.

I do have one more question: is the solid state drive worth it? I could get a hybrid HD/SSD SATA with 500GB (7200RPM) 3.0Gb/sfor a significantly smaller price, but I'm not sure if the pure SSD would be better.

 

[mfenn]

I do have one more question: is the solid state drive worth it? I could get a hybrid HD/SSD SATA with 500GB (7200RPM) 3.0Gb/sfor a significantly smaller price, but I'm not sure if the pure SSD would be better.

Yes, the SSD is worth it. RAID0 SSDs are a bit much though. If you feel more comfortable with Dell, that is fine. Given what you've described as your typical usage case, I think that Alienware is ridiculously overkill. Here's what I would do:

i5 2500K not overclocked (no real difference in gaming)
8GB DDR3 1333
Single 6950
Single SSD (128GB)
1TB Storage drive
Win 7 Home Premium

 

[ManBearPig]

I do have one more question: is the solid state drive worth it? I could get a hybrid HD/SSD SATA with 500GB (7200RPM) 3.0Gb/sfor a significantly smaller price, but I'm not sure if the pure SSD would be better.

Definitely get the SSD. You think there is anyway you could just order one and install it yourself though? Theyre pretty easy to find and easy to install, and youre paying sooo much (according to the guy above $1000) more for them; you could get one much cheaper and install it yourself.

 

[BoomerD]

Just out of curiosity, what exactly was more difficult?

Also, that computer would be amazing, but everyone here is worried about the price you're paying. If you don't care about the price tag, then by all means, get it. Otherwise, as the people here have said, you could get a better value elsewhere.

The actual assembly is still about the same...but often, configuring the hardware to work together took some time. Plus, software used to be...finicky...or more so than nowadays.

IMO, it's never been all that difficult...but it seems to me to just be MUCH easier.

 

[ManBearPig]

The actual assembly is still about the same...but often, configuring the hardware to work together took some time. Plus, software used to be...finicky...or more so than nowadays.

IMO, it's never been all that difficult...but it seems to me to just be MUCH easier.

Yeah, i think i agree with that. I built mine about 10-11 years ago and i just built my brothers a few months ago. His definitely seemed much easier for some reason. Weird.

 

[fffblackmage]

Yeah, i think i agree with that. I built mine about 10-11 years ago and i just built my brothers a few months ago. His definitely seemed much easier for some reason. Weird.

Maybe because you have more experience building now?

 

[mnewsham]

Things have gotten easier, you no longer have to worry about if this hard drive agrees with this motherboard etc... It never was really EXTREMELY difficult but it is easier then it was, the average intelligence person could assemble a computer from scratch with decent component selection with only a day or two of research (actual research not looking at forums and seeing the builds from a year ago)

 

[SMOGZINN]

Things have gotten easier, you no longer have to worry about if this hard drive agrees with this motherboard etc... It never was really EXTREMELY difficult but it is easier then it was, the average intelligence person could assemble a computer from scratch with decent component selection with only a day or two of research (actual research not looking at forums and seeing the builds from a year ago)

Not to mention that I have not had to manually configure IRQ setting dip switches on a board in 10 years. Probably the best thing to ever happen for system builders!

 

[mfenn]

Not to mention that I have not had to manually configure IRQ setting dip switches on a board in 10 years. Probably the best thing to ever happen for system builders!

I think that most people on this board have never even seen a dip switch. :awe: